Story by Heath Hambrick Special to the Times-Journal
The final girls game of the DeKalb County Tournament was a rematch of the final in last month’s Sand Mountain Tournament – a game the Plainview Lady Bears won, 55-45.
But Saturday’s game wasn’t a repeat. The second-seeded Ider Lady Hornets beat the number-one seed, three-time defending champions, 61-48,
From the start of the game it looked like that the Lady Bears from Plainview would have no problem with Ider. Plainview started the game by hitting three straight three-point baskets to take a 9-0 lead. Plainview built a 14-3 lead in the first before Ider took a time out at the four-minute mark.
Then Ider turned up the pressure and ended the first quarter on a 5-0 run. Plainview held the lead at the end of the first quarter, 14-8. Ider started the second quarter on another 5-0 run, and with 5:05 to go before half-time, Ider claimed its first lead, 16-15, and never relinquished it. To end the first-half, Ider held the ball for the last 1:10 and took the last shot of the first half, giving the Lady Hornets a 28-15 lead. Plainview only scored one point in the second quarter. Ider forced 16 turnovers in the first half; the Bears had more turnovers than points in the half.
In the third quarter, Plainview found some offense -- crashing the boards and making second-chance points. But the Lady Hornets still made their shots and held a 16 point lead to the fourth and final quarter of the girls title game. Ider led 48-32.
Ider stretched the lead to as much as 19 points to pull a big upset in this year’s DeKalb County Tournament. Plainview has owned the girls’ basketball in the county and on Sand Mountain the last three years. Plainview had not lost a game in the DCT since 2021, when they fell to Collinsville in the finals.
Ider won the game and the 2025 DeKalb County Tournament Championship with a dominating 61-48 victory.
“This game was a great win for our team, program, community and school. Plainview has a very good team and we knew we would have to have a very solid game to beat them. Really proud of our girls fight. We never gave up or backed down, despite trailing 14-3 at the beginning of the game,” Ider Head Coach Jamie Pruett said.
Ider’s defense forced 20 total turnovers. Makinley Traylor led Ider with 25 points and Kennzie Smith, added 12 points. Plainview was led by Sawyer Kate Hulgan who scored 25 points and Lauren Jimmerson who added 16 points.
The win gave Ider its sixth DeKalb County Tournament title and its first since 2016.
The 2025 All Tournament Team: Molly Weaver, Sylvania; Kendra Fay and Teia Carroll, Fyffe; Miley Dukes, Lauren Jimmerson, Sawyer Kate Hulgan, Plainview; Cambre Chapman, Kennzie Smith, Addisyn Heard and MaKinley Traylor (MVP), Ider.
