Brewbaker Tech’s Jillian Baine knew she was going to have a good game against Marbury in the Class 5A Central Regional girls title game on Wednesday.

“She told me this morning that she was going to be locked in,” said Brewbaker Tech coach Cynthia Thompson. “She was and her free throws at the end of the game were key for us.”

Baine scored 29 points at Birmingham’s Bill Harris Arena to lead No. 10 Brewbaker Tech to a 67-57 win over Marbury, sending the Rams to the state semifinals against top-ranked Jasper next Wednesday at the BJCC. Blane converted 6-of-10 shots and made 16-of-17 free throws.

Marbury, which lost to Brewbaker Tech in the regional final for second consecutive year, went on a 7-0 run to close the lead to 60-57 with two minutes left.

“Our defense forced some turnovers and we came with steals to make a run,” said Marbury coach Reginald Brown. “However, we didn’t get the rolls or calls down the stretch.”

Brewbaker Tech made 25-of-28 free throws to seal the victory.

“We are excited about the opportunity to go back to the final four,” Thompson said. “We were disappointed in how we played in Birmingham last year. We have used it as motivation all season. Now, it’s time for us to take the next step.”

Erin Martin chipped in 15 points and grabbed 5 rebounds for the Rams.

Marbury was led by Justice Blackmon’s 23 points while Gabrielle Brown added 11 points.