HANCEVILLE, Ala. – The second of Saturday’s JV Girls matchups featured Fairview and Cold Springs and it was another nailbiter at Tom Drake Coliseum. The Lady Aggies led by 11 at the half but needed a pair of free throws from Peyton Defoor in the final 25 seconds of the game to edge out the Lady Eagles 41-38 and advance to the JV Girls finals.
The Lady Aggies led 3-0 early in the first after a steal and score by Peyton Defoor and a free throw from Aynslie Holm. Hollyn Bruer hit a pair of free throws for Cold Springs on the other end to make it 3-2 but those were the only points the Lady Eagles could get on the board in the opening period. However, Davi Stidham was just getting started. She scored the next eight points of the game for Fairview to extend the lead to 11-2 and Stephanie Acklin added a pair of free throws in the final moments of the first to give the Lady Aggies a 13-2 lead going into the second.
Another Stidham basket put Fairview in front 15-2 at the start of the second quarter but Dixie Light drained a three on the other end to stop the run and make it a 15-5 game. Defoore knocked down a jumper and Stidham sank a pair of free throws to stretch the lead to 19-5 and after Bruer and Holm exchanged baskets, Stidham drained a three to give the Lady Aggies a 24-8 lead later in the second. Paizley Whitlow and Light each knocked down three-pointers to trim the lead to 24-14 with two minutes remaining in the first half and Baylee Perdue laid one in to make it a 24-16 game. Jaila Eckleberry scored inside, and Holm split a pair of free throws to finish the half strong for Fairview and the Lady Aggies went into the locker room leading Cold Springs 27-16 at the break.
The Lady Eagles came out hot to start the third quarter. Five straight points from Whitlow and a basket by Bruer brought the lead down to 27-23 early in the period. Eckleberry and Acklin each scored to extend the Fairview lead to 31-23 and Stidham drilled another shot from three-point range to make it a 34-23 game going into the fourth quarter.
Whitlow nailed back to back three-pointers to cut the lead down to 34-29 with five minutes to play and Maci Huffstutler turned a steal into an easy basket to make it a 34-31 game. Whitlow split a pair of free throws to bring the lead down to two but Stidham responded with a three on the other end to put the Lady Aggies back ahead 37-32. Another Whitlow bucket trimmed the lead to 39-36 later in the fourth and Perdue laid one in to make it a 39-38 game with one minute remaining in regulation. Defoor went to the line with 25 seconds on the clock and hit a pair of free throws to put Fairview up 41-38 and after some missed free throws from the Lady Aggies, Cold Springs got one more shot to tie the game in the final seconds. However, the Lady Eagles’ final shot bounced off the back rim as time expired and Fairview held on to win it 41-38 and advance.
Stidham led the way for the Lady Aggies with 23 points in the win, followed by Defoor with six. Whitlow posted 15 points for Cold Springs in the loss and Bruer, Perdue and Light each finished with six.
Fairview will advance to play the winner of Good Hope and Holly Pond in next Saturday’s JV Girls Championship Game at 2:30 p.m.
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