Trinity Advances Past Clements in Semifinal Rematch of 2023 Finals
Day 2: 104th AHSAA State Basketball Championships
By Josh Bean | For the AHSAA
BIRMINGHAM – Montgomery’s Trinity Presbyterian High School held off Clements’ fourth-quarter rally, including two potentially game-tying 3-pointers in the final 10 seconds, to earn a 41-39 victory in Tuesday’s 104th AHSAA State Basketball State Championships Class 3A girls’ semifinals at the BJCC’s Legacy Arena.
Trinity’s Francie Morris fouled out midway through the fourth quarter with 12 points, including 3-of-4 shooting from the 3-point arc, with the Wildcats nursing a five-point lead as both teams struggled to score. Trinity’s Maddie Smith scored a three-point play with a buckrt and free throw with 2:16 to go to make it 39-32. The Wildcats held Clements’ final effort just enough to squeak out the semifinal win.
“That play, that was all her,” Trinity coach Blake Smith said of his daughter Maddie’s play. “Yeah, I think that was the play of the game.”
Trinity (25-6) advances to Friday’s championship game at 12:30 p.m., with the Wildcats hoping to claim a second straight state title. Trinity defeated Clements 52-48 in last year’s championship game.
Trinity led Tuesday’s battle 41-38 after Mya Moskowitz made 1-of-2 free throws with 16.3 seconds to go. Clements point guard Leah Childress took the inbounds pass, dribbled up court and fired a 3-pointer. It missed, but the Colts corralled the rebound and got it back to her. She tried again, but missed, and Tay Tay Farrar rebounded and got fouled with 1 second remaining. She made the first throw, but intentionally missed the second.
“We didn’t have a timeout, so there really wasn’t a plan,” Leah Childress said. “It was a ball screen. The first look was not a look I really wanted. I got it back and it as one I could definitely make.”
Smith led Trinity with 15 points, and Morris added 12, five rebounds and two steals. Moskowitz had 12 points and five rebounds. Farrar led Clements with 13 points, and Leah Childress added eight points, four assists, and three steals.
Click here to check out the full schedule and scores from the 2024 AHSAA State Finals.
Class 3A and 4A semifinals for boys and girls are set for the BJCC Legacy Arena Tuesday. Classes 6A and 5A open their tourneys Wednesday, and Class 7A plays Thursday morning.
All semifinal games are being live streamed over the NFHS Network’s subscriber-based platform and live on the AHSAA TV Network. Check out the cable stations on the network at Television and will also be live streamed over the NFHS Network.
Cover Photo: Trinity’s Maddie Smith (15) makes a key bucket as Clements’ Taylor Farrar (2) and Tay Tay Farrar (20) defends in the 3A girls’ state semifinals Tuesday. (AHSAA PHOTO | David Holtsford)
