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Briarwood’s defense held Selma to just four points in the first half and helped the Lions secure a place in the Class 5A Elite Eight. (Reporter Photos/Andrew Simonson)

By ANDREW SIMONSON | Sports Editor

MONTGOMERY – A year ago, the Briarwood Christian Lions were dejected and defeated after losing in the Class 6A sub-regionals to one of the top teams in the state, Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa.

Briarwood coach Lorie Kerley told her side to use the defeat as fuel, and now in 2025, the Lions have gone from an elimination in the round of 32 to one of the final eight teams in Class 5A.

The Lions used a lockdown defensive effort in the first half to pave the way for a 44-28 win over the Selma Saints on Thursday, Feb. 13 at Alabama State’s Dunn-Oliver Acadome in the Class 5A Sweet 16.

And for Kerley, it’s a culmination of a yearlong journey since that loss.

“This is what we’ve been working for since we lost the Hillcrest last year in the round of 32,” Kerley said. “So, after that game, in the locker room, I told them, ‘Remember how this feels.” And so, they responded tonight, so we’re super excited.”

Briarwood allowed just two points in each of the first two quarters as it frustrated

Briarwood took the lead just 15 seconds into the game off a Sasha Munikar 3-pointer. Selma scored on the other end of the floor to make it 3-2 Lions, but that was all the offense the Saints could muster from the field in the first half.

The Lions scored 17 straight points from there, including 10 to end the first quarter. Emma Kerley got going with a transition layup and a deep shot as part of seven points for the first quarter while Munikar hit another 3-pointer to give her six points early on.

After the Lions led 13-2 at the end of the first quarter, they continued building on that lead in the opening minutes of the second. Briarwood scored in the opening 30 seconds of the quarter and followed it up with a pair of baskets from Clara Crawford as she started to find success in the post.

A free throw took the lead to 20-2 before the Saints could respond from the free throw line. The Lions kept Selma off the scoreboard from there and went into the break with a 23-4 advantage.

However, Briarwood’s hold on the game started to slip in the third quarter as the Saints flipped a switch on both ends of the court. Selma started hitting more shots from the field, starting with a 3-pointer just 2:13 into the quarter and ending with 12 points in the third after scoring just four in the entire first half.

The Lions had to resort to keeping the Saints at bay from the free throw line as they scored seven of their 11 third-quarter points from the charity stripe. However, their double-digit halftime lead helped them stay in front 34-16 at the end of the third.

That was crucial because the fourth quarter went about the same as the third. AT Baker and Kerley each had a field goal in the final eight minutes, but frequent fouls down the stretch meant Briarwood scored six of its 10 points in the fourth off free throws.

Kerley finished the game 8-for-11 at the line while Baker went 5-for-7 from the charity stripe and Crawford finished 4-for-8.

The Saints outscored the Lions 12-10 in the fourth quarter, but Briarwood’s free throw shooting kept it in front by double digits and put the finishing touches on the 16-point win.

Emma Kerley led the Lions with a double-double of 21 points and 10 rebounds to lead both teams in each category. Munikar finished with eight points and four rebounds, Baker earned seven points and three assists and Crawford secured six points and four boards.

After the game, Lorie Kerley praised her team’s start and said that it was crucial to holding on for the victory.

“We started the game off really strong,” she said. “That’s the best start to a game we’ve had in a while. Sasha came out, hit a big three, gave us a lot of energy and just played a great first quarter. Had some hills and valleys in the third and fourth, but thankfully because of the first half, we were able to hang on to it.”

Defensively, Briarwood’s coach said the game plan was to stop Selma’s Jykierra Oliver from driving, and that worked with her scoring just two points in the game. Kerley said their fight helped keep the Lions dominant and in front throughout the game.

“We knew we had to keep No. 2 out of the lane, and I feel like we did a decent job on the boards in the first half,” she said. “AT made some really good stops defensively, so we were able to control that end of the floor. Our girls fought hard. They made some big-time stops on defense and we were able to see the ball go through the basket.”

Now, Briarwood will face the Marbury Bulldogs in the Class 5A Elite Eight on Tuesday, Feb. 18 at the Acadome. After the Bulldogs downed the team that the Lions lost the area to in Shelby County in the Sweet 16, Kerley knows her team will need to bring its A-game to secure a spot in the Final Four and avoid another heartbreaking playoff exit.

“We just want to stay in control of the game,” she said. “We’re going to have to step up our defense and our rebounding a little bit more against Marbury.”

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