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The Hoover Bucs celebrate a basket and one by Reniya Kelly (10) that gave them a late lead during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Joiya Maddox (20) shoots a three pointer during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Skyla Knight (1) rises above the defense for a shot during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Jada Knight (2) shoots a three pointer during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Jada Knight (2) penetrates the defense during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Skyla Knight (1) rises above the defense for a shot during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Madison Adamson (23) shoots an uncontested layup during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Melanie Hall (4) leads the offense during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Miya Kimber (14) floats a shot over defenders during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Reniya Kelly (10) blows by a defender during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Aniya Hubbard (5) finds space at the top of the key during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Miya Kimber (14) is closely guarded during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Reniya Kelly (10) follows through on a free throw attempt during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Jada Knight (2) and Aniya Hubbard (5) fight for the ball during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover Reniya Kelly (10) drives towards the basket during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Reniya Kelly (10) is fouled as she scores a basket that gave Hoover a late lead during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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The Hoover Bucs celebrate a basket and one by Reniya Kelly (10) that gave them a late lead during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Miya Kimber (14) celebrates as time expires during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Skyla Knight (1) drives the baseline during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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The Hoover Bucs celebrate a basket and one by Reniya Kelly (10) that gave them a late lead during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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The Hoover Bucs celebrate a basket and one by Reniya Kelly (10) that gave them a late lead during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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The Hoover Bucs celebrate a basket and one by Reniya Kelly (10) that gave them a late lead during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Aniya Hubbard (5) keeps he eye on the basket as she drives past a defender during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover head coach Krystle Johnson speaks with her team during a timeout of an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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The Hoover bench celebrates a made basket during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Skyla Knight (1) looks to make a pass during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Melanie Hall (4) finds her way into the lane during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Hoover's Skyla Knight (1) shoots through defenders during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
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Miya Kimber (14) releases a long shot during an AHSAA class 7A semifinal basketball game between Hoover and McGill-Toolen on Thursday, February 28, 2019, at the BJCC's Legacy Arena in Birmingham, AL. (Kamp Fender)
BIRMINGHAM — Reniya Kelly doesn’t even go to the same school as the rest of her teammates.
That’s because she’s still in middle school. But the moment wasn’t too big for the eighth-grader, as her basket with 43 seconds to go lifted the Hoover High School girls basketball team to a 57-49 victory over McGill-Toolen on Thursday in the Class 7A state semifinals at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena.
Moments after McGill-Toolen took a one-point lead with 1:11 remaining, a Miya Kimber steal led to Kelly receiving a pass on the left wing. Kelly put the ball on the floor with an emphatic dribble and banked in a shot off the glass while absorbing a foul.
“My mindset was just to score. That’s what I did,” Kelly said.
The basket sent her teammates and Hoover supporters into a frenzy.
“I didn’t doubt for one second that she would make it, because of all the hard work she’s put in. She deserved it,” said senior point guard Skyla Knight, four years Kelly’s senior.
Despite being the youngest player on the roster, Kelly belonged on the floor in crunch time. She said she dreams of making plays like that “all the time” and has put in the work to warrant her coach’s trust. She finished with 12 points on the day.
“She’s a competitor,” said Hoover head coach Krystle Johnson. “She’s quiet and doesn’t say much, but nobody questions her effort. She’s always in the gym all the time. She works harder than anybody and has earned her playing time.”
Kelly made the free throw to consolidate the old-fashioned three-point play. Following that momentum-shifting play, Hoover scored the final six points of the game to seal the outcome.
Hoover (33-1) has lost just once all season and has regularly beaten opponents by 30 points or more. The Lady Bucs haven’t been in many tight contests throughout the season, but senior Joiya Maddox felt confident her team could produce in the clutch.
“I knew we were more than capable of pulling out the win,” said Maddox, who had nine points, two blocks and two steals. “Coach had been telling us to pull up our energy throughout the game. But it wasn’t nerve-wracking for me.”
Johnson said the Lady Bucs were “flat” for the majority of the contest, save for the final three minutes.
“The reason we’ve been winning by that much is because of the way we’ve been playing and today we didn’t play like that,” she said.
Hoover jumped out to an 11-4 lead to start the game before McGill went on a run to cut the deficit to 18-16 at the conclusion of a quarter. The Lady Bucs turned a one-point lead into a 34-26 halftime edge thanks to a 9-2 spurt. Knight drained a 3-pointer and converted a layup to punctuate the run, and she finished with a team-high 15 points and five assists.
“They came out in the zone, which is one of the best ways to play us,” Johnson said. “And we were flat. We settled for 3s and when we started driving, things turned around.
McGill came out of the locker room the more energetic team and tied the game at 36-36 with 3:36 to go in the 3rd quarter after starting the half on a 10-2 run. With the game tied at 43-43 early in the fourth quarter, a Madison Adamson free throw and putback by Kimber gave the Lady Bucs a three-point lead.
Kelly’s free throws made it 48-45, McGill scored the next four points to take the lead, and Kelly put the Lady Bucs ahead for good.
Johnson noted that McGill-Toolen’s 25-24 edge on the glass marked the first time Hoover had been outrebounded in a game the entire season.
After winning the state title in 2017, Hoover was upset in the regional final last winter. This time around, the Lady Bucs will have their shot to claim the championship again when they face Hewitt-Trussville at 4 p.m. on Saturday.
“A win is a win,” Johnson said. “We’re happy to be back in the state championship game.”