The Chapel Hills Middle School Lady Panthers finished the program’s second undefeated championship season with a 40-29 victory over the Champion Lady Chargers in the DeKalb County Middle School Girls’ Basketball Championship game. (Photo by Curtis Jones)
A second undefeated championship season came the way of the Chapel Hill Lady Panthers following a big second half rally to defeat the defending titlists Champion Lady Chargers 40-29 at Arabia Mountain High School this past weekend in the finals of the DeKalb County Middle School Championships.
Champion (15-1) led 17-14 at the half by outscoring the Panthers (16-0) 13-9 behind six points from Kamaya Rivers-Childs after trailing 5-4 during a very defensive dominated first half.
Chapel Hill came out tough on defense in the third period limiting Champion to just seven points behind the defensive play of Janise McCoy (8 steals) and Kennedi Thomas (5 steals) who combined for 13 steals in the game.
The Panthers’ post player Avantey Gilreath scored seven (2 baskets, 3-3 free throws) of her 18 points in the game in the third period to lead her squad back into the lead for good at 25-24 heading into the fourth quarter.
Chapel Hill’s Avantey Gilreath was named the DeKalb County Middle School Girls’ Championship game Most Valuable Player. (Photo by Curtis Jones)
McCoy hit for six of her 10 points (all in the second half) in the fourth quarter on a pair of baskets and two-three at the free throw line as the Panthers continued to pull away. Gilreath added six more points and Mauri Barnes added four in the decisive fourth quarter.
Chapel Hill’s defense limited Champion to just two fourth-quarter baskets and one free throw to seal Chapel Hill’s second county championship. It gives the Panthers two undefeated seasons (2018, 2024) joining Champion (3), Stephenson (2) and Miller Grove (2) as schools with two or more undefeated title seasons.
Gilreath finished the game with 18 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks to garner the Most Valuable Player Award for the game. Janise McCoy finished with 10 points (7 assists, 8 steals) and Kennedi Thomas added five points (8 rebounds, 5 steals).
Lailah Cox led Champion with 10 points while Kamaya Rivers-Childs and Jalaina Alford added six points each on the day.
Chapel Hill’s win gave the school its first sweep of the title games and became just the second school to accomplish the feat joining Stephenson (2015). The squads also made history as the only school to complete the sweep while going undefeated. It was the eighth time since 2006 that a girls’ team has finished undefeated.
See links below for final standings and completed brackets: