HAYDEN – With a runaway 66-39 win over Class 5A, Area 12 runner-up Alexandria on Monday night, Hayden has advanced to the regional semifinals at Jacksonville State University for the first time in seven years.

“We had these goals from the very beginning of the season and this is where we wanted to be,” said Hayden head coach John Simmons. “We’re excited about going (to Jacksonville State).”

The Wildcats broke open a close contest with a 17-4 run to end the first half of play. That surge was started by forward Micayla Rickels, who secured position in the paint, welcomed the pass and went strait up for an easy bucket off the glass to give the hosts a 16-12 lead with 3:30 remaining in the half.

Momentum snowballed for Hayden when Sharley Miller bottomed a pair of 3-pointers, the second of which came in transition to put her girls on top 24-14 with 1:10 remaining in the second quarter. After leading by only three at the end of the first frame, the Wildcats went to the break with a 29-16 advantage.

For Alexandria, things only got worse from there.

The Valley Cubs struggled mightily with Hayden’s two-three defensive look, which gobbled up 19 steals and led to an abundance of turnovers. Opportunistic defense resulted in easy buckets on the other end for Hayden.

“We knew if we applied pressure they would hesitate and be scared, so we brought pressure a lot,” said Brooke Meadows.

One player the Area 11 champions struggled to scare was power forward Connieya Bradford, who essentially carried Alexandria’s offense. She tore down several offensive boards and delivered with second and third-chance points.

Bradford ended the night with a game-high 25 points. However, 12 of them came in the final eight minutes of play, with the game clearly out of reach.

Meadows exploded out of the locker room, dropping six quick points, all of which came in the paint, to open the third period on a 13-0 run. As a result, Hayden’s 13-point halftime lead swelled to 26. With 12 minutes remaining, the game was over.

“We missed a lot of shots early on, but the third quarter really broke it out,” said Simmons.

The Wildcats’ advantage in the backcourt was dramatic. Point guard Evin Bibb led the way with 16 points while Meadows finished with 12. Miller connected on some timely triples to end the game with nine points.

“It feels good to be a senior and actually go farther than past years. It feels great to go big in our last season,” said Meadows.

Hayden will face the winner of No. 7 Madison County-Douglas on Friday.