HOLLY POND, Ala. – Fairview and Cold Springs met in Tuesday night’s second JV Girls semifinal bout with a trip to the County Championship Game on the line. In what was the most tightly contested game of the tournament so far, the Cold Springs Lady Eagles edged out Fairview 42-41 and will advance to play in Saturday’s championship game.
Reagan Dunkin scored off a turnover to give the Lady Aggies a 2-0 start to the game and Kabri Redding laid one in to make it 4-0. Ella Dickerson responded with a three on the other end for Cold Springs and made it a 1-point game but a free throw and another bucket from Redding put Fairview in front 7-3 with just over three minutes to play in the opening quarter. Dickerson scored down low to trim the lead to 7-5 with a minute remaining in the first and then nailed a three-pointer to give the Lady Eagles an 8-7 lead going into the second.
Ella Bruer buried a three of her own to start the second quarter and Dickerson turned a steal into an easy two points to extend the Cold Springs lead to 13-7. A pair of Allison Davis free throws cut into the Lady Eagles’ lead midway through the period and Redding cut to the basket and laid one in to make it a 13-11 game. Erin Bailey scored beneath the basket to put Cold Springs in front 15-11 with just over two minutes to play in the half but Dunkin drained a three on the other end to make it a 1-point game. Dickerson then converted an and-one play at the line to build the lead back up to 18-14 in the final minute of the period and the Lady Eagles went to the half leading Fairview by four.
Bruer knocked down another three to start third quarter but Makayla Latham answered with a three of her own to tie the game at 21 later in the period but back to back Cold Springs baskets gave the Lady Eagles a 4-point lead. Bruer laid one in to stretch the lead to 27-21 midway through the third but a Redding bucket on the other end cut the lead back down to four. Dunkin drilled a mid-range jumper to make it a 27-25 game and Redding tied things up at 27 with a pair of free throws. Ciara Calvert stopped the run with a three-pointer from the left wing that gave Cold Springs a 30-27 advantage with two minutes remaining in the third and Mia Light netted a pair of shots from the line to make it a 32-27 game. Kiley Stevens laid one in for Fairview to trim the lead to three with just over a minute to play in the period and Dunkin drilled a jumper to make it a 1-point game. Kenady Graves nailed a trey from the top of the key in the final seconds of the third and the Lady Eagles held a 35-31 lead going into the fourth.
Redding scored in the post to make cut the lead to two at the start of the fourth quarter and Graves and Hunt traded three-pointers to make it a 38-36 game with just over five minutes remaining in the game. A pair of Dickerson free throws gave Cold Springs a 40-36 lead midway through the final period, but Makayla Latham knocked down a jumper in the left corner to make it a 2-point game with just over two minutes to play. Latham followed that shot up with a three on the next Fairview possession and gave the Lady Aggies a 41-40 lead with one minute remaining on the clock. Bruer was then fouled on a three-point attempt with 21 seconds on the clock and hit one of three from the line to tie the game at 41. Fairview missed the front end of a one and one and the Lady Eagles retook possession with 15 seconds and a chance to win the game. A foul sent Graves to the free throw line and she hit one of two to give Cold Springs a 42-41 lead with seven seconds remaining. Fairview brought the ball up the floor and took timeout with three seconds on the clock to draw up a final play. The Lady Aggies inbounded the ball and Somer Harris got a good look at the basket from long range, but the shot rolled all the way around the rim and lipped out, giving the Lady Eagles a thrilling, 42-21 win.
Dickerson led Cold Springs with 19 points in the win. Bruer posted nine and Graves added seven. Redding led the war for Fairview with 15 points in the loss, followed by Latham with 10 and Dunkin with nine.
Cold Springs will advance to take on Good Hope in the JV Girls Championship Game Saturday at 2 p.m. at Tom Drake Coliseum.
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