Selma’s dream of advancing to the Class 5A Central Regional finals ended in a nightmarish 81-65 loss to a smaller, quicker Talladega team on Tuesday.

“We had to play as a team, we had to play quick,” said Talladega coach Chuck Miller. “Our game plan was to wear them down.”

The press was not the only aspect that troubled the Saints. Often, Selma was its own worst enemy.

Trailing 53-42 with 7:30 left in the contest, a DeAngelo Norris jumper triggered a 12-4 Selma run to trim the deficit to 55-52. But, with momentum firmly on the Saints’ side, they squandered a golden opportunity.

A Dupree Rivers steal led to a botched Justin Ravizee layup attempt. Sidney Reynolds grabbed the rebound and raced down the floor to draw a foul, and then sank both free throws.

“You never want to point to one play, but in a timely situation, that was big,” said Selma coach Woodie Jackson.

Norris answered with a 3-pointer to bring the Saints within two at the 4:20 mark, but Selma would go without another field goal for almost four minutes.

Meanwhile, the Tigers hit 18 free throws to secure the win. They finished 27-34 from the charity stripe.

Clifford Tuck led all scorers with 21 points. Reynolds added 18, Arnold Greene finished with 16 apiece.

Lewis led the Saints with 12 points, and Jamie King added 10.