Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

RANBURNE – After making a historic trip to the Sweet 16 last season, the Vincent Yellow Jackets are one step away from making a return trip to the Central Regional.

Vincent punched its ticket in the Class 2A sub-regionals with a 43-24 win over the Horseshoe Bend Generals in the Class 2A, Area 8 semifinals on Thursday, Jan. 30 at Ranburne High School.

The Jackets will now face the Ranburne Bulldogs on Saturday, Feb. 1 at 6 p.m. in the area championship with the winner earning the No. 1 seed out of Area 9 and hosting a sub-regional game on Friday, Feb. 7.

Both teams got off to a slow start on offense and only combined for nine points in the first quarter. KK McGinnis scored all four of Vincent’s first-quarter points to put the team just one point back from the lead at the end of the quarter.

The Jackets would quickly flip the 5-4 deficit on its head as they kicked into high gear on offense without losing that defensive intensity that kept the game close in the first quarter.

Kinsley and Makayla Perkins each scored multiple baskets in the second alongside McGinnis as Kinsley scored six points and Makayla had four second-quarter points to open up their accounts for the night while McGinnis scored four points for the second-straight quarter to put her on the cusp of double figures.

Combined with three free throws from Taniya Robertson and Kylie Newton, Vincent outscored Horseshoe Bend 17-5 in the second quarter to take a 21-9 lead into the halftime break.

The Generals tried to muster a comeback with a string of field goals and 12 points in the third quarter, but the Jackets continued to hold them at an arm’s length with their double-digit lead.

A 3-pointer from Smooth and field goals from Kinsley Perkins, Robertson and McGinnis were crucial to Vincent going into the fourth quarter with a 31-24 lead.

While Horseshoe Bend cut the deficit to seven ahead of the final eight minutes, that was as close as it would get to the Jackets down the stretch. Vincent shut out the Generals in the fourth quarter and tacked on 12 points thanks to seven more points from McGinnis and a Newton 3-pointer.

That helped the Jackets pull away for the 19-point win and book a spot in sub-regionals.

McGinnis led Vincent with 17 points, and Kinsley Perkins joined her in double figures with 10 points. Makayla Perkins scored five points and Robertson and Newton each finished with four points in the victory.