PINSON—For the first time since 2009, Pinson Valley is Jacksonville State bound.

Thanks to a last-second putback by freshman Colby Jones, the Indians shook past Ramsay on Tuesday night in the Class 6A Northeast Sub-Regional, 53-52.

First, Jones dove on the floor for a hard-fought offensive rebound, allowing his bench to call a timeout with only six seconds remaining and Pinson Valley trailing 52-51. Moments later he rebounded an Orion Morris miss and went back up for the winning basket at the horn. Cameras flashed. Hearts sank. Cardinal-colored students rushed the floor in Mike Dutton Gymnasium.

“He’s been a grown man all season,” said Pinson Valley first-year head coach Cedric Lane of Jones. “Tonight, he really carried us. Colby [Jones] is going to be Mr. Basketball before he leaves. I truly believe that.”

One thing is certain: After Tuesday night’s 21 points and game-winning shot, Jones is Mr. Basketball to everyone at Pinson Valley High School.

While Jones did most of his offensive work from the outside, Pinson Valley (21-10) struggled to score inside. Ramsay seniors Kobe McClain and Brandon Houston blocked several shots throughout the night.

“It was tough, man. It was so hard for us to score, so I told the guys ‘lets not worry about scoring, lets worry about getting stops, and we can create offense off our defense,’” said Lane.

The game stayed close from start to finish, as the Tribe held perhaps its largest lead of the night at 42-35 heading into the fourth quarter. That’s when Ramsay’s outside shot came to life.

Houston knocked down a pair of 3-pointers that woke the Rams’ offense. Jackie Gray then worked inside for two buckets in the closing moments to give Ramsay a 52-51 lead with less than a minute remaining.

For the Indians, Orion Morris finished with eight points off four mid-range buckets. Liallen Dailey also fought for nine points from the low block.

Pinson Valley will face No. 9 Oxford on Friday in Northeast Regional play at Jacksonville State University. Tipoff is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.

Erik Harris is the Sports Editor of The North Jefferson News. Email him at njnsports@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jeharris2.