Eighth grader Alexandria Orr was fouled as the fourth quarter of the AHSAA Class 1A girls’ state basketball finals ended, then sank the second of two free throws with no time remaining to give R.A. Hubbard of Courtland a 44-43 victory and the 2017 championship over defending state champion Spring Garden.    

Orr, who had missed her first four free throws of the night, was fouled with the score tied at 43 all when she and a Spring Garden player collided on the floor near the Spring Garden basket as time expired. She missed the first of two shots but the second sealed the win. She finished with nine points and seven rebounds, made 2-of-3 3-point attempts and handed out three assists.

Tiyonna Rogers tied the game for the Panthers (26-8) with 29 seconds left when she sank a 3-point shot. She got the rebound when the Lady Chiefs (22-10) missed on a shot with five seconds remaining. That set up a last play for Spring Garden, but the ball bounced off a player’s legs and set up the scramble for the loose ball. R.A. Hubbard held a 10-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Panthers clawed back outscoring the Chiefs 14-5.  Charm Saulsberry and 1A tournament MVP Kee-Undria Bolden led Hubbard with 10 points each. Bolden also had 10 rebounds. Rogers led Spring Garden with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Payton McGinnis also had 12 points and 10 rebounds.   The Class 1A Girls All-Tourney team included Kee-Undria Bolden, R.A. Hubbard  (MVP); Charm Sausberry, R.A. Hubbard; Alexandria Orr, R.A. Hubbard; Payton McGinnis, Spring Garden; Tyiona Rogers, Spring Garden; Mar’Quaja Brown, J.F. Shields.