By Erik Harris, sports editor
TRUSSVILLE With their season on the line, the No. 3-ranked Hewitt-Trussville girls basketball team delivered on Tuesday night in Bryant Bank Arena.
Senior Amiya Payne rattled home the game-winner with seven seconds remaining to finish with 21 points and her Huskies (26-3) beat No. 5 Spain Park 44-42 in the Class 7A, Area 6 tournament semifinals.
Trailing 42-41 in the final seconds, Payne rebounded an Avery Masdon free-throw miss, dribbled to the other end and put up a runner in the lane that decided to drop after a brief stay on the rim.
The timely shot fell with seven seconds remaining, leaving the Jaguars with one more look, and it was a good one. Masdon quickly pushed the ball up the floor and found Haley Russell in the paint as the clock ran low. Russell was fouled and went to the charity stripe down 1 with 0:02.8 remaining.