HANCEVILLE — Fairview’s junior varsity girls rode their defense all the way to a second straight Cullman County Basketball Tournament championship.

The second-seeded Lady Aggies yielded only 10 first-half points and outlasted top-seeded Cold Springs for a 29-24 victory at Tom Drake Coliseum on Saturday.  

“Our defense won this championship. This game was a gut check for us after such an intense game yesterday. We were definitely tired,” said coach Mary Hartline. “I’m very proud of our defense over the last two games. We hit enough shots early to make a difference, and everyone seemed to contribute.”

Fairview put together its decisive run in the second quarter, using a 9-0 surge to turn a tie game into a 14-5 advantage with 3:17 left in the stanza. Four Lady Aggies scored during the spurt, capped by a Molly McKelvy 3-pointer from the top of the key.  

Fairview led 20-10 at the half and extended the cushion to 24-15 after three quarters.

The Purple and Gold led by as many as 11 points early in the fourth quarter before Cold Springs mounted a late threat. The Lady Eagles scored eight consecutive points, cutting their deficit to 26-22 with 1:30 remaining on a Shay Sellers shot in the paint.

But McKelvy converted a pair of clutch free throws with 39.7 seconds remaining for Fairview, and the Lady Aggies held on for another title.

“This championship means a lot, especially because we began the season with inexperienced players. We had more experience on last year’s team and were a little more athletic,” Hartline said. “This team has worked hard. No one is selfish, and they believe in each other. 

McKelvy’s eight points paced a balanced attack for Fairview. Jacy Gorham and Isabella McGukin scored six points apiece, and Daisy Manasco added four. Taylor Vincent finished with three points for the Lady Aggies, and Maddie Yeager had two. 

“Winning this championship is what it’s all about,” McKelvy said. “Our defense played well and we rebounded. That’s what it takes.”

For Cold Springs, Sellers, Lacey Rice and Kyla Aaron each scored seven points, and Brooke Crider had three. 

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 See below for All-Tournament Team selections: 

% Molly McKelvy, Fairview

% Daisy Manasco, Fairview

% Kyla Aaron, Cold Springs

% Shay Sellers, Cold Springs

% Ryleigh Jones, West Point 

% Sydney Smith, West Point 

% Savanna Burney, Good Hope