The Bob Jones girls basketball team is on a mission following two straight losses in the regional final the last two seasons.

They are now one step closer to getting over that regional final hurdle.

The top-ranked Patriots rallied in the final quarter for a 40-37 victory over No. 3 Vestavia Hills in Wednesday’s Class 7A Northwest Regional girls semifinal at Wallace State’s Traditions Bank Arena.

“I’m so proud of my girls. They showed a lot of resiliency in this game,” Bob Jones coach Jazmine Powers Carr said. “It wasn’t the prettiest game, but you could see the fight in them. You could feel it in the timeouts, and you could feel it on the bench.”

Bob Jones (28-3) got on the board first with a 3-pointer from Jordyn Fields but scoring came at a premium as the teams closed the initial period in a 6-all tie. The Patriots jumped ahead on another 3-pointer by Jaliayh Smith to open the second quarter before Vestavia grabbed a slim lead with a 7-2 run. However, Zamyra Goode splashed home a 3-pointer in the final minute to give the Patriots a 14-13 lead at half.

The teams matched buckets in the early moments of the second half, but Vestavia Hills finished on a 9-5 run to grab a three-point lead heading into the fourth.

Bob Jones clamped down in the fourth period and sprinted out to a 34-30 lead on the back of an 11-4 run that was propelled by eight straight points from Jae Smith.

Vestavia Hills (25-5) managed to trim the deficit to a single possession four times inside the last minute, but the Patriots went 6-of-8 from the charity stripe during the final stretch to clinch the win over the Rebels.

Did you know? Bob Jones advances to its third straight regional final and 12th in program history.

By the numbers: Bob Jones shot 43.8 percent overall and 28.6 percent on 3-pointers, and forced 11 turnovers while committing only four. The Rebels shot 52 percent from the field, only 1-of-8 from range, and owned a plus-13 edge in rebounding.

Stat sheet: Bob Jones – (Jae) Smith led the Patriots with 13 points, followed by (Jaliayh) Smith with eight points and three rebounds. Fields finished with three points and Bone had two points, and Alana Obianozie had six points and three rebounds. Vestavia Hills – The Rebels were led by Sarah Gordon, who had a game-high 19 points along with five rebounds, and Jill Gaylard had 11 points. Grayson Hudgens and Jordan Madsen had two points each but brought down a combined 10 rebounds.

Coachspeak: “We’re just trying to win, trying to advance. I’m a proud coach. It’s been a competitive season for us. We’ve traveled a lot, played against some top teams, and we’ve been preparing for this moment. Advance one game at a time. One possession at a time.” — Bob Jones’ Jazmine Powers Carr

“This team, from day one to today, improved dramatically. Probably the most improved team I’ve ever coached. I’m super proud of them. I know what the score says, but the way they executed the game plan and how hard they played, we didn’t win on the scoreboard but won in my mind.” — Vestavia Hills’ John David Smelser

They said it: “I’m glad we won. We’re all prepared and bought into the process. The whole team is locked in and ready for the next round.” — Janiyah Bone

“I’m excited for our team and what we got next. We have to keep taking it one day at a time and one game at a time.” — Jordyn Fields

What’s next? Bob Jones advances to face either James Clemens or No. 4 Hoover in Tuesday’s Northwest Regional final at Wallace State’s Traditions Bank Arena.