By Derek Thompson

The Selma Times-Journal

Selma High girls’ basketball extended its summer playdate record to 5-0 Monday at Keith High School.

The Saints’ first opponent of the day was Sipsey Valley, who they beat 40-29. The two teams were neck and neck the majority of the first half. Both teams were getting good looks, but couldn’t get their shots to fall early.

“At first I think they got frustrated,” said Selma coach Anthony Harris. “… I told them they [had] to open up the inside.”

Things started looking good for the Saints after Kierra Armstead scored on a fastbreak to tie things up at 14-14 with less than three minutes left in the first half.

Soon after, Selma’s Jamya Smith and Areyana Williams took over the game. Smith knocked down three three-pointers during a 14-0 run to end the first half.  Selma led 26-14 at the break.

“I always tell them to fight,” Harris said. “We got our transitions going and picked up our defense. They had a good team effort there. We had a little frustration every now and then, but they did a good job and I’m proud of them.”

Smith went off in the second half hitting three after three to extend the Saints’ run to 20-0 before Sipsey Valley could score again. Twelve of those points belonged to Smith.

Sipsey Valley came back with a 9-0 run to pull within six points of Selma with less than two minutes left on the clock.

Smith hit another three-pointer with less than a minute left to give the Saints some cushion with a 10-point lead. It was her fifth three in a row.  Williams capped things off making the final basket in the win.

In their second game of the day, Selma defeated 5A Demopolis.The Saints will try and keep up their summer hot streak Tuesday in a playdate at Brewbaker Technology Magnet High School.