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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover's Marion Humphrey (1) attacks the defense during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon (3) takes a shot during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Action during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover defends a shot during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon (3) during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon (3) attacks the defense during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover's Marion Humphrey (1) takes a shot during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover's Marion Humphrey (1) takes a shot during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon (3) dribbles during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Hoover's PJ King (10) dribbles during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon (3) takes a shot during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon (3) dribbles around a defender during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Action during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Hoover's Devin Wilson (5) takes a shot during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Hoover's Trey Jemison (55) looks to the basket during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon (3) takes a shot during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover's Marion Humphrey (1) takes a shot during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Hoover cheerleader during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover's Jamari Blackmon (3) takes a shot during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover's Marion Humphrey (1) takes a shot during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
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Photo by Todd Lester
Hoover defenders steal the ball during a Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinal game between James Clemens and Hoover on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018, at Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.
HANCEVILLE – It wasn’t the most satisfying victory, but at this stage of the year, they all count the same.
The Hoover High School boys basketball team withstood a late surge by James Clemens to win, 59-54, in the Class 7A Northwest Regional Semifinals on Thursday at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville.
“I thought our kids played hard and played until the end,” said Hoover coach Charles Burkett. “I thought we did what we had to do, but I just didn’t feel good about the way we closed out the game.”
Hoover (27-3) held James Clemens (17-13) at arm’s length most of the day, as the Bucs held a double-digit lead the entirety of the third quarter. But the Jets began to chip away in the fourth quarter, and cut the deficit to as little as four a couple times in the final minutes.
AJ McGinnis Jr. and Garrett Hicks had a lot to do with that. The James Clemens duo combined for 37 of the Jets’ 54 points in the game, and Burkett was unhappy with how his team guarded them late.
“We just didn’t execute on their known scorers,” Burkett said. “We gave them too clean of looks. I say that on this end, but on the other end, they are known scorers, so they know how to get open.”
Hoover has a prolific scoring tandem of its own in Jamari Blackmon and Humphrey. The two lead the Bucs in scoring most games, and Thursday’s contest was no different. Blackmon scored 21 points on the day and pulled down a team-high six rebounds. Humphrey chipped in 13 points and five boards.
That leaves Ahman Ellington as the forgotten man at times. He scored 10 points on Thursday, despite not converting a 3-pointer. He did most of his damage at the line, as he converted 6-of-8 free throws.
“It’s good,” he said. “People forget about me sometimes.”
Thursday’s win advances Hoover to the spot it faltered last season. The Bucs were upset by Vestavia Hills in the regional final last season after dispatching the Rebels three times in the regular season.
That loss has stuck with the Bucs.
“We got to finish strong,” Blackmon said. “We have a chip on our shoulder after losing to Vestavia and this year we want to get back (to the Final Four).”
Hoover will take on Sparkman at 10:45 a.m. on Tuesday.