BELL BUCKLE — In the first game of the season, the Cascade Lady Champions notched their first win of the season, but since then, it’s been a long few months of gradual improvements that have brought them close to wins on the scoreboard, but for one reason or another, they just couldn’t capture an elusive win in a season of rebuilding the program for first-year head coach Janie Demonbreum.

All those many weeks of improvements and coming close to a win finally paid off as Cascade broke through and dominated Grundy County in a 58-43 win on Monday night.

“I’m so proud for these girls. These girls have been beaten down all year long. I’ve told them to push through and push through and we would see the successes,” Demonbreum said.

After Grundy County’s Kasadee Crabtree hit a shot at the 4:08 mark of the first, it was a pair of free throws by Sophie Ray that put Cascade up 5-4 just 20 seconds later.

Cascade never trailed again.

As part of a 15-6 run in the quarter, Cascade was able to rely on transition defense and a dominant effort off the glass to limit Grundy County’s second-chance opportunities.

“That was one thing I told them coming into this game. I told them that we needed to get every board that was shot. They’ve got so much heart. They just wanted the boards,” Demonbreum said.

With a nine-point lead in hand, Grundy was able to rally for 14 points in the second quarter.

While Cascade struggled to connect on shots from the floor in the second, the Lady Champs were able to successfully draw fouls and get to the free throw line.

Cascade managed just two field goals in the quarter—baskets by Kaegan Young and Ray—but made the Lady ‘Jackets pay at with an 8-of-11 effort at the charity stripe in the quarter.

With that dominant effort, Cascade held on to a seven-point halftime lead.

The pace slowed considerably into the third quarter, but it was a stellar finish in the fourth quarter, spearheaded by Ray, that secured Cascade’s win on Friday.

Of her game-high 29 points, Ray went for 14 in the fourth quarter.

“Twenty-nine points. I can’t say anything more about Sophie Ray other than she’s the heart of our team. I told their coach earlier, ‘She is my silent leader.’ She is undersized, but you would never know she is a 5-7 post that goes underneath and holds her own,” Demonbreum said.

While it was Ray’s night to shine in the points column, virtually every Lady Champion that stepped on the floor contributed, from knocking down timely shots, to driving the paint, to collecting key rebounds and providing a relentless defensive effort—every player made an impact on the game’s outcome.

“That’s another point I’ve tried to explain to the girls. We all have our own role we play on this team and it takes every single one of us, from the first girl, to the last girl, to be successful,” Demonbreum said.

While Ray was the lone Lady Champ to reach double figures, several more were knocking on the door.

Kaegan Young finished with nine points, while Laina Carter added eight.

Suzanna Crews also finished with seven points in the win.

Cascade also made Grundy County pay at the free throw line, cashing in on 25-of-37 attempts on the night.

Cascade steps out of district play on Tuesday night, but closes the regular season on Friday night at Forrest, which Demonbreum says is an added bonus of finishing on the road, since the District 7-AA tournament will be held in Chapel Hill.

“Going into the district, it’s at Chapel Hill. It’s in our favor that our last game is at Chapel Hill. We go in and get used to that gym. It’s not an easy gym to play in,” she said.

Monday night’s win, if nothing else, gives the improving Lady Champs a spark of confidence as the postseason begins next week.

“It’s a breath of fresh air for these girls. It’s the perfect time — we’re going to start blossoming right at district time,” she said.

Grundy Co. 6 14 7 16 — 43

Cascade 15 12 12 19 — 58

Grundy Co.: Kasadee Crabtree 11, Elyce Rymer 9, Carlee Smartt 8, Jaidys McDaniel 5, Wrylee McDaniel 4, Kathryn Lusk 4, Kati Davidson 2.

Cascade: Sophie Ray 29, Kaegan Young 9, Laina Carter 8, Suzanna Crews 7, Kaydence Miller 3, Isabella Rhodes 2.

3-Point goals: Cascade (3): Carter, Miller, Crews; Grundy Co. (3): Smartt, McDaniel, Rymer.

Halftime score: Cascade 27, Grundy Co. 20.