BIRMINGHAM — Mars Hill Bible leaned on standout 7th-grader Belle Hill, who came up huge with 27 points, leading the Panthers past Cold Springs 69-47 in the Class 2A girls basketball state championship on Friday.
The 13-year-old Hill took over the game in the second quarter, scoring 11 of her 19 first-half points to spark a major 25-8 run for Mars Hill. That outburst transformed an early 18-9 deficit into a 34-26 halftime lead.
Hill knocked down shots from all over the court, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, while also getting to the free throw line. She finished 11-of-12 at the stripe.
“No. 4 (Hill) decided she was going to play,” Cold Springs coach Tammy West said. “When she decides she’s going to play, she’s hard to stop. You can’t watch that game and think she’s a seventh grader.”
Hill contributed in all facets with 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals to go along with her game-high scoring. She was named tournament MVP after the championship performance.
Mars Hill coach Flora Sweatt earned her first title in dramatic fashion after the Panthers lost in the state semis two years ago. This time, they left no doubt by building a 20-point lead in the second half.
“We started off slowly,” Sweatt said. “I kept telling the girls, ‘Stay in there, we’ll be fine. We’ll knock down some shots, get some rebounds.’ These girls, they took their intensity up a notch. I’m glad we finished a little different than we started.”
It’s the first state championship for the Mars Hill girls since 2005. Cold Springs, ranked No. 1 in 2A, was seeking its fifth title and first since 2019 but had no answer for Hill.
Mars Hill senior Emma Kate Wright added 16 points as she and Hill took over the game in the second quarter. The Panthers dominated on the glass, outrebounding Cold Springs 38-27. They scored 19 critical second-chance points.
Cold Springs jumped out to an 18-9 lead after the first quarter as Mars Hill struggled with nerves on the big stage. But Hill settled the Panthers down in the second period.
“I knew we had some nerves,” Hill said. “I knew we had to get out of that, we couldn’t stay in that. We had to push through it to get to where we were in the second quarter.”
Wright heaped praise on the young star afterward. “I’m so proud of Belle,” she said. “She’s a seventh grader, and she acts like a senior. She pushed through the nerves and the stress. She’s just a great ball player.”
The comeback victory thrills a dedicated Mars Hill fan base that has waited 18 years to claim another girls basketball title. Hill made sure they didn’t have to wait any longer with a championship effort that belied her age.