Lady Panthers Earn GMC Title IN Contested Match

The Paulding Lady Panthers celebrated Senior Night in championship fashion Thursday night February 5th at The Jungle, defeating the Fairview Lady Apaches 72-65 to secure the GMC championship and complete an undefeated run through conference play.

Paulding controlled the opening possession after winning the tip, but Fairview struck first, edging ahead 19-17 at the end of the first quarter. The Panthers responded with a strong second quarter, outscoring the Apaches 19-12 to take a 36-31 lead into halftime.

The game remained tight after the break as both teams traded baskets in a physical third quarter. Paulding maintained its advantage by a single point in the frame, 18-17, pushing the lead to 54-48 heading into the final eight minutes. The Panthers closed the door in the fourth quarter, matching their third-quarter output with another 18 points while holding off Fairview’s push to seal the seven-point victory.

With the win, Paulding capped Senior Night with a GMC championship and finished conference play unbeaten, continuing a dominant season inside The Jungle.