HANCEVILLE — Fairview’s historic season ended just one step shy of Birmingham.

Class 5A No. 2 Wenonah pulled away from the No. 10 Lady Aggies during the second quarter and breezed to its fifth straight Northwest Regional Tournament title with a 67-46 victory inside Tom Drake Coliseum.

“I was really proud of the way the girls played,” said coach Mary Hartline. “We competed and did the best we could. Our shooting percentage wasn’t near what it usually is and that hurt. We turned it over too many times. Wenonah is very big and very athletic. Just because you get the ball past half court doesn’t mean it’s over or it’s easy.”

Fairview (28-7) held serve in the first quarter, which featured six lead changes and a pair of ties. The Lady Dragons (28-3) then notched the final five points of the period— a 3-pointer by KeAndria Childress and a bucket by Faith Reynolds — to grab a 16-13 advantage.

Wenonah grabbed control of the contest in the second stanza, putting together a nice surge en route to garnering a 32-20 lead heading into halftime after a Jayla Morrow trey at the buzzer.

Morrow finished with a game-high 17 points and was named the tournament MVP.

The three-time defending 5A state champions led 52-33 at the end of the third frame and by as many as 28 points during the second half.

“Wenonah is tough, there’s no doubt it. Even though we should have played better and made it closer, Wenonah deserves their win,” said Fairview junior Taylor Ann Yeager, who finished with 10 points and five assists.

The Purple and Gold shot only 30 percent (9 of 24) from the field and hit just 2 of 13 3-pointers in the first half.

Abby Schnittker poured in a team-high 12 points for the Lady Aggies, senior Jada Golden garnered nine points behind a trio of 3-pointers and Maci Yeager added seven points and five rebounds off the bench.

Alexus Dye finished with 15 points and nine rebounds, while Reynolds added 13 points for the Lady Dragons.

Even before making its first Elite Eight appearance on Wednesday, the Fairview faithful had a fine list of things to cheer about and take pride in this season. The Lady Aggies set a school record with 28 wins, won their first Cullman County Tournament championship in 35 years and claimed their first area title since 1996.

“I started off at Fairview as the middle school coach seven years ago, and I’ve been with the seniors now all the way through,” Hartline said. “I moved up to varsity when they did. Jada Golden and Maci Yeager have stuck it out even when there were years we hadn’t done near this well. They still work just as hard as they did then. Losing those two girls is going to be a hit for sure. They play their role well as far as leading the team and setting the atmosphere. They will surely be missed.

“I’m glad this group of seniors got to experience a season like this. For seven years, they’ve been grinding it out. This season definitely makes it worthwhile.”

Among all of the feats the Purple and Gold achieved this season, Hartline had no hesitation in deciphering what she’ll remember most.

“It’s been the most enjoyable year, because there were absolutely no issues. The players were great and so unselfish. The parents were great. Win or lose, we had fun. That’s the best part about it,” she said.

And, with the core of the Lady Aggies’ roster returning next season, things appear even more exciting in the future.

“Whether it was winning the county championship or getting to the regional, we enjoyed everything. I know it’s going to make us even hungrier next season to do more,” Yeager said.

Added Schnittker: “It was definitely a privilege to make it here this season. It was one of our goals.”

Yeager, Schnittker and Taylor were All-Tournament selections for Fairview.