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The Vincent Yellow Jackets stormed out to a dominant win in the semifinals of the Class 2A, Area 8 tournament, securing a spot in the sub-regionals and the area championship. (Reporter photos/Tyler Raley)

By TYLER RALEY | Staff Writer

VINCENT – Trying to get back to the state playoffs for the first time in the Seth Ford era, the Vincent Yellow Jackets took care of business in the semifinals of their area tournament and punched a ticket into the sub-regionals.

Vincent defeated the Ranburne Bulldogs 62-26 on Monday, Feb. 3 at Vincent High School, taking the semifinals of the Class 2A, Area 8 area tournament behind an all-around dominant first half of play.

The Yellow Jackets took control of this one early on with their offense, getting out with a fast-paced tempo from the jump.

Camari Keller got the scoring going in this one with a putback shot in the paint after he recorded an offensive rebound, and soon after, Zahmir McMillian recorded a layup on a fastbreak following a turnover by the Bulldogs.

Skyler McCrimon joined the party shortly afterwards hitting a two in traffic before hitting a 3-pointer in transition off of another Ranburne turnover. With another two-pointer in Vincent’s pocket later on, before anybody could blink, the Yellow Jackets were out to an 11-0 run to start the game.

Later in the quarter, Jay Posey put himself on the scoreboard with a 3-point basket to make it a 16-5 contest, which was eventually followed up with a Taye Robinson two-pointer to close out the opening quarter. Vincent had the early lead 18-7.

The second quarter started out with much of the same energy that the Yellow Jackets held in the opening minutes. Drawing an early foul, Phoenix Maxwell earned a trip to the line and knocked down two free throws.

Robinson did some more damage to follow, hitting another two-pointer and a free throw, before giving way to Keller for another bucket of his own.

With all of the momentum in Vincent’s hands, another turnover from the Bulldogs saw the ball get back in the hands of Robinson, who put it through the hoop to quickly make it a 28-9 ball game.

Maxwell then quickly forced another steal and took on his own to the basket, before McCrimon did the exact same thing on the ensuing Ranburne possession, completing another four-point swing for the Yellow Jackets.

As time ticked down in the first half, Vincent carried a 38-13 lead to the break, looking to coast to the finish and close this one out.

Coming out of the locker room, that’s exactly what it did. Maxwell began the Yellow Jackets’ scoring in the second half with a layup, part of his six points in the third quarter. Keller also made an impact with four more points to add to his total for the night.

In the midst of the offensive showcase in the third quarter, McMillian hit what seemed to be the true dagger in this game with a 3-pointer, while Tyson Youngblood got on the stat sheet with two points, helping end the third period at a 53-19 advantage for Vincent.

By that time, the game was well over, and both teams put this game on cruise control, with the Yellow Jackets coming out on top in the end 62-26.

Maxwell led the charge for Vincent on the scoreboard with 13 points, while McCrimon and Keller each reached double figures with 11 and 10, respectively. Robinson produced well on the night with seven of his own, with Posey and McMillian dropping five each and Youngblood putting up four.

The Yellow Jackets now direct their sights toward the area championship, which is set for Wednesday, Feb. 5 at 6 p.m. against the Central High School of Coosa County Cougars.

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