Cold Springs' Camryn Crider celebrates.

BIRMINGHAM — When the final buzzer reverberated throughout Birmingham’s Legacy Arena, a visibly exhausted Camryn Crider immediately sought the comfort of her best friend.

And there stood Kinley Campbell, no more than just a few feet away — arms extended wide and a radiant smile plastered across her tear-streaked face.

The longtime teammates shared a brief but emotional embrace, enjoying the cherished seconds immediately following their final game in Cold Springs uniforms.

In that moment, time appeared to stop as the loud cheers around them simply melted away.

When the seniors finally parted, there was only one thing left to do.

Celebrate like champions.

Elizabeth Hill scored a game-high 30 points, Crider notched 16, and the fifth-ranked Lady Eagles outlasted No. 6 Fyffe 57-53 in an overtime thriller on Friday to corral their first Class 2A state title since 2009 and fourth in program history.

Choking back tears, Crider spoke from the heart when describing what the victory meant to her.

“I couldn’t ask for a better team,” she said. “The last six years have been the best of my life, and I couldn’t ask for any better way to end it than by winning a state championship with my teammates. It really means everything to me.

“My mom sent me a picture last night. It was of me sleeping in a Georgia Myrex jersey after they won the state title in 2009. From that moment on, I have dreamed about being here and playing in this game. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Having that many people watching and that much noise … it’s crazy.”

It may have been her fourth state title, but longtime coach Tammy West was just as excited about Friday’s as any of the previous three.

For good reason, too.

“These girls worked hard all year,” she said. “And we had this goal. We talked about it every day. And we finished the year. We finished it. I’m super proud and excited.”

Cold Springs (28-6) got off to a blazing start against the Lady Red Devils (30-6).

Crider drained a trio of 3-pointers in the first quarter to help stake her team to an early 13-6 lead, and Hill’s personal 9-0 run shortly after helped the Lady Eagles surge ahead 22-6.

Fyffe, however, sliced its deficit to nine following a 10-3 spurt to close the first half.

The Lady Red Devils then began to seriously apply some pressure on the Blue and Gold.

Coach Steve King’s group kicked off the second half with another 10-3 surge and outscored Cold Springs 20-14 in the third quarter — 16 of those points came off turnovers — to pull to within three entering the final frame.

Hill, though, was just getting started.

The talented junior tickled the twine on a mid-range jumper before swishing a deep 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to put her squad back in front by eight points.

Unfortunately for the Lady Eagles, that’s about the time the turnover monster made another appearance.

Three straight miscues led to three straight baskets from Fyffe, which tied the game at 44-all.

And when Crider’s 3-point shot rattled out with 47 seconds left, the Lady Red Devils grabbed the rebound and called a timeout to set up a potential game-winning basket.

It nearly worked, too, yielding a wide-open look from Alexia Barber that missed its mark as time expired in regulation.

“I think my heart stopped a little bit,” said Crider of the final attempt.

Despite the miss, Fyffe held all the momentum heading into overtime.

So when Cold Springs huddled prior to the extra period, West kept the message simple.

“We just talked about how it was a new ballgame,” she said. “We had to be fundamentally sound and take care of the basketball. It was huge for us to get those first points in overtime.”

Added Crider: “We were beat, tired. It was obvious. But I knew as a leader that I had to get all of us up (for overtime). We got out of the huddle and walked back out there. And when Neely made that 3-pointer for us, I had a really, really good feeling we were going to win.”

Crider is referring, of course, to junior Neely Ellison, whose performance down the stretch will go down as one of the most memorable in Cold Springs history.

In search of anything positive — the Lady Eagles hadn’t scored since the 5:34 mark of the fourth quarter — Ellison received the ball in the left corner and let fly a semi-contested 3-pointer.

Nothing but net.

On Fyffe’s ensuing possession, Ellison nabbed a steal and sank a layup.

And just like that, Cold Springs led by five points.

“We practice our shooting every day,” Ellison said. “I knew whenever I had the chance, I just had to make it for my teammates. I felt so relieved when it went in.”

But did she know it was going in?

“Oh, yeah,” Ellison added with a laugh.

The Lady Red Devils extended the contest for as long as possible, sending Crider and Hill to the free-throw line on five separate occasions in the final 1:10.

The duo was more than up to that challenge, though, combining to sink 8 of 10 from the charity stripe to help put the finishing touches on the Blue and Gold’s biggest victory this decade.

“It’s amazing,” Hill said. “I’ve never been this happy. Going to the free-throw line, it was just relax and shoot. We practice them all the time. I just had to let ‘em go. But I’m so proud. Everybody on the team stepped up and did something today that helped us win. It’s a great way for the seniors to go out.”

Hill punctuated her MVP effort with 10 rebounds, five assists, four blocks and four steals.

“It was an amazing performance,” West said. “I feel like today she showed out enough that I feel like she’s one of the best, if not the best, in Class 2A.”

Crider joined Hill on the All-Tournament Team.

Ellison finished with five points, while Aubrey Negron (four) and Toni West (two) also contributed.

Negron added 12 rebounds, and Campbell provided six.

Emi Harbison, Emma Chambers, Kylon Hamby, Lina Lieckfeld and Shay Sellers round out the roster.

KaKa Tuten is an assistant coach.

Marie Woodall (17) and Barber (12) were the top offensive performers for the Lady Red Devils.

With the victory, Cold Springs has now capped off the past three decades with state titles.

1999. 2009. 2019.

So what’s in store for 2029?

“First of all, how old am I?” West said with a laugh. “We also need to find out who’s in that grade right now. But it’s great. Us winning in 1999, that’s what fueled all this. All the little girls growing up see this, see the pictures on the wall, and it’s their dream. This one is awesome.”

Crider, on the other hand, could only think back to the instant the game ended on Friday.

And she plans to make it last a lifetime.

“I really don’t know how, but I always end up in Kinley’s arms (after a win),” Crider said. “I have like four or five pictures of that. I hope somebody got a picture of that, because I want to put that on my wall.”

---

ONE OF THE BEST TO DO IT

Crider’s outstanding prep career came to a close following Friday’s victory.

And what a career it was.

She swished 157 3-pointers this season, breaking the single-season state record set by Butler’s Nikki Tibbs (154) during the 1998-99 campaign.

Crider’s 461 career 3-pointers also ranks second all-time in the state of Alabama.

Covenant Christian’s Anna Claire Noblit made 504 from 2009-14.

She also holds or shares state records for 3’s in a quarter (seven) and a game (13).

Oh, and she finished her tenure at Cold Springs with 2,002 points.

Crider credited her parents for the milestones.

“I’ve always worked really hard,” she said. “I’ve been in the gym a lot. Three-pointers have really meant a lot to me, because it’s been where me and my dad have bonded working so hard over the years. To be able to break these records, I owe it all to him. He taught me everything I know.

“And mom, too. For supporting me and rebounding the shots.”

---

SHOOTERS SHOOT

Cold Springs wrapped up the season with 340 made 3-pointers.

That’s a new state record.

The old mark?

Not surprisingly, the Lady Eagles with 336 in 2007-08.

“I knew they could do it,” West said. “They are phenomenal shooters in practice. And we had some games where we really shot the ball well. They deserve it.”

---

NO PAIN, NO GAIN

Ellison grimaced her way through a lot of games this season.

Tearing a lateral meniscus can do that to a teenager.

Ellison suffered the injury in her team’s home opener in November.

“It comes and goes,” she said of the pain. “The momentum of the game usually helps get my mind off of it. My teammates supported me the whole way, and I played through it for them.”

---

UNSUNG HERO

Hill, Crider and Ellison provided the key offensive baskets for the Lady Eagles on Friday.

But West made sure to single out one particular player for her performance.

Negron.

“She sets some of the best screens,” West said. “She’s there when we need her on the boards. She’s very unselfish. A lot of people don’t like that role, but she really embraced it and kept a good attitude all year long.”

---

HATS OFF TO YOU

Winning a 2A title didn’t just mean the Lady Eagles getting a trophy.

It also meant garnering some snazzy headwear.

Each player received a hat that read simply, “Champs.”

Don’t expect the girls to remove them anytime soon, either, fashion statement aside.

“I’ll wear it the rest of the my life,” Ellison said.

Added Crider: “I look ugly in hats, but I’ll wear this every day. I don’t care.”