Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
Prattville High School Girls’ Basketball and Stanhope Elmore Girls’ Basketball both swept through their regular season area games and won the regular season area title. Both teams will host their area tournament after the conclusion of the regular season.
The Prattville Lady Lions are 19-4 and ranked #7 in Class 7A. They went 6-0 in Class 7A Area 5, sweeping two games each against Tuscaloosa County, Thompson, and Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa, the defending Class 7A runner up. In the Lady Lions’ final area game at Thompson, senior KeLeigh Mullens had a triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds, 13 steals, and 7 assists. Dayana Lewis had 16 points and Jayda Lewis had 12 points.
“Hosting at home brings the convenience of not traveling and the familiarity of playing in your own gym, on your own court, surrounded by your fans. These factors always create a great environment for athletes to play in,” said Prattville Head Coach Erica DuBois. “Winning all the regular season area games just shows the fight in these young ladies. We genuinely felt this year would be a rebuilding year after losing four starters. They knew it was possible to see this type of success but actually doing it has instilled a different type of hunger and confidence. It is now up to them to continue with that momentum and take it to the next level.”
Meanwhile, over in Millbrook, the Stanhope Elmore Lady Mustangs are also on a hot streak. They are 23-3 and ranked #5 in Class 6A. The Lady Mustangs went 4-0 in Class 6A Area 4, winning home and away games against Wetumpka and Percy Julian. Multiple Mustang players have accomplished individual feats during that run. Junior Heaven Bailey just surpassed 750 career assists. Freshman Kuraji Crosby scored her 1000th career point. Meanwhile, senior Aubrey Newton has made 26-three point shots in the last five games.
“It is extremely important to host the area tournament,” said Stanhope Elmore Head Coach Kelvin Stokes. “It is always easier to play at home on your court. The familiarity and home crowd makes for a great environment for the team. It speaks to the hard work and dedication that happened during the off-season. One of our goals was to win the area. We achieved that goal by focusing on one win at a time.”
