Silver Bluff girls basketball team sitting atop High School Sports Report AA poll
Taylor, Johnson leading the way for 17-1 Bulldogs
Aiken – Expectations were high for the Silver Bluff High School girls basketball team coming into the season. The Bulldogs were bringing four starters back from a team that went 19-4, but their performance this season has even impressed head coach Chasen Redd.
“To be honest, I think we’ve performed very well,” said Redd, whose team was 17-1 and ranked No. 1 in the High School Sports Report AA poll. “We were having to replace big time players, but we returned some big time players.
“We’re quicker and we shoot the ball pretty well. I thought we'd be pretty solid, but they’ve passed my expectations. We’re better than I thought we’d be.”
SBHS, which got off to a 6-0 start in Region 3, is led by senior Ahminah Taylor. Selected as one of the top five seniors in AA by the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association, Taylor, an All-Region performer her first three years, was averaging 16.5 points per game to go with 3.9 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 4.3 steals.
While Taylor controls the game up top, fellow senior Krystal Johnson is a force on the inside. The 5-foot-10-inch Johnson was averaging a double-double of 19.1 points and 12.1 rebounds. She’s also averaging 3.8 steals and 1.7 blocked shots.
Another senior, Makaya Bing, was averaging 7.8 points. However, defense is the calling card for the returning All-Region performer, according to Redd.
“She’s the best defender I've seen in high school basketball in my five years,” Redd said. “She fills up the stats sheet with steals, hustle plays. She always defends the other teams’ best players.”
Bing was averaging 4.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.0 steals.
Junior Trinity Wilson and sophomore Zyrionna Lewis are the other starters. Wilson was averaging 4.2 points and 7.1 rebounds, while averaging 2.6 points and 2.1 steals.
Senior Cierra Green comes off the bench averaging 6.4 points.
Redd said he is pleased with how the Lady Bulldogs have handled being ranked No. 1.
“It's tough. There’s both good and bad that comes with having an X on back,” he said. “They all see it. We don’t talk about as much as you might think. We use it for more motivation, that everyone wants to beat you.
“We take on the challenge. We’ll play anybody. We all put our pants on the same way. We just defend as hard as we can and try to put the ball in the basket more.”
BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM COMING TOGETHER UNDER PRANDY
New Silver Bluff boys basketball head coach Michael Prandy likes the way his team is performing despite having to overcome several obstacles.
“I believe the team is playing well,” said Prandy, who came to SBHS after serving as head coach at South Aiken for seven years. “We are competing and losing close games. With a new coach and system to learn and having so many come from football (getting a late start), we feel we are close to turning the corner.
“Add to that being hired a little late in the spring, we really didn't have much time together this summer before starting the new year-round calendar. And it keeps coming. We lost one starter, Dresean Germany, to early graduation, and we just lost another starter, Jayden Fuller, to surgery.”
The Bulldogs won seven of their first 17 games and were 1-2 in region play. They only have one double-figure scorer in senior Justin Perry at 10.5. He was averaging 4.9 rebounds as well.
Senior Jaydon Eason was leading in rebounding at 5.5 while scoring at a 9.3 clip. Junior Deshawn Wells was averaging 2.9 assists to go with 6.5 points.
Senior Gerald Lark Jr. was averaging 5.3 points and 5.1 rebounds. Other key contributors are senior Terrell Williams (5.3 ppg, 4.3 rebounds), junior Zyrell Williamson (4.6 ppg) and junior Devonta Parker (1.5 ppg).
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