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Briarwood survived a tough test from Shelby County with a go-ahead basket from Emma Kerley to keep the Lions undefeated in area play. (For the Reporter/Dawn Harrison)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

NORTH SHELBY – With just four seconds on the clock and her team trailing by one, Emma Kerley saw her chance and took it.

With the Briarwood Christian Lions inbounding the ball after she drew a foul near the baseline, she cut toward the basket through what open space she could find, caught the pass and put the ball near the basket.

As the ball sailed in, the Briarwood Christian School gym erupted as Kerley gave her team its first lead in four-and-a-half minutes, putting the Lions in front when it mattered the most: as the final buzzer sounded.

Kerley’s 16-point and 11-rebound double-double was a key part of Briarwood’s 39-38 win over the Shelby County Wildcats on Thursday, Jan. 16, but it wasn’t the only part as her teammates helped fight off a stiff challenge from the opening tip.

After Kenna’d Buie scored off the tipoff, Daleigh Griffin added a 3-pointer with 6:20 remaining in the first to put Shelby County up 5-0.

The Lions struggled to get points for first couple of possessions, but they responded with a pair of baskets down low from Clara Crawford, cutting the deficit to 5-4 with 4:28 remaining in the quarter.

Buie grabbed the lead back after the teams went scoreless for nearly two minutes, but Emma Kerley finally found her shooting stroke and hit a pair of 3-pointers to take a 10-7 lead. Morgan Arnold answered with a 3-pointer to leave the score tied at 10-10 at the end of the first.

Kerley scored once again just 29 seconds into the second quarter, and the Lions wouldn’t trail from there for the rest of the half.

The teams could only manage free throws over the next three-and-a-half minutes before Kerley made it a two-possession game with another 3-pointer, extending the lead to 17-11 with 3:51 remaining in the quarter.

Buie took over once again in the final three minutes of the quarter, scoring a pair of baskets and free throws that were only broken up by a Sasha Munikar 3-pointer.

With the deficit down to just 20-17 with 39.5 seconds left, Wildcats coach Ashley Phillips called timeout to gather his troops, and Arnold hit a massive 3-pointer off the ensuing inbounds to tie the game up at 20-20.

However, Kerley drew contact on a drive with one second left and hit one of the two free throws to secure a 21-20 halftime lead.

After the teams exchanged free throws in the opening minutes of the second half, the game morphed into a slow and methodical 3-point shooting battle.

Munikar answered an Arnold 3-pointer with one of her own ahead of a Lions timeout, and a minute later, Griffin knocked down another one to restore a 28-26 lead for Shelby County.

The best that Briarwood could do in the final minutes of the third was tie it up as the Wildcats had a response to their free throws on the offensive end. Shelby County increased its lead to four on the foul line before the Lions cut the deficit to 32-30 with 10 seconds left in the third.

While Briarwood went into the fourth quarter trailing, Crawford restored a two-point lead with two baskets in the opening 1:30 of the final quarter.

From there though, the Wildcats went on a 6-0 run over the next four minutes, using baskets from Dixon, Buie and Connell to take a 38-34 lead with a minute remaining.

The Lions struggled to score from the field until Munikar hit a breakthrough 3-pointer with 40.4 seconds left to electrify the crowd and make it a one-point game.

A tense sequence followed as Briarwood turned the ball over on the inbounds pass only for Shelby County to miss a low post shot on the other end.

The Lions got the ball back on a tie-up and held on for a good shot opportunity. It didn’t come on that possession, but Kerley was fouled on a drive to give her team an inbounds chance under the basket with just four seconds left.

From there, Kerley made a cut towards the basket to receive the pass and make the game-winning shot, sparking a massive crowd reaction as her teammates mobbed her in celebration.

Kerley led Briarwood with a double-double, earning 16 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Crawford joined her in double figures with 12 points and six rebounds and Munikar scored nine points for the Lions off a trio of 3-pointers.
With the win, Briarwood can clinch the regular season area title and a home area tournament with a Central-Clay County loss on Friday, Jan. 17 against Sylacauga or a Lions victory in their next area game on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 6 p.m. against Sylacauga at Briarwood Christian School.

Before then, Briarwood will travel to Tuscaloosa to face the Northridge Jags on Saturday, Jan. 18 at 1:30 p.m.

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