A mid-season tournament matchup between Bob Jones and Vestavia Hills saw a hard-fought battle go to the Patriots by a three-point margin, but the postseason meeting was anything but electric and dramatic.

The third-ranked Patriots ground out the opening half, but pulled away in the second for a 42-31 victory over No. 4 Vestavia Hills in Thursday’s Class 7A Northwest Regional semifinal at Wallace State’s Tom Drake Coliseum in Hanceville.

Bob Jones (30-3) opened the first quarter with a 7-2 lead, courtesy of five points from Zamrya Goode, but lead by a single point at the end of the period with the Rebels closing out on an 8-2 run. Vestavia Hills extended its run to 12-4 midway through the second period, but the Patriots responded to retake a 17-16 lead heading into the halftime break.

Both teams matched points to open the second half, the Patriots scoring the first four points and Vestavia Hills following with its own 4-0 spurt, and Bob Jones took control on a 6-0 run near the end of the quarter.

The Rebels cut the lead to three points at the start of the final period, but Bob Jones hit a 7-1 run to take a 34-25 lead almost at the halfway point of the fourth. Staring down a growing lead, the Rebels opted to foul in the final minutes and Bob Jones secured the win with an 8-of-12 performance at the line in the fourth period.

Vestavia Hills (28-4), which lost 51-48 to Bob Jones exactly one month ago, failed to make the regional finals for the first time since 2019.

Star of the Game: Janiyah Bone. The junior finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and two assists. She was 5-for-7 from the field and had a block and a steal.

Did you know? Bob Jones advances to its second straight regional final. The Patriots made eight consecutive appearances in the regional finals from 2005-2012.

Stat sheet: Bob Jones – The Patriots shot 45.5 percent overall and were 10-for-17 at the foul line – 8-of-12 in the final quarter. Alana Obianozie finished with a team-high 13 points, adding six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Ja’Kyah Smith had nine points, followed by Goode with six points and five rebounds. Vestavia Hills – The Rebels were held to 27.7 percent from the field – 1-for-21 on 3-pointers – and only two players found the scoring column. Anna Towry finished with a game-high 19 points, adding six rebounds, and Sasha Gordon had 12 points and five rebounds.

Coachspeak: “I had to sum it up with just one word, I’d say ‘fight.’ Even when we made mistakes, the next-play mentality was there and the girls kept fighting – specifically on defense. I’m real proud of them for that.” – Bob Jones’ Jazmine Powers Carr

“We only had two players score and that makes it difficult to win against a good team. The ball just didn’t go in today. The way we played, we did everything we usually do but the ball just didn’t go into the basket. It’s amazing we were within how many late in the second half. Bob Jones is a very good team, incredibly athletic and well-coached. I tip my hat to them.” – Vestavia Hill’s John David Smelser

They said it: “We’re really excited to keep going and advancing. It’s good to represent and be a leader for the team.” – Bone

“We are really excited and our grit is what’s keeping us going. The job is not finished.” – Williams

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