Cary Christian girls' basketball captured its first NCISAA 2-A state championship Saturday with a 54-39 win over Victory Christian at Forsyth Country Day.

"It feels awesome," Cary Christian coach Carmen Javaux said. "We knew we had a good team to go all the way. We battled through injuries, and to get a chance at facing our nemesis ... it's been rewarding."

No. 2-seeded Victory, a powerhouse with eight state titles in the past 10 years, had knocked Cary Christian out of the playoffs in their past two meetings.

The No. 4-seeded Knights jumped ahead early and stormed to a 20-4 first-quarter lead over a shell-shocked Victory squad. The taller Knights kept Victory to the perimeter where the Kings struggled.

Meanwhile Cary Christian (26-4) worked its offense. Sophomore Dakota Dukes had 11 first-half points and the Knights were 4-for-4 from 3-point land in the first quarter led by Savannah Lagaly.

"Every single person was on, and we fed off each other," Dukes said.

Dukes finished with a team-high 14 points and was named to the girls 2-A all-state team. Alexis Hicks was Victory's all-state representative and led all scorers with 15 points.

Victory (25-10) fought back in the second quarter, pressing the Knights and forcing turnovers. Seniors Jhaznyn Whitley and Ayana Rashed combined for 13 second-quarter points.

Victory closed the gap to 32-25 with six minutes left in the third quarter, but that was as close as it would get.

"We just had to weather it," Javaux said. "Victory is going to get theirs. They're a good, solid team."

Cary Christian responded with a 12-4 run and turned up its defense. Victory struggled from the floor, especially from beyond the arc, hitting just 2-of-11 attempts in the second half.

The Knights relied on ball control, and junior point guard Abigail Pettit managed the tempo and ate up the clock. Victory tried to get back in the game by sending the Knights to the foul line, but Cary Christian responded by making 11 of 12 in the fourth quarter.

The win also was a shot of redemption following last year's title loss to Fayetteville Academy.

"Last year we were just so energized, but this year it felt like we were supposed to be here," Pettit said.