Mustangs hammer Leeds to reach finals
BIRMINGHAM - Madison Academy's basketball team has stepped up and passed each test to keep alive its goal of winning a third-straight Class 3A state championship.
The top-ranked Mustangs' 65-54 victory over Leeds Tuesday morning at the Birmingham-Jefferson Civic Center was the latest conquest on the road to the championship.
The win was the second in a span of just four days over a top five opponent.
Madison Academy beat Crossville 49-48 in the final of the Class 3A Northeast Regional to reach the state finals.
Kerron Johnson led Madison Academy with 24 points after making 13 of his 15 free throws in the win.
Bawa Muniru added 11 points, while Donte Bowman chipped in with 10 for the Mustangs.
Leeds got 18 points and 14 rebounds from David Murray, while Willie Kimball and Ladarrius Frazier finished with 11 points each.
Leeds struggled early, hitting just two of 16 shots from the field in the first quarter. At one point, the Green Wave missed 10 shots in a row over the final four minutes of the quarter.
Leeds shot just 27 percent from the field in the first half and finished the game just 22 of 68 for 32 percent.
Madison Academy will face either fourth-ranked Clarke County or unranked Winfield in the championship game.
Only five boys' teams in state history have won three titles in a row. Francis Marion holds the state mark with four straight titles from 1988-91.
Madison Academy jumped out to a 20-5 lead with the help of six points from Bowman.
The Mustangs hit 10 of 22 shots from the field in the first two quarters and took a 36-21 lead at the half.
Madison Academy's lead grew to 47-30 after the third quarter, but Leeds trimmed the lead with a strong run.
The Green Wave went on a 7-2 run that got Leeds back to within 10 points at 53-43 with two minutes left in the game.
But Madison Academy pushed the margin back up to 14 a minute later.
