Hartselle’s path to its first state tournament berth in eight seasons is starting to get a bit more dramatic.

The eighth-ranked Tigers allowed a fourth-period rally but held on for a 50-46 victory over Muscle Shoals in Thursday’s Class 7A Northwest Regional girls semifinal at Wallace State’s Traditions Bank Arena.

“They try to find ways to win when their backs are against the wall,” Hartselle coach Amber Deline said. “Proud of our team fighting that way. It was not as pretty as we would have liked it to have been but the end result is what matters, and we got the job done.”

Hartselle (19-6) jumped out to a 9-2 lead midway through the opening period, powered by two 3-pointers from Gracie Hill and Hannah Burks, and extended the advantage to six points. However, the Trojans closed out the quarter on a 6-1 run to cut the lead to 13-10 entering the second period.

The Tigers surged ahead on a 5-0 spurt to begin the second quarter and answered each Muscle Shoals basket down the stretch to carry a 24-16 lead into the halftime break. Burks opened the period with her second 3-pointer and scored 11 points in the first half.

Hartselle built a 33-22 lead midway through the third on 3s by Burks and Hill, but Muscle Shoals’ Tamora Brown answered the final Hill 3-pointer with one of her own and the Trojans closed the gap to five points on an 8-2 run to end the period.

Muscle Shoals (18-6) opened the final quarter with a go-ahead 6-0 run, taking a 36-35 lead with 5:44 remaining in the game, and battled to a 41-all tie on five straight points from Makenzie Sears, who finished with 10 points in the period.

Hill and Muscle Shoals’ Abby Pitman matched 3-pointers to keep the score knotted up in the final minute when Anna Burroughs scored the go-ahead basket with 1:08 left in the game.

Ella Springer sealed the win for the Tigers on a pair of free throws with 22 seconds remaining.

Did you know? Hartselle advances to its 11th regional final and seeks its first state title since winning back-to-back championships in 1984 and 1985. The Tigers made its last state tournament appearance in 2016.

By the numbers: Hartselle shot 43.6 percent overall, 50 percent from 3-point range, and forced 17 turnovers while committing 11. The Trojans were 45.2 percent from the field and 2-of-4 on 3-pointers and held a plus-9 edge in the rebounding battle.

Stat sheet: Hartselle – Burks led the Tigers with a game-high 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including a 3-for-5 performance from range, and Hill finished with 15 points while combining with Burks on six steals. Mary Frances Itsede posted her third straight double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, and added three assists, three blocks and three steals. Muscle Shoals – Sears produced a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Brown had 12 points and two rebounds.

Coachspeak: “The 3-point scoring goes down when you get in this gym and the final four. That’s why we harp on rebounds but when she (Burks) took that first one and it went in, I was like, ‘Okay.’” — Hartselle’s Amber Deline

“Didn’t end the way we wanted. Came out to a slow start, but we did pick up our defensive intensity. We got a spark off defense and we were thriving but tough missed shots at the end. We had a great season and super proud of these girls. Our theme this year was ‘greater’ and we did that.” — Muscle Shoals’ Catrina Smith

They said it: “These last two games, when you know it’s do-or-die, our defense has stepped up great. We’re communicating and working with each other.” — Gracie Hill

“Our offense has improved a lot too, especially in handling pressure. That’s one of the things we struggled with last year. These last two games, especially this one, breaking the press has been crucial.” — Mary Fraces Itsede

“It’s been an amazing experience. Throughout the year we’ve figured out our roles and our strengths.” — Hannah Burks

What’s next? Hartselle advances to face either No.1 Hazel Green or No. 2 Clay-Chalkville in Tuesday’s Northwest Regional final at Wallace State’s Traditions Bank Arena.