Sylacauga dominates at home, punches ticket to Montgomery

SYLACAUGA, Ala. - For the second straight season under head coach Joel Jones, the Sylacauga Aggies walked out of the sub-regional round of the state tournament with another convincing win and a return trip to the Sweet Sixteen.

Sylacauga rolled past the Jemison Panthers, 81-34, to punch its ticket to the regional semifinals and keep its season-long goal of unfinished business squarely in front of it.

The Aggies wasted little time putting the game out of reach. Senior Tristan Whetstone set the tone early, knocking down three first-quarter three-pointers as Sylacauga built momentum and confidence. By halftime, the Aggies had surged ahead 45-26.

Unlike some of the tighter contests from the area tournament, the Aggies never allowed Jemison to get back into the game. Sylacauga's defense clamped down after the break, and Jemison failed to score against the Aggies' starters in the second half, finishing with just eight total points over the final two quarters.

The victory also cemented a remarkable milestone at home. With the win, Sylacauga completed a perfect 29-0 record on its home floor over the past two seasons. Coach Jones made sure the moment didn't go unnoticed, asking public address announcer Brandy Brown to highlight the accomplishment for the crowd before the night was over.

Last season's postseason run began in similar fashion. The Aggies handled the Beauregard Hornets, 65-48, in the sub-regional round, a game that also allowed Jones to clear his bench. From there, Sylacauga headed to Alabama State University to face the Selma Saints inside the Acadome in what became one of the most entertaining matchups of the day.

The Aggies trailed 24-15 at halftime in that contest after one of their toughest offensive halves of the season. When the pressure mounted, they turned to senior leader Jordan Roberson. Roberson poured in 17 of his 18 points in the second half and delivered the game's biggest moment with an assist to fellow senior Ayden Crowe for the go-ahead basket with 14.2 seconds remaining, lifting Sylacauga to a memorable regional semifinal win.

This year, the challenge looks different but no less dangerous. The Aggies will meet a familiar opponent in the Elmore County Panthers. Elmore County went winless in area play during the regular season but caught fire in the area tournament, defeating Beauregard 56-51 in the semifinals before knocking off the Valley Rams 55-51 for the championship. The Panthers followed that run with a dominant 46-23 victory over the Booker T. Washington Magnet Yellow Jackets in the sub-regional round.

The Aggies will face Elmore County in the regional semifinals Thursday at 1:30 p.m. inside the Acadome at Alabama State University.

After last season's heartbreaking loss in the state finals, the message around this year's team has been simple: unfinished business. The next chapter in that pursuit begins Thursday afternoon.