HANCEVILLE — Fairview’s varsity girls delivered a knockout performance on Saturday night.

A year removed from their first county title since 1982, the top-seeded Lady Aggies easily wrapped up their second straight championship at Wallace State’s Tom Drake Coliseum, coasting past No. 3 Cold Springs 52-29 in the championship matchup at the Cullman County Basketball Tournament.

And they owed it all to a suffocating defense.

Fairview, which improved to 18-6 following the superb win, held Cold Springs (15-11) scoreless for more than 13 minutes of action — an outstanding stretch spanning three different quarters — collected 24 points off 16 turnovers, and overwhelmed their foe with relentless speed and pressure.

Not a bad way for a talented group of seniors to go out on top.

“Making history again,” said Abby Schnittker, who couldn’t keep a smile off her face. “It feels even better to win twice in a row. That’s something that’s hardly ever happened at Fairview. It definitely feels as nice as it did last year.”

Added Abbi Taylor: “It’s great. Feels great, going out and giving it your all and doing this with your team. That’s what you want. We may have been nervous, but our heads were in this game. If we really played 100 percent, we would win — and I think we definitely did that tonight.”

The Purple and Gold opened the title tilt on a 6-0 spurt and led 11-5 before the Blue and Gold’s Camryn Crider bookended a pair of 3-pointers around a Fairview free throw to bring her team to within a point at 12-11 with three minutes left in the period.

And then, the swarm came.

The Lady Aggies didn’t allow another point — riding a 16-0 run in the process — until Crider sank a trey at the 5:15 mark of the third stanza.

Coach Mary Hartline’s group went on to take a 38-17 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

“Defense definitely won us this game,” she said. “That stretch the girls put together was very impressive. We really concentrated on closing out the 3-point line. And while we weren’t perfect, we ran at them and made them uncomfortable enough to do what we needed to do.”

Schnittker couldn’t have agreed more.

“We knew we had to stay outside that 3-point line and stop their shooters,” she said. “That was our key. We knew where to go, where the cutters would be and when we needed to talk. That made it easier for us to play defense like we needed to tonight.”

Offensively, the Lady Aggies shared the wealth. Taylor Ann Yeager netted a team-high 16 points, while Taylor (14) and Schnittker (12) rounded out the double-digit showings. The latter tossed in nine assists.

Payton Golden and Valentina Klocker each provided five points for Fairview, which had a terrific mix of inside and outside production during the contest.

Meanwhile, Crider and Elizabeth Hill each crafted 12 points for the Blue and Gold. Aubrey Negron had four, and Kylon Hamby added a free throw in the second half.

All coach Tammy West could do was tip her cap to the better team.

“They’re very good,” she said. “They’re a senior-laden squad that’s played together for a long time. They really have a chance to do amazing things. I wish we had played better, but they had so much to do with that. They make you look like we did tonight.”

Hartline, on the other hand, couldn’t stop gushing with pride.

The babies have all grown up.

“I don’t know why this one was less stressful, but they are all great to win,” she said. “I’m certainly happy for these seniors. They’re my last baby group. I coached them and taught them during middle school, so I’m aware of the hours they’ve put in this gym and everything they did in the offseason. You always want it to end like this, but nothing is ever guaranteed. I’m so glad it worked out for them.”

Added Schnittker: “We’ll definitely enjoy this one.”

Schnittker, Taylor and Yeager were selected to the All-Tournament Team following the game. Crider and Hill made the cut for Cold Springs as well.

Miriam Oldacre and Lexi Shadix (West Point), and Kierra Merriweather and Kelly Pickett (Hanceville) all made the honorary squad as well.

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Handing Out Awards

Yeager was this year’s recipient of the Bill Shelton Award, while Cold Springs’ Zoe Strawbridge grabbed the Charlotte Cummings Memorial Scholarship.

“It means a lot,” Yeager said of the accolade. “It shows me how much my hard work has paid off. But I’d say I wasn’t expecting to win it. 

Added Hartline: “I’m so proud of Taylor Ann. I really thought she would be this for awhile. She’s actually been the face of Fairview. She’s put so much into this program.”

West had equally flattering sentiments to offer about Strawbridge.

“Zoe works so hard,” she said. “Before school, after practice. Always respectful. Such a sweet little girl.”

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Best of the Best

The All-County Squad was also announced on Saturday.

Here’s who made the cut:

% Abby Schnittker, Fairview

% Abbi Taylor, Fairview

% Taylor Ann Yeager, Fairview

% Camryn Crider, Cold Springs

% Elizabeth Hill, Cold Springs

% Miriam Oldacre, West Point

% Lexi Shadix, West Point

% Olivia Ball, West Point

% Kelly Pickett, Hanceville

% Kate Kent, Good Hope

% MaKenna Folds, Holly Pond