Bessemer City 61, Columbia 56: Unranked Purple Tigers eliminate No. 1-ranked Eagles

Bessemer City beats Columbia

Bessemer City's Kameron Harris looks away from a trio of Columbia defenders during an AHSAA Class 6A Northwest regional semifinal game at Wallace State in Hanceville, Ala., Friday, Feb. 15, 2019.

At 23, Bessemer City coach Darrian Ivory is only a few years older than the players he barks orders to from the sideline.

His youth, he said, is a big reason the Purple Tigers are doubted.

Maybe not after today's performance.

Williams and his unranked Purple Tigers earned a 61-56 victory over No. 1-ranked Columbia (22-9) in a Class 6A boys Northwest Regional semifinal at Wallace-Hanceville's Tom Drake Coliseum.

“All I heard was, 'No. 1 Columbia, (and) Bessemer City isn’t supposed to be there,” Ivory said. “I believed in them, and they got the job done.”

Bessemer City built a 10-point halftime lead and appeared on cruise control until Columbia rallied in the game's final minutes. "You can't have opportunity for 32 minutes and give four minutes of effort and expect to win," Columbia coach Christopher Blanding said.

Bessemer City missed seven straight free throws in the final minute and a half, but Ezekiel Spain made two with 7.6 seconds remaining to clinch the victory.

Blanding conceded his team's No. 1 ranking put a "bulls-eye" on his team's back.

"Like the cartoon says: 'It's no fun when the rabbit shoots back,'" Blanding said. "That's kind of what happened today. We did not match their intensity."

Columbia vs. Bessemer City

Columbia's Gervaughn Abram steals the ball from Bessemer City's Thaddeus Williams during an AHSAA Class 6A Northwest regional semifinal game at Wallace State in Hanceville, Ala., Friday, Feb. 15, 2019.

Stat sheet: For Bessemer City (18-7), Thaddeus Williams scored 20 points and Kameron Harris scored 18. Fernandus Brown added 10 points and six rebounds. … Jamiah Holloway led Columbia (22-9) with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Cameron Turner added 13 points and two assists, and Larry Penn had 10 points.

By the numbers: Bessemer City committed just seven turnovers. ... Bessemer City won the rebounding battle 36-34, including 14 offensive rebounds. ... Neither team shot free throws well, with the Tigers hitting 9-of-18 and Columbia making 12-of-20.

Coachspeak: "They shredded our defense like swiss cheese." -- Blanding

“We’re going to get a ring by any means necessary.” -- Ivory

What’s next?: Bessemer City advances to play Muscle Shoals in the regional championship game on Tuesday.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.