Belmont girls basketball wins 13th state title, defeats Booneville

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) — Belmont girls basketball defeated Booneville 40-39 in the 3A girls state championship Friday. The win marked the Cardinal’s 13th state title.

Belmont led for most of the game, but Booneville took a one-point lead thanks to a free throw from Saniyah Cook with 39 seconds left in regulation. The Blue Devils had the ball and the lead with seven seconds to play. But Belmont’s Hailey Ivey jumped the inbounds pass after a timeout and took it the other way for a layup to give the Cardinals the lead.

The Cardinals extended their lead to three after a pair of free throws, then Booneville’s Ava Kate Smith was fouled on a 3-pointer with no time left on the clock. She was only able to knock down two of the three foul shots.

Belmont got its first win over Booneville this season after falling to the Blue Devils twice during the regular season.

Hailey Ivey was named the MVP of the game and led all scorer’s with 17 points.