The Selma High Lady Saints ended up in the semi-finals of the Class 6A Area5 tournament due to a flip of a coin, and had to face Stanhope Elmore in the first round on Monday night at Chilton County High School in Clanton.

The Lady Saints, who swept Stanhope during the regular season, won the semi-final game 72-56.

The win was Selma High head coach Anthony Harris’ 401st win in his career with the Lady Saints basketball program.

“It was a good game and a bad game,” Harris said. “I had two of my horses go down, but they bounced back, got on the floor and fought us through.”

Selma finished the first quarter leading 15-10, and maintained the lead for the remainder of the game. They outscored Stanhope again in the second quarter 24-17 to go into halftime with a 39-27 lead.

Stanhope rallied in the third quarter, and outscored the Lady Saints 14-12. It was the only frame they had the advantage, because the Lady Saints controlled the final quarter and outscored them 20-15, Harris said.

According to Harris, the girls got through the game despite a few injuries to key players. Ta’Sharri Grimes was poked in the eye and Kynadra Lewis had an ankle injury that took both of them out of the game for a period of time.

“They fought hard,” Harris said. “When Lewis went out, it felt like the game was going to fall a little bit.”

However, both players returned to the game and finished their productive nights. Grimes led the team with 28 points, 10 rebounds and seven steals. Rodreckia Parker was second on the team in scoring with 20 points and five assits. Lewis was one assist shy of earning the double-double. She had 14 points and nine assists in the game.

Next, the Lady Saints will meet Chilton County in the area tournament championship game on Thursday, Feb. 8. The Lady Saints split the season series against Chilton.

“We’re going to have to have our A game,” Harris said. “They were scouting us tonight, and we just have to come to play ball.”

Winning the area tournament would mean that Selma would get to host a sub-regional playoff game.

“We’re trying to eliminate ourselves from having to travel,” Harris said. “Whomever loses has to travel, and the winner can stay home and play for the sub-region.”