Vestavia Hills can score with the best of them, but its defensive acumen is what has the boys’ basketball team within striking distance of its first state title in more than a decade.

The top-ranked Rebels allowed single-digit made field goals in each half and put on a defensive display in a 56-29 victory over No. 9 Bob Jones in Thursday’s Class 7A Northwest Regional semifinal at Wallace State’s Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.

Vestavia Hills (26-4) allowed the first points of the game, a quick jumper from the Patriots’’ Malachi Mitchell, but took control on an 11-0 run – aided by four points from Win Miller and five points from Jackson Weaver – that stretched into the second period. Bob Jones managed to add eight points to their total midway through the second period, but the Rebels capped the first-half scoring with a 6-0 run to build a 21-10 lead heading into the halftime break.

The Rebels kept the pedal pressed to open the second half, extending its lead on a 6-0 run before Bob Jones made its first field goal of the third quarter. Vestavia Hills’ Jordan Ross opened the final quarter with an emphatic dunk and the Rebels powered ahead on a 12-0 run to take a 50-22 lead midway through the fourth period.

Bob Jones (22-11) went 5-of-6 at the foul line in the final 3:50 and added a layup from Jabari Salaam with two minutes remaining, but the Rebels were able to close out the rout with a 6-for-8 showing at the free-throw line.

Star of the Game: Win Miller. The 6-foot-3 senior guard finished with a game-high 21 points, on 7-for-13 shooting, and added three rebounds and three assists. He was 6-of-9 at the foul line and led an efficient attack on offense while shoring up the defensive end.

Did you know? Vestavia Hills advances to its first regional final since the 2019 season. The Rebels have appeared in five state tournament finals and won championships in 1992 and 2009.

Stat sheet: Vestavia Hills – The Rebels made 50 percent of their shots overall from the field, 25-of-33 on free-throw attempts and held a plus-6 advantage in rebounding. Jackson Weaver finished with 15 points, six rebounds and two assists, followed by Jordan Ross with 11 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Bob Jones – The Patriots shot 22 percent overall (9-of-41) and scored in double-digits only in the final quarter. Sean Paul led Bob Jones with seven points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals while Sean Morgan and Khani Chilufya scored six points each. Julius Winston added five points, two rebounds and four blocks.

Coachspeak: “We did exactly what we’ve done all year today – we guarded. We gave up 10 points in the first half, 29 for the game, and that’s where we have hung our hats all year. That’s a typical regional game. It’s not the first one to 75 in these games, it’s who can get a bunch of half-court stops. We did that pretty well today.” – Vestavia Hill coach Patrick Davis

“The first thing I’ll remember about this team is being a tight-knit family. These guys enjoyed being around each other and I appreciate their leadership in moving this program forward. We wanted to make sure we were mature enough and tough enough to be here. Today was not a good day. We couldn’t shoot the ball well but give it to Vestavia Hills, they played well and had a great defense. I’m glad we gave it our all.” – Bob Jones’ Luther Tiggs

They said it: “That’s (defense) our main focus point every week, every day at practice. We believe we’re the best team in the state and so we’re going at each other with that mindset every day in practice. It translates to the game and that’s how we’ve been getting wins all year.” – Miller

“Even if the offense starts off slow, defense always picks up. That’s something we pride ourselves in and have been doing all year. It’s won us a bunch of games.” – Weaver

What’s next? Vestavia Hills advances to the Northwest Regional final, where they’ll face either Hoover or Austin on Tuesday at Wallace State’s Tom Drake Coliseum.