Holly Pond's Meg Gambrill gets ready to check in during this year's North-South All-Star girls basketball game.

Meg Gambrill rose from the bench, strode to the scorer’s table and hunkered down in front of it, slapping the floor, shouting encouragement and eagerly waiting to make Holly Pond history.

When she took the Acadome floor at the 4:34 mark in the first quarter, Gambrill officially became the Broncos’ first-ever basketball representative at All-Star Sports Week. And considering the hordes of exceptional basketball talent Holly Pond has produced over the years, it was quite the momentous occasion.

Gambrill went on to put up five points, four steals, three rebounds and an assist to help the North squad defeat the South 58-46 Wednesday night on Alabama State’s campus.

“It’s an awesome experience, but it’s kind of humbling, too,” said Gambrill, an All-State second-teamer this past winter. “You have these D-I recruits. You’re just playing with them, and it’s awesome. I had a fun time this week.”

With a pretty sizable fanbase made up of family, friends, teammates and even a foe — Cullman sharpshooter Baylee Johnson, who also falls in the BFF category — rooting her on, Gambrill started to get antsy in the second quarter. A win came first and foremost, but she also wanted to at least score for all the folks who came just to watch her play.

That opportunity came in the tail end of the third quarter, when Gambrill took off on a tear that carried over into the fourth. She followed her own forced turnover with a successful 3-point shot to push the North’s advantage to 50-27 with 19.1 seconds remaining in the third and struck again with a jumper just more than a minute into the fourth.

When her offensive spree was over, Gambrill didn’t wait long to go beast mode on defense, snagging two last steals on consecutive South possessions.

“I got a burst of energy. I don’t know where from,” she said of finding her all-star groove. “I guess I just focused more on my shot. I wasn’t really focused before. I was just in the game, letting it come to me.

“I’ve learned a lot from this experience, but this game I’ve learned a lot, too.”

Gambrill reported to Montgomery on Monday and split her time in the dorms and on the court leading up to Wednesday’s senior showcase. Despite the strenuous practices they made her endure, Gambrill still had glowing reviews for the North’s coaches — Center Point’s Ulysses Haynes and Muscle Shoals’ Brenda Mayes.

There were even instances when Haynes reminded Gambrill of her own coach back in Holly Pond.

“He was like, ‘Defense!’ and I was like, ‘Scott Adams!’” she said with a laugh. “That’s how it is.”

As Meg’s uncle, Dale Gambrill already “wouldn’t have missed this for anything.” But with a church engagement keeping Adams from attending — he made it to Montgomery to watch practice on Tuesday — it was up to Dale, the Lady Broncos’ junior varsity leader, to represent the program’s coaching staff during pregame introductions.

He was proud to do so and didn’t take Meg’s all-star accolades lightly.

“It’s an honor for our community, our team, our coaches and all the players that’s come through in the past,” Dale said. “It’s an honor for all of those.”

He didn’t have to think hard about what makes Meg an all-star. It’s not just that “basketball is in her blood,” either. Her father, Chuck, was also a pretty special player when he suited up in green and white way back when.

“All her life, Meg’s worked real hard,” said Dale, who’s coached her since the third grade. “She continues to work hard, and she gets better every day. She just loves being in the gym.”

Haynes only had a few days with Gambrill but instantly saw the traits that make the multi-dimensional guard one of Cullman County’s most feared competitors, regardless of sport. He said Gambrill is very observant, has a high IQ and isn’t afraid to ask questions. Throw in the fact she’s tough and “a really good defender,” and Haynes knew exactly why Gambrill was all-star material.

“In practice when we first got started, I just had to talk to her and say, ‘Look, just play how you play at your school,’” he recalled. “She got really into it, and it worked out well.”

Huntsville’s Shaquera Wade had 16 points, seven rebounds and five steals to rope in MVP honors for the North, which extended its all-time series lead to 16-2.

Gambrill was Holly Pond’s third female representative at the Alabama High School Athletic Association’s All-Star Sports Week in as many years. Katlyn Whitehead and Montana Holcombe earned softball selections in 2012 and 2013, respectively.

Overtime

One of the crazier parts of Wednesday’s all-star contest was seeing Gambrill spend much of her time on the bench next to none other than Makayla Liles.

As Holly Pond fans likely haven’t forgotten, Liles was the Lauderdale County center who broke Natasha Holcombe’s nose with a vicious elbow during last season’s Class 3A state championship, the second straight season the two schools duked it out for the title.

With Liles on the North roster and Lauderdale County coach Brant Llewellyn serving as the team’s administrator, Gambrill was willing to put the rivalry on the back burner — “for now.” She also actually made friends with Liles, who turned out to be “very sweet.”

Liles’s opening line might’ve had something to do with the change of heart.

“First thing she said to me when I walked in, she looked at me and goes, ‘I won’t break your nose and I’m not evil, I promise,’” Gambrill recalled.

% Rob Ketcham can be reached at 256-734-2131, ext. 138 or at robk@cullmantimes.com.