BIRMINGHAM — After another successful deep playoff run, the Hillcrest girls basketball team saw its season come to an end in the AHSAA Final Four in a 52-38 loss to six-time defending state champion Hazel Green.

The game started well for the Lady Patriots with everything clicking early on. They forced nine Hazel Green turnovers in the first half, scoring 10 points off of them. They were on fire from 3-point range, shooting 71.4% as a team from 3 in the first half behind two 3-pointers each from Blakely Nixon and Trinity Braggs. From the field, they shot 41.2%. Compare that to Hazel Green, which shot 43.8% from the field and was unable to convert on any of its four 3-point attempts throughout the first two quarters.

The second half, though, saw some adjustments Hillcrest had a hard time countering. Hillcrest was held to shooting 26.1% from the field and 23.1% from long range in the second half, while Hazel Green shot 55% from the field and 25% from 3.

"We had a game plan, we executed," Hillcrest coach Nick Browder said. "Obviously the ball did not bounce our way sometimes, you got to give Hazel Green credit, coach Miller does a great job over there. They just made more plays than we did down the stretch and we just have to tip our cap and get back to work.

"(In the second half) they came out of the paint and took away our drive and kick opportunities and kind of forced us to finish over or contest it at the rim. We knew that coming in, I thought that they weren't going to help a ton, that they were just going to follow us to the rim and just force us to make shots. I think that was the adjustment that they made."

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The loss marks the second-straight season Hillcrest fell in the Final Four but marks the end of another successful campaign for the Lady Patriots. It was their final season competing in Class 6A due to the AHSAA realignment that sees them moving up into Class 7A starting with the 2024-25 school year. They finished the season going 27-8 and went undefeated in 6A-Area 6 play for the second-straight season, along with winning the regular season and area tournament.

"I'm really happy for this team, for this program," Browder said. "Coming here two years in a row, only four times in school history, and they have done it back-to-back years. That's just a testament to this group, to this program and how hard they have worked and the hunger just to continue to be as consistent as possible."

Unlike last year, the Lady Patriots will lose four seniors to graduation, but will return a majority of its team, including Nixon and Braggs, along with leading scorer Jareah Branch. The loss, they said, will only make them hungrier in years to come.

"(This season) meant a lot playing with some seniors right now that are leaving us, I know it's a little bit emotional right now," Blakely Nixon said. "... Next year, I feel like we are going to come back stronger, do it in 7A. Hopefully be here next year, and hopefully win state next year."

Anna Snyder covers high school sports and University of Alabama softball and football recruiting for The Tuscaloosa News. Reach her at asnyder@gannett.com. Follow her on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, @annaesnyder2

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: AHSAA basketball: Hillcrest girls basketball reflects on 2023-24 season