HANCEVILLE, Ala. – We tipped off Championship Saturday at the Cullman County Tournament with a high-powered JV Girls battle between (1) Cold Springs and (2) Good Hope. The Lady Raiders built a 20-point lead in the first half, but the Lady Eagles put together a huge come from behind effort in the second half. Cold Springs got the lead down to 2 at one point, but was unable to complete the comeback and Good Hope claimed this year’s JV Girls county title with a 43-40 win.
Gabby Richter laid one in to give the Lady Raiders a 2-0 start and Charlotte Druen drained a three to make it a 5-1 game later in the period. Duren drove to the rim and scored to extend Good Hope’s lead to 7-1 with just under three minutes remaining in the first quarter. Kyleigh Graves drained a three to cut the lead to 7-4 but Richter scored inside with 30 seconds to play in the first to put the Lady Raiders ahead 9-4 at the start of the second.
Zoe Gibbs hit a jumper to make it an 11-4 game early in the second quarter and Duren’s second three-pointer of the day gave Good Hope a 14-4 lead. Kynzlee Garmon laid one in to make it 16-4 and Brailey Johnson scored on the next Raider possession to stretch the lead to 18-5 midway through the period. Richter hit three of her next four free throws to make it a 21-5 game and she scored inside on the ensuing Good Hope possession to make it 23-5. Kotie Calvert knocked down a jumper to trim the lead to 23-7 with less than two minutes to play in the half but Ella Eisner responded with a pair of baskets on the other end to keep the Lady Raiders ahead 27-7. Johnson and Hagen Ellis exchanged free throws in the final 30 seconds of the half to make it a 28-8 game at the break.
The Lady Eagles got off to a strong start in the second half. Keiarah Fanning laid one in and Graves drilled a three to bring the lead down to 28-13. Graves added another basket on the next possession to make it 28-15 but after Gibbs split a pair of free throws, Richter scored inside to maintain a 31-15 lead for Good Hope. Allie Light split a pair of free throws and Ellis laid one in to make it a 31-19 game later in the period and Fanning knocked down a three to cut the lead to 31-22. Graves buried another three to make it a 31-25 game with 30 seconds remaining in the third and after hitting a pair of free throws, Light added a basket just before the buzzer to trim the lead to 31-29 going into the fourth quarter.
Gibbs was fouled on a made three-pointer and tacked on the free throw to put the Lady Raiders in front 35-29 early in the fourth. Richter scored inside to make it a 37-29 game and Gibbs buried another three to keep Good Hope ahead 40-29 midway through the period. Ellis drained a pair of threes on the other end to cut the lead to 40-37 with three minutes to play. Gibbs and Light exchanged baskets to hold the lead at 42-39 and Light split a pair of free throws to make it a 2-point game with just 30 seconds on the clock. However, The Lady Eagles weren’t able to climb back any closer than that and Good Hope held on claim this year’s JV Girls County Championship with a 43-40 win.
Richter led the way for Good Hope with 13 points in the win, followed by Gibbs with 12 and Duren with nine. Graves led the Lady Eagles with 12 points in the loss, followed by Ellis with 11.
JV Girls All-County Tournament Team
Zoe Gibbs, Good Hope
Kynzlee Garmon, Good Hope
Gabby Richter, Good Hope
Hagen Ellis, Cold Springs
Kyleigh Graves, Cold Springs
Kenadi Pagan, West Point
Kensli Redding, Fairview
Brooklyn Merriman, Fairview
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