In a boys basketball contest that featured five lead changes and a pair of ties, it really felt like what a Class 2A Area 8 semifinal should be all about.

Reeltown and Thorsby went toe to toe for the majority of Tuesday night’s game in a contest of scoring runs and momentum changes that felt like it could go either way. However, when Thorsby started to pull away midway through the fourth quarter and Reeltown’s shots just weren’t falling, the tide started to turn. Thorsby held off a late Reeltown rally, picking up a 45-40 victory to advance to the area championship and end the Rebels’ season in defeat.

Lizi Arbogast is the sports editor at Tallapoosa Publishers, Inc.