BHS Girls Return to Title Game

Burnett Reaches For Ball

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Her team was up two and hanging on after watching a seven-lead disappear in the last three minutes.

All Payton Burnett wanted to do was play foul-free defense. If she did, Brantley would have a chance to repeat as state champs.

Raven Davis Stretches the Defense

And thanks to a flick of her fingertips, the third-ranked Bulldogs return to Friday's Class 1A championship game after a 56-54 win over Falkville at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Arena on Tuesday.

"Coach said to get in front of (the Falkville player) and when I got in front, I knew she couldn't score," said Burnett of her defensive effort. "I just tried not to foul. I was nervous and I didn't want to disappoint my coach."

Upshaw with Steal

The inbound play was a lob into Emily Mickelson, but Burnett deflected the pass with her fingertip, sending it down the court and preserving the win for the Bulldogs (26-5).

"If I had to do it again, I would have called something different," said Falkville coach Jeff Andrews, whose team ends its first trip to the semis with a 21-8 record. "We wanted to lob into (Mickelson) and maybe loop a pass to Bailey (Anders) for a quick shot or foul."

The late play offset a solid effort by the Blue Devils, who got back into the game with hot second-half shooting. Falkville shot 21 of 41 for the game and 12 of 18 in the second half alone, and went toe-to-toe with the Bulldogs.

Hill on the Defense

But the difference came at the line, where Brantley shot 17 of 25 to 7 of 10 for the Blue Devils, and on the offensive glass in Falkville's end. The Blue Devils managed just seven offensive rebounds, two less than Brantley's Amahni Upshaw had on the same end of the floor.

"That's the best we've probably shot all year," said Andrews. "We were down six with four to play and they did a good job of flattening our offense out."

Burnett finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Raven Davis had 12 points, and Upshaw finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds to go with four assists. Autumn Eddy led Falkville with 13 points, while Mickelson ajnd Makenzie Smith had 11 each.

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