Class 4A Girls semifinals: Trinity runs past Plainview, back to title game
Trinity Presbyterian’s Maddie Smith could not miss in the first half and Francie Morris was an enforcer in the paint as the top-ranked Wildcats cruised to a 67-43 victory over No. 6 Plainview in Tuesday’s Class 4A state semifinal at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena in Birmingham.
“I have one or two more games left, playing with the best team I could ask for,” Smith said. “It’s really just joy and trying to take in the moment and enjoy playing with all these people I love so much.”
Trinity (29-4) raced out to a 16-0 lead in the opening period as Smith rained down triples with the frequency of a young Steph Curry. She went 4-of-4 from beyond the arc and scored 14 points in the first quarter on a 5-of-6 shooting effort.
“It impacts us all because she is such a great player,” Morris said. “When she plays good, the whole team plays good.”
The Bears were finally able to break their opening 4:45 scoring drought on a layup by Sawyer Hulgan and closed out the first period on a 9-2 run, closing the gap to 9 points on a Lauren Jimmerson 3-pointer with 5 seconds remaining.
Maddie Smith knocked down her fifth triple of the game in the first 30 seconds of the second period and sparked a 9-2 run by the Wildcats, fueled on back-to-back layups from Lilly Smith. Trinity held a 27-11 lead at the 5:21 mark of the quarter, but Taegan Whitmire and Piper Anderson knocked down consecutive 3-pointers to trim the deficit to 10 points with less than 3 minutes left in the first half.
The Bears were held scoreless the last 2 minutes of the half, while Morris went on a 5-0 run to cap the second period and build a 15-point advantage at the halftime break.
“The game plan was to just rebound the ball and not allow them to get second chances because we knew they were great shooters,” Morris said. “I was like, ‘I’m just going to box out and get those boards.’ They were physical under the basket so thankfully I got a lot of free throws to shoot.”
Morris, who led Trinity with 20 points, finished with 6 rebounds. The senior headed to Samford University also had 6 steals and a pair of assists.
Plainview (30-6) cut the lead to an even dozen, 34-22, early in the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Miley Dukes, but the Wildcats clamped down and shut out the Bears for 3:12. Trinity surged ahead 43-22 lead during that span. The 9-0 run by the Wildcats was ignited on a 3-pointer by Emory Causey and capped on two perfect trips to the free-throw line from Mya Moskowitz.
The Wildcats wrapped up the third period with a 10-3 run and carried a 53-27 advantage into the final quarter. Plainview trimmed the margin to 21 midway through the fourth period, but a 6-0 run by the Wildcats thwarted any hope of a rally in the final 3 minutes.
Star of the Game: Maddie Smith. The senior guard missed only a single shot in the first period, scoring 14 points on 4-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc, and finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 9 steals with zero turnovers. Smith became Trinity’s all-time leading scorer in late December when she hit 2,277 points on her career.
She also held Plainview sophomore Sawyer Kate Hulgan, who has a shot at breaking the national 3-point record, to only 0-of-2 from beyond the arc.
“Maddie is tenacious, and when I say tenacious, it’s not just that she is the fastest person but she’s a bulldog. When you put her on an assignment like that, she has the physicality, the instincts and the foot speed. Her mind is always on and makes it hard for anyone else,” Trinity coach Blake Smith said.
Stat sheet: Trinity – Moskowitz had 13 points and 4 rebounds, followed by Lilly Smith with 10 points and 4 steals. Ellie and Emory Causey contributed 3 points each and combined for 4 rebounds. Plainview – Anderson led the Bears with 12 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists, and Jimmerson had 7 points and 6 rebounds. Hulgan and Whitmire were held to 6 points each, and Lilley Frost added 4 points and 3 rebounds.
By the numbers: Trinity shot 41.7 percent overall, 40 percent from beyond the arc, and was 19-of-22 at the free-throw line. The Wildcats outrebounded Plainview 26-25, had 8 turnovers while forcing 25 and scored 32 points off those miscues. Plainview was 45.9 percent from the field but was only 2-of-3 at the foul line.
Did you know? Trinity advanced to its third straight championship appearance and the first in Class 4A after winning the past two 3A titles.
Coachspeak: “Our No. 1 goal is to say we want God’s presence to go with us, and if that means we win or lose, either way is fine. But we want joy, teamsmanship and selflessness to permeate what we do and these girls do that. And to top that off, they’re very talented.” – Trinity’s Blake Smith
“All Glory to God. Through the good and the bad, nothing is possible without Him. I’m a lucky guy to have players like this to coach and they’re going to be great citizens and great people. This loss falls completely on me because they’ve done everything that’s been asked of them all season. I love ‘em like my own kids.” – Plainview’s Luke Griggs
She said it: “We just play in a groove. It’s the feel of the game. If I’m open, I’m going to shoot it. But half the time, all these people are open so it’s easier to throw it to them. And they’ll knock it down.” – Maddie Smith
What’s next? Trinity will face No. 4 Good Hope in the AHSAA Class 4A title game at 4 p.m. on Friday at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena.