By Charles Prince

The North Jefferson News



Call it incredible. Call it amazing. Call it a miracle. However you describe the Gardendale’s comeback from 16 points down with 2:38 left to play in the finals of the Wildcat Classic on Saturday, just make sure you call the Lady Rockets champions.

Gardendale trailed Hueytown, 63-47 with 2:38 to play, but went on a 21-2 run to grab the title and improve to 10-3 this season.

Gardendale saved their best for last as they went on a 13-0 run over the final 58 seconds of play.

“This was amazing,” Gardendale head coach said. “I’ve never been around a team that came back down by 16 to win. I never expected us to pull it out when we were that far down.”

Gardendale senior Kristian Moody and junior Taylor Powell scored eight points each in the final quarter and both helped fuel the comeback with clutch plays.

Powell sank two 3-pointers during the comeback and Moody drove the lane with the Lady Rockets trailing by two, drawing the defense to her, before kicking the ball out to a wide open Alison McCaleb for a 3-point shot to give Gardendale the lead, 66-65.

Moody and Elizabeth Schultz would each add a foul shot in the closing seconds to make the final, 68-65.

“We just went into frantic mode there at the end and I think they started playing not to lose,” Hannah said. “We were pressing, trapping on defense and they slowed things down on offense. We started taking the ball to the hole and begin aggressive with the basketball and they started fouling and putting us on the line. Those things combined to let us make the comeback.”

Moody was named tournament MVP and she was joined on the All-tournament team by teammate Kenosha Carter.

Moody led the Lady Rockets with 23 points, to give her a total of 35 for tourney. She is currently second in the North Jefferson area in scoring with an average of 19.9 per game. She leads the area in total points with 259 scored in 13 games this season.

Moody was supported during the championship game with the scoring of Kaitlyn Plan who had 13 points, Powell with eight points, Schultz with seven, Taylor Lindsey, Carter and Bekah Myers, who all scored four points each, McCaleb with three, on the crucial shot to put the Lady Rockets ahead for good and Sidney Long scored two points.

Gardendale trailed by seven after one quarter, 18-11, and trailed by 35-20 at the half and 50-35 after three quarters, before outscoring the Lady Golden Gophers 33-15 in the fourth quarter. The two clubs will meet on Jan. 5 in a regular season game at Bragg Middle School gym at 4:30 p.m.

In the tourney’s first round, Gardendale had to hold off a tough Holly Pond club, 44-39 to reach the finals, while Class 6A Hueytown whipped the tourney hosts, the Fultondale Lady Wildcats, 48-37.