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By Bill Mitchell,
Special Writer
The victory boosted Daniel’s record to 23-3 and marked the school’s first state basketball crown since 1967.
The Lions came into the game with a balanced offense and never let the lower state champions off the mat.
DeAndre Hopkins, a 6-foot-3 powerfully built point guard, repeated set up hi teammates with brilliant passes and was the central figure in the victory.
“We’ve never been a one-man team,” said Daniel coach Jeff Maness. “Of course, we always want no. 44 (
Daniel moved in front from the beginning and never trailed.
Maness credited his team’s defense in the second half as a major factor.
“We ended up giving a number of open three-point shots in the first half,” Maness said. “We emphasized that at the half and did a better job in the second half.”
The Panthers came up short on their shooting in the final period and coach Willie Thomas, who has taken five teams to state titles.
“We were unable eto make shots when we needed them,” he said. “At this level you have to be able to get points from your post players and we came up short there.
“Daniel was just more athletic then we were and tougher,” Thomas added. “We learned some things we can do with our athletes and some that we can’t. We have to start working for next year.”
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By Bill Mitchell,
Special Writer
The Lady Seahawks capped a near-perfect season, posting their 29th victory against a single loss., but Daniel wasn’t going to roll over and die, even after
“We made some good adjustments, especially during the halftime, and the girls did what we asked of them,” said Daniel coach Jody Powell. “We came to the championship game and forced an overtime. Our girls have no reason to hang their heads.”
Although
The teams traded four points in the over time before Myrtle Beach’s Tanisha Brown scored from the lane to put the Lady Seahawks up 61-59 with 49 seconds remaining. the Lions were unable to answer and Khadijah Sessions made three free throws to complete the scoring.
“If a couple of shots had gone in instead of rolling off, we could have won,” said Powell. “We were right there.”
“Daniel is a very good team,” Kiper said. “They had won 20 games in a row and bounced the four-time defending champions (
The loss of Sherece Smith in overtime crippled the Lions’ ball handling significantly and Kiper saw that a key to the final victory.
“I thought that No. 20’s fouling out was the key to the overtime,” Kiper said. “They weren’t as crisp handling the ball and it helped us.
Sessions wound up leading the Lady Seahawks with 24 points, but Kiper pointed to her defense as an important part of the win.
“We had not used Khadijah defensively much this year, but her defense on Dotson was important for us in the fourth period and in the overtime,” Kiper said.
Brown closed with 12 points and Danielle Cooper had 11.
Dotson led the Lady Lions with 19 points and Carly Hoover, an offensive force under the basket, finished with 17. Smith had 11.
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By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Columbia—Keenan was the less tired team in the end, and Burke had a rare off day shooting, as the Raiders won their first AA boy’s basketball title in a decade Saturday at the USC Colonial Center, 57-47.
“It’s been a decade since we won our last one and we could be putting a run together but I don’t want to jinx us or anything,” said Keenan head coach Zach Norris. “At halftime I told the kids that we had to stop turning the ball over so much. We went to a zone to try and stop number 23 (Sidney Sanders) who had such a great first half.
“I got on the team about their poor foul shooting in the first half. I told the players to focus on doing the little things right and to start concentrating better. I felt like we were a more focused team in the second half.”
Keenan had balanced scoring with senior Jacob Green leading the team with 12 points and senior Dennis Rowe who had 11 points. Junior Eric Washintgon and sophomore Quinton Johnson each had 9 points and Kenny Reed scored 8 points.
Senior leader Bradley Smith scored five points and said after the game, “Our win today proves that hard work pays off and that defense wins games. We knew that we had to come out in the second half and play better defense and get more rebounds. Our guards did a good job finding the open man too.”
Burke actually led 25-22 at the half behind senior Sidney Sanders 17 points. He would add 9 points in the second half to lead all scorers with 26.
In the third period Keenan outscored Burke 10-4 as defense and turnovers dominated to start the final period with Keenan ahead 32-29. This game had the most travel calls of all the games played and on three occasions Burke was cited for lane violations during free throw shots. With Keenan up 41-38 with 4:29 left in the game Jacob Green missed the front end of a one-on-one, but a lane violation gave him a second chance and he calmly sank two shots to put his team up, 43-38.
In the fourth period Keenan was 12 of 12 on free throws and this was a major factor in their win.
“We didn’t have a good day shooting and some of our shots were taken a little too far out,” said veteran Burke head coach Earl Brown after the game. “A step or two closer some of those shots would have probably dropped.
“This game was here for the taking but at one point in the game we didn’t play like we usually do,” said Coach Brown. “With a little better execution I think we could have come out on top.”
Coach Brown, finishing up his 36th season, praised his senior group who also played for a state title as sophomores. The senior trio includes Del’Javon Simmons who had 7 points, Sanders who led the way with 26 points, and Michael Heyward who has 8 points.
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By C.R. Cumbee
Staff Writer
Columbia—After both Hemingway (2008) and Great Falls (2009) came up short the past two seasons in the state finals against Calhoun County, one of them would finally break through.
It was jubilation on the Tigers sideline when the final buzzer sounded and disappointment for the Red Devils as Hemingway held on for a 66-58 victory Saturday afternoon in the Class A state championship game at the Colonial Life Arena. It was the first title in four tries for head coach Barry McFadden.
“I’ve got to give God all the praise and all the glory,” McFadden said. “This is a great group of kids. They played hard tonight and came up with the victory.
Torrey Craig singlehandedly kept the Red Devils in the game, scoring a game-high 36 points. However, Hemingway countered with four players in double figures, led by Suntrell Flagler with 13. Jalil Brown and Jazjuan Wilson each had 13 while Quintin Brown added 10.
The game began at a torrid pace and the first quarter ended deadlocked at 16-16. Both teams traded baskets throughout the second quarter until Jacoby Canty and Craig knocked down consecutive three-pointers to end the first half with a 35-30 lead.
Hemingway responded out of the locker room by starting the third quarter on a 7-0 run and retaking the lead. Craig answered later for Great Falls by scoring six points in a span of just over minute before Suntrell Flagler drained a long-range shot for a 44-43 lead after 24 minutes of play.
The Red Devils threw everything they could at Hemingway in the fourth quarter, but could never take the lead. Midway through the period they closed the deficit to two points, but on both occasions Flagler connected from downtown to extend the Tigers’ lead.
“He’s been doing that for us all year. He came off the bench against Green Sea-Floyds and hit a school record 10 three-pointers. We knew he could hit those shots,” McFadden said.
Craig re-energized the Red Devil crowd by hitting a three-pointer to tie the game at 56-56 with 2:21 remaining. On Hemingway’s next possession, Jalil Brown was fouled and converted both free throw attempts to go up by two.
“I have confidence in myself as a free throw shooter and I know my team has faith in me. I just knocked down the shots,” Brown said.
Great Falls had two chances to even things up in the final two minutes, but missed out on each opportunity. Xavier Holmes missed two foul shots with 1:34 left and then missed a layup 16 seconds later. Jalil Brown then made three-of-four attempts from the charity stripe before the Tigers salted the game away at the line.
“That was the key to (Great Falls) staying in the game for so long. I thought if we could hit our free throws we could win the game,” said McFadden, whose team went 5-for-14 at the free throw line in the first three quarters before making 10-of-13 in the final 2:21.
Scoring Summary
GFHS 16 19 8 15—58
HHS 16 14 14 22—66
GFHS: Torrey Craig 36, Jacoby Canty 7, Walter Lamar 6, Alstevis Squirewell 4, Isaiah Lynn 3, Terrell Hutchinson 1, Xavier Holmes 1.
HHS: Suntrell Flagler 13, Jalil Brown 12, Jazjuan Wilson 12, Quintin Brown 10, Shaquille Wells 7, Rashawn Smalls 6, Donavan Bell 4, Jabril Solomon 2.
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COLUMBIA - Gaffney pulled way from Lexington midway the fourth period and the Indians were rewarded with the Class AAAA state boys basketball champion by virtue of a 71-57 triumph over the Wildcats Friday night at the University of South Carolina’s Colonial Center.
The Indians, the 2009 runner-up, ran their record to 27-2 in clinching their fourth title in eight years. Lexington dropped to 25-6 in its first finals appearance since 2000.
Lexington erased an 11-point halftime deficit to finish the third period deadlocked at 49 with the Indians.
Gaffney moved ahead 52-51 on Zevonta Shands’ three-pointer with 6:48 remaining and never trailed again.
“We told our kids at the half that Lexington would make a run at us,” Gaffney coach Mark Huff. “They did, but came back with a run of our own to take the lead. It was a game of runs.”
The Indians’ victory fulfilled a pre-season goal. It’s the same one every year.
“We like being the champions,” Huff said. “We worked very hard to get back from last year. The kids did a great job and the four seniors can say they were the champions for the rest of their lives.”
Gaffney scored nine straight points to take a 61-51 lead and it did it by getting Quinshad Davis loose under the basket for easy layups. Davis finished with 17 points to pace the winners.
The Indians crushed Lexington on the boards, frequently getting two and three shots at the basket.
“That was the difference in the game,” said Lexington coach Bailey Harris. “We handled the pressure and we got to Josh Corry, but that was where they beat us, on the boards.”
The Wildcats edged as close as 63-57, but Gaffney scored the final eight points of the game to put the contest out of reach.
Dershawn Dawkins followed Davis in the scoring with 14 points and Shands finished with `13. Corry managed with only nine points.
Shaq Roland led Lexington with 20 points. Corey Hendren managed 15 and David Burns added 14.
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By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Columbia—Spring Valley, a.k.a. “The Dream Team”, started red hot going up
19 points in the first half, then went stone cold without a basket for eight minutes, and then lost to a determined Goose Creek team, 64-63 in the waning seconds of AAAA girl’s championship basketball game on an honest but “technical” mistake.
Spring Valley’s Asia Dozier was trying to get the ball inbounds with 4.6 seconds left in the game with the score tied. She called timed out as she could not find anyone open. However, the Lady Vikings didn’t have any time-outs left and the resulting technical sent the star of the game, Aleighsa Welch to the line for Goose Creek. The junior missed her first shot but made the second giving the come back kids from Goose Creek a one point win, the first girl’s basketball title in school history.
Welch had 36 points, 15 rebounds and three assists as she put her team on her back after a poor first period in front of college scouts from Florida, South Carolina, and North Carolina among others. Welch has been named the HSSR “AAAA Player of the Year” for her outstanding play all year. Earlier in the year the Lady Gators beat Spring Valley, 52-51.
“We wanted to prove that we were the best team in the state tonight and we stepped up and played hard the whole game,” said Welch. “We were under estimated the whole time. A lot of people didn’t believe in us but I think they believe in us now. We had the whole lowcounty behind us and we pulled out a win. We believed in ourselves.”
Head Goose Creek coach Tim Baldwin said after the game that when his team went down eight points at the 4:44 mark he was not about to call a time out. “I had confidence in this team and I felt like we would be okay if we just kept pushing hard and playing hard and that is what we did,” he said. “Right now I am just so excited. We were down by 16 and they never quit. I am very pleased with their effort.”
Spring Valley head coach Anne Long said after the game that she stressed to the team after her last time out that they were out of time outs. “I remember this happening one time long along with a middle school team I was coaching,” she said. “You don’t expect this to happen at this level and in a game like this. We are a young team and we’ll be back. Give Goose Creek credit. They are a good team and they came back and won the game.”
Coach Long was glowing in her comments about Welch, “She was relentless on defense and she kept at it all the time and showed very little emotion. She wanted the ball on offense and was relentless on the boards. You have to hand it to somebody that is that active on offense and wants the ball that much and that should be anybody’s dream.”
As far as the second period led down, Coach Long said, “For some reason we didn’t respect their ability to shoot so well from the perimeter and they got on a run and we didn’t score.”
After the first period it looked like a Spring Valley runaway as the Vikings went up 27-10 and then scored the first basket of the second period. Dozier was red hot in the first period hitting two deep corner three’s and scoring ten points. However the Gators fought back with a pressing defense in the second period and improved shooting to trail 35-30 at the half.
After scoring just two points in the opening quarter Welch played tougher inside on the offensive basket and she tallied eight points and had several offensive rebounds throughout the game.
The third period was a real white knuckler as Goose Creek outscored the Valley 18-13 as Welch poured in 14 points to knot the score at 48 after three periods. Fans from both barely sat down the second half as strong defense and strong inside play resulted for both teams. With 4:44 left in the game the Vikings led 58-50 as Shaquita Walker and Dozier combined for eight points to put the Vikings up.
Goose Creek never called time out. Down 59-52 Welch muscled an offensive rebound and was fouled making a lay-up and the three point play cut the lead to six. Sophomore N’dea Bryant then stole and inbounds pass and made a lay-up to cut the lead to 59-55 at the 3:08 mark Welch then scored on a put back shot to cut the lead to 59-57 with 2:46 left.
At the 2:20 mark Walker made a coast-coast driving lay-up to put the Vikings up 61-59 and Dozier made one of her two free throw shots with 57.1 left to give her team a 62-59 lead. Tyshonda Hawkins then made a basket for Goose Creek with 31 seconds left to cut the lead to 62-61. Super Sophomore Xylina McDaniel then hit a shot with 17.5 left to put the Vikings up 63-61. At the .08 mark of the game Welch fired up a base line shot from 15 feet that hit the rim went straight up in the air and came back through to tie the game at 63.
Goose Creek almost the stole the ball on the first inbounds play after Welch had tied the game but the ball went out of bounds and it was ruled Spring Valley’s ball. The Gator defense forced the mental mistake with 4.6 seconds left and Welch’s free throw sealed the win for Goose Creek.
For the game Welch had 36 points followed by Mikayla Taylor and Ashley Fields who each had eight and N’dea Bryant had six points and DeAndra Wright chipped din with four points. Dionna Nelson also had two points.
Spring Valley was led by Dozier who poured in 26 points followed by Walker’s 12, and point guard Briana Robinson had nine points. McDaniel had seven points followed by Savonia Bryan’s five, and Jocelyn Lawrence’s had four points.
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By Billy G. Baker
Publisher
Columbia—Southside High built a 29-26 halftime lead at the USC Colonial Center Saturday, taking advantage of Marion’s Geneika Brantley’s foul trouble that saddled her to the bench for much of the second period with three fouls, and in the end the team that shot better at the free throw line won as the Class AA championship game, 66-64.
“When I came to Southside five years some folks said I could never win a championship here,” said head coach Lamont Wakefield. “When you work hard with players they are going to work hard for you in return. They believe not only in me but in themselves. Five years ago had somebody told me that I was going to be a state champion in five years, hey, I would have been a car dealer or something, or work at a funeral home.
“I told our players that defense wins championships. We hit our free throws and we got some rebounds and steals when we needed them. We kept playing hard the whole game.”
Marion head coach Leon Sturkey, who brought the defending AA champions into the game, said he was proud of his team for battling the whole game. “We knew coming into the game that Southside was a really good basketball team and we had to get through the first few minutes of nerves and I thought we played much better in the second half. We played well but we cane up a little short.”
In a reference to the bible Coach Sturkey added, “In the point of victory they say our heads our bloodied but unbowed. Our heads maybe bloody but we are not bowing down. We came out and played as hard as we can possibly play. With a minute to go we still had a chance to win the game so I am really proud of my kids for that.”
Marion was playing without the services of junior Candace Wright who hurt her knee last week. “We had to do a few little things different with her out but I am proud of my kids,” said Coach Sturkey.
Freshman Nikki Young led Southside in scoring with 24 points. “I am very excited to win a state championship as a freshman,” she said. “I started playing the game when I was four and this is so exciting. Like a good team they came back on us but we made the free throws in the end to win. I hope we can win it again next year.”
Senior Yoko Mosley chipped in with 16 Southside points and senior Chelsea Walker had ten points followed up by Jasmine Frankin who had nine points. McKenzie Weston and Autrey Stevens had four and three points respectively.
Marion was led by Brantley who led the Foxes with 24 points and she had double figure rebounds. Senior Amira Timmons scored 16 points and senior Amber Timmons, 8th grader Tyshanna Lester, and senior Jessica Grant scored 9, 8, and 7 points respectively.
At the end of the first period Southside led 16-13. At the start of the fourth period it was 45-42 in favor of the Tigers. One key in the game was Brantley missing two double bonus free throws with her team up 60-57 at the 1:18 mark in the final period. She fought for a rebound under the basket with 27.5 left and he shot made it 64 all and she was fouled. She missed the bonus shot and then Young drove the length of the floor to lay it in with 3.8 seconds left to make it 66-64.
For the game Southside made 13 of 22 free throws while Marion hit on 10 of 22.
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By C.R. Cumbee
Staff Writer
Columbia—The Christ Church girls’ basketball team claimed their second consecutive Class A state championship with a 47-38 victory over Hardeeville Saturday afternoon at the Colonial Life Arena. It was a rematch of last year’s title game.
“Every (championship) is different,” Christ Church head coach Sally Pielou said. “Last year was unbelievable because it was the first one. I think this one is even more special because we have three seniors. And the girls who were out on that floor at the end of the ballgame played their hearts out. It’s unreal.”
“Our girls worked so hard to get here, but unfortunately it didn’t turn out the way that we wanted it to. Christ Church is a great team and we wish them the best,” Hardeeville head coach Tonya Strobridge said.
This contest was virtually decided on the free throw line, where the Lady Cavaliers outscored Hardeeville 24-10. The Lady Hurricanes were abysmal from the stripe, converting on only 10-of-26 attempts.
Hardeeville’s Jomanda Smalls led all scorers with 19 points, but was the only Lady Hurricane in double figures. Seniors Erin Carter and Katie Thomason each had 16 for Christ Church, and Hayden Latham added 11, all in the first half.
Hardeeville opened the game with consecutive jump shots to take a 5-0 lead, but the Lady Cavaliers responded with an 11-2 run to close out the first quarter. Both teams played close to even in the second, but it was Smalls who took over by scoring all nine of her team’s points in the frame.
The Lady Cavaliers got out to a quick start to the third quarter, pulling away to their biggest lead at 28-19. But when Latham picked up her fifth personal foul with 3:28 left, Hardeeville took advantage and went on a 6-0 run to close the lead to three.
“This shows how much heart the girls have. When Hayden fouled out in the third quarter, our team stepped it up, worked hard, showed heart and made their foul shots,” Pielou said.
After Shantireya Rivers’ three-pointer brought Hardeeville back to 31-28 with 7:36 to go in regulation, the poise of the Christ Church foul shooters became the difference. The pressure defense of the Lady Hurricanes continually turned into chances for the Lady Cavaliers at the free throw line, and Christ Church knocked down 11 of its next 14 tries, putting the game out of reach.
“We’ve been struggling with our free throws all year long. I think we came together and peaked as a team. If you’re going to peak as a team, you might as well do it in the state championship,” Pielou said.
Scoring Summary
CCES 11 10 10 16—47
HHS 7 9 9 13—38
CCES: Erin Carter 16, Katie Thomason 16, Hayden Latham 11, Meaghan Carrigan 4.
HHS: Jomanda Smalls 19, Shantireya Rivers 8, Aaliyah Hill 4, Shantis Lee 3, Kaneisha Staten 3, Evin Percival 1.