Final Four: Oxford girls shoot way to state final

Mar. 2—BIRMINGHAM — So much for depth perception and the first-Final Four jitters.

Oxford's girls came out firing 3-pointers and burned Pelham 70-67 in Wednesday's Class 6A state semifinals, advancing to the Yellow Jackets' first-ever appearance in the state final.

Oxford (27-4) will play the winner between unbeaten Hazel Green and Park Crossing in Saturday's 12:30 p.m. final in Legacy Arena. The winner brings home the Alabama High School Athletic Association's "Blue Map" champion's trophy.

"I'll finally spill the beans on what our sign in our locker room says," Oxford coach Melissa Bennett said. "Back before the season started, I asked our cheerleaders to make us a sign that says 'Chasing the map.'

"We wanted to be in this game. We knew we had the potential, and we just had to have the buy-in and the commitment. That's happened, so it's really sweet to be playing again."

The victory gives Oxford a sweep of Birmingham-area 6A programs in the playoffs. The Yellow Jackets beat Shades Valley in the sub-regional then Mountain Brook and Chelsea in the Northeast Regional.

Oxford is making the first Final Four appearance in program history. Teams unaccustomed to big-arena backdrops often struggle shooting because of depth perception.

Depth perception, schmepth perschmeption, Oxford said.

KaLeah Taylor hit two of Oxford's five 3-pointers in the first quarter, leading the Yellow Jackets to a 19-14 lead going into the second. LaMya McGrue and Justice Woods also hit a three in the first.

By halftime, Oxford led 40-30 and was 7-for-12 behind the arc.

We walked this last week at practice that we did have to shoot better

Oxford hit nine of 19 threes for the game. Taylor went 4-for-5 and led Oxford with 20 points. Xai Whitfield hit a three and scored 14 points. McGrue hit one en route to 12 points, and Woods hit two while scoring 13 points.

"That was a focus point that Coach Bennett hit a ... actually yesterday, when we came in here and watched the games, was the depth perception," Taylor said. "She told us to focus in on our shots, especially in warmups."

Oxford's hot shooting appeared to be a carryover from Oxford's Northeast Regional final. McGrue set the stage with a rare 3-pointer, and Taylor hit another at the buzzer to force overtime against Chelsea. Oxford went on to win 53-52.

Bennett said the Yellow Jackets focused more on shooting struggles before the dramatic finish against Chelsea.

"We did not shoot well at regional," Bennett said. "We shot 15 percent or 20 percent on threes, so we talked this last week of practice about how we have to shoot better, and the girls put extra work in.

"At this point of the season, you try to go a little shorter and try to focus in on some things, so for them to be staying and getting some extra reps, it showed up today."

Oxford's aim behind the arc Wednesday also helped the Yellow Jackets bridge over foul troubles. Senior Lauren Ellard quickly picked up two fouls in the first quarter, and both players who subbed for her fouled twice in the first half, depriving Oxford in the post.

The Yellow Jackets' accuracy, especially in the first half, shocked Pelham.

"We were going to play some more zone," Pelham coach Crosby Morrison said. "They shot the ball really, really well, so we came out and played more man in the second half and turned them over in the end, which actually helped us."

Oxford's lead swelled to as many as 19 points (53-34) by 2:57 of the third quarter, and the Yellow Jackets led 54-40 going into the fourth.

Coming out of an Oxford timeout, after Savannah Scarbrough hit a three to bring Pelham within 54-45 at 5:01 of the fourth, junior Keziah Mickler hit a three to put Oxford up 56-45 and launch a 9-0 spurt to re-establish Oxford's comfortable lead.

Oxford held off a late Pelham rally, built on turnovers created by Pelham's press. The Yellow Jackets forced 29 turnovers but committed 32, including 11 in the fourth quarter.

Led by 17 points apiece from Scarbrough and Victoria West and 16 from Laci Gogan, the Panthers (27-6) did not want their first Final Four to end.

"With four minutes to go in the fourth quarter, I was thinking this one could get ugly," Morrison said. "This group just showed the character they've had really for the four years that I've had them.

"That's why they're here."

Woods' two free throws with 21 seconds to play and Ellard's one with seven-tenths of a second left wound up saving the day for Oxford.

"We would've loved to have not made that such a good game," Bennett said with a grin. "It go a little exciting there late, but we had a goal early on to be here. For it to be coming true, for it to be happening for these young ladies, there's not enough words to describe what this group means."

Sports Writer Joe Medley: 256-235-3576. On Twitter: @jmedley_star.