Good Hope Lady Raiders take 4A state title away from Plainview:

Good Hope the best in 2024, 2nd best in 2025 and again the best in 2026:

GDW Analysis:
  BIRMINGHAM: Determined to withstand 40 shots from three point range, the Good Hope Lady Raiders were able to break Plainview's momentum just enough enroute to winning their 2nd AHSAA 4A state championship in 3 years, a 59 to 54 survival against No. 1 Plainview Friday from Legacy Arena.
Plainview was 14 of 40 in the hotly contested battle for supremacy in 4A.
The Lady Bears used the three to get them back in the game after Good Hope stormed to an 11 to 0 lead less than 4:00 after tip off.
Everytime Good Hope tried to lock up the state championship, Plainview came with the perimeter attack.
With 1:18 to play in the game, a rebound basket by Lucie Adams sent the Lady Raiders to a 53 to 45 advantage.
Plainview went on a quick surge and trailed 57 to 54 on a deep three from the top by Sawyer Kate Hulgan.
Lady Raider PG Ella Gossett finished details by making a pair from the line at 0:11. Plainview failed to score afterwards and the state championship trophy would be claimed by this 4A program from Southwest Cullman County for the 2nd time in the last 3 years.
A lot of pride in this accomplishment for the No. 1 ranked 4A program did not conquer the No. 4 ranked squad.
"I am extremely blessed," Aby stated in the news conference. "I was very confident with our team when it came to defending."

 While Plainview thrived on the three, Good Hope showed success in total FGs 21 of 43 for 48 percent and 14 of 19 from the line for 73 percent.
Aby's group visited the stripe 10 times in the final stanza and made 7. It was 6 of 8 for Good Hope from the final 48 seconds as Lexi Marshall made two and Gossett tallied four out of four.
Newcomer Ella Davis capped off her first season for Good Hope with 18 points, hitting 7 of 12 shots, 4 of 6 FTs and took down five rebounds. That enabled Davis to be named the Final Four MVP.
Joining Davis as all tournament honors were Gossett and Sophie Konrad.
Gossett produced 6 points with 1 FG, 4 FTs, 2 assists and a huge steal in the final 21 seconds to protect a 3 point lead.
Konrad, the Northwest Regional MVP, delivered 14 points in making 7 of 15 shots, 2 rebounds and 3 assists.
Hulgan is a very talented player for Plainview, ending her junior season.
She had just 13 points as Hulgan was only 4 of 14 from the floor, 3 of 8 in threes.
Her teammate, Piper Anderson, caught fire early and would lead the Lady Bears at 5 of 10 from downtown, scoring 17 points.
As a regular player, Lexi Marshall is the lone senior for Good Hope. The sharpshooter tallied 10 points with 2 treys and went 4 of 5 from the line.
Four Lady Raiders accounted for double figures.
It was once again the right move by the AHSAA to have Marshall, Gossett, Davis, Konrad and Adams in the postgame conference with coach Aby.
That happened in their semifinal victory against Catholic Montgomery, a 61 to 45 defeat of the school from the Capitol City three days ago.
Good Hope is officially 29 & 5 for the season with a 7 & 0 accomplishment in the playoffs.
The victory on March 6 of 2026 takes away more pain for this group when they were soundly defeated by Trinity Presbyterian in the 2025 state championship one year earlier.

Photo of the Good Hope Lady Raiders during a Northwest Regional playoff game vs. Deshler at Wallace State's Tom Drake Coliseum February 18.
Photo courtesy of Cathy McSwain.