Ider believed.

The belief became a reality as the Hornets stunned defending state champion and top-ranked Mars Hill Bible 64-58 to claim the Class 2A girl’s championship at Birmingham’s Legacy Arena on Friday morning.

Ider (23-11) will take the blue map back to DeKalb County for the second time in 39 years.

“This is a dream come true,” Ider coach Jamie Pruett said. “I have been preaching to believe all year. These girls kept fighting, and they believed.”

After Mars Hill (23-6) took a 40-33 lead in the third quarter, the seventh-ranked Hornets went on a 10-1 run to the end the period. When MVP Makinley Traylor drove the paint and hit a shot at the third quarter buzzer, Ider took the lead for good at 43-41.

“Basketball is a game of runs,” Pruett said. “We are getting rushed earlier in the quarter, but we settled down and were able to go on the run.”

Ider decided that Panther star Belle Hill was not going to beat them, keeping her out front and double-teamed – and even triple-teamed at times.

Hill was able to find teammate Kadence Rolston, who scored 17 of her game-high 24 in the first half. However during Ider’s 10-1 run, Rolston was on the bench with four fouls.

“Ider did a great job on packing the paint,” Mars Hill coach Flori Sweatt. said. “Our girls have done a good job all season adjusting to how the other team defends Belle. We did it again today.”

Traylor, who hit 14-of-19 free throws and finished with 22 points, iced the game in the fourth quarter by hitting 11-of-12 free throws.

“We practice free throws every day,” Traylor said. “Free throws can win championships.”

Star of game: After Mars Hill cut the Ider lead to a single basket, Traylor hit 5-of-6 free throws to ice the game. She was 4-of-9 from the field, but 14 of her 22 points came from the free throw line.

Stat sheet: Ider – Ider shot 60 percent from the field in the third quarter and 50 percent in the final period. The Hornets were 77 percent from the free-throw line. Kenzie Smith scored 14 points for Ider and Cambree Chapman added 11. Chapman and Addisyn Heard led the team with 5 rebounds each with Chapman also making 3 steals. Traylor also had 5 assists for the winners. Mars Hill – Hill finished the game with 16 points on 6-of-19 shooting. Madie Sain scored 8 in the loss. Rolston had a double-double with 12 rebounds to go with her 24 points. Emma Claire Sak hauled down 10 rebounds. Sak and Sain dished out 4 assists each.

Did you know? Members of Ider 1985 girls championship team came to talk with the girls at practice on Wednesday. The team bus driver got in contact with members of the championship team.

Coachspeak: “I would not trade these girls for anything. I have to remind myself that we only have three upperclassmen every day.” – Mars Hill Bible coach Sweatt

“Our team has overcome so much this year. We rallied when Makinley was out with an injury. We always found a way to overcome our size. I am going into the locker room and cry like a baby. This win os for the community, the school and these players.” – Ider coach Pruett