Defending state champion Marion County jumped to an early lead, but had to stave off a second-half Elba rally to advance to the girls’ Class 1A championship with a 68-61 victory to open the 102nd AHSAA State Basketball Finals at Birmingham’s BJCC Legacy Arena.

The Red Raiders (20-13) led 13-0 coming out of the locker room and 20-10 at the end of one quarter, 29-24 at the half and 53-43 headed into the final period.

Elba stormed back to tie the game at 59-all midway through the fourth quarter.

“We wanted to get the ball to Jasmine Wilson at the free throw line,” Marion County coach Scott Veal said. “Our offense starts through her. I just told them, ‘We’re warriors. You can’t quit. We’re tied – it ain’t like we’re down 10.’”

Marion County’s Wilson, a junior, scored 10 of her 12 points in the first quarter. Freshman guard Lily Robinson got 15 of her team-high 22 in the second half. Robinson also had three assists, four steals and two rebounds.

“I had to get settled into the game, I was a little nervous coming out,” Robinson said. “My teammates start lifting me up, then I felt good about scoring.”

Elba sophomore A’lyric Whitfield led the Tigers’ rally, scoring eight of her game-high 23 points in the final quarter. She finished 5-of-10 on 3-point shots and made 4-of-6 free throws.

“These girls played really hard,” Elba coach Shaun Hammonds said. “Even though they faced some adversity in the first quarter and third quarter. I couldn’t ask – as a coach – for a better way for them to fight and make it a ballgame. We couldn’t finish near the end, but hats off to Marion County for finishing the deal.”

Marion County is playing in its third straight State Basketball Finals.

Star of the Game: Red Raiders freshman guard Robinson scored 22 points with three assists, two rebounds and four steals.

Stat sheet: Marion County –Wilson scored 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting. She handed out eight assists, blocked four shots and pulled down 12 rebounds in the win. Senior guard Porshia Lipsey scored 14 points, all in the second half, and pulled down six rebounds. Alicia Shack scored 10 points. Elba – Sophomore Whitfield led the Tigers with 23 points. She finished with three rebounds and two steals. Kendra Juarez scored nine points and led the team with 8 rebounds. She had three steals and three assists.

By the numbers: Marion Country outscored Elba 48-28 in the paint and scored 24 fast-break points to 11 for Elba. The Tigers fought their way back in the game by winning the points off turnovers margin, 25-20, and the points off the bench margin, 17-6 to make this game close at the end.

They said it: “When (Shack) fouled out, it was like I have to turn it on,” said senior guard Porshia Lipsey, whose 14 points all came after halftime. “With her fouling out we lost a point guard and everybody had to fill a role. Scoring was my role.”

Next up: Marion County will play the winner of the Spring Garden-Loachapoka game on Thursday at 4 p.m. for the 1A title.