Batesburg-Leesville boys basketball team has great season
Panthers' Gilliam selected AA All-State, Region 2 Player of the Year
Batesburg-Leesville – Historic may not be the right word to describe the just completed season
for the Batesburg-Leesville High School boys basketball team. However, it had been a while since the
Panthers accomplished some of the things they did on the hardwood.
Batesburg-Leesville, which finished its season with a 17-8 overall record, won its first region
championship since the 2005-06 season. The Panthers then reached the quarterfinals of the state playoffs
for the first time since the 1988-89 campaign.
Head coach William Ash said this was a culmination of tremendous dedication by both the
players and the coaching staff.
“This season is a result of years of hard work by these players and assistant coaches,” Ash said.
“This is a special group. They are incredibly tough. They bought in to what we wanted to do and
accomplished a lot. I’m very proud of them.”
Leading the way for the Panthers was junior Ta’Maj Gilliam. Not only was he selected as the
Region 2-AA Player of the Year, but Gilliam was also picked to be on the South Carolina Basketball
Coaches Association AA All-State team.
Gilliam led Batesburg-Leesville in scoring with a 16.1 points-per-game average. He also
averaged 2.4 steals to go with 1.4 assists and 3.4 rebounds.
Also selected to the All-Region team were sophomore Brayden Davis and junior KD Whitt.
Davis averaged 12.9 points to go with a team high 2.8 steals, 5.1 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Whitt averaged
3.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals.
Batesburg-Leesville won the region title with an 8-2 record, one game better than Strom
Thurmond and Saluda.
The Panthers defeated Eau Claire 60-55 in the first round of the state playoffs and followed it
with a 61-60 triumph over York Prep. Their seaso ended with 80-55 loss to eventual Upper State
champion High Point Academy.
Gilliam had a huge game against Eau Claire, scoring 28 points to go with three assists and two
steals. Davis finished with 13 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals, while junior Nasean
Stewart had 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. Senior Amare Odom grabbed nine rebounds.
Gilliam again led the way in scoring against York Prep with 21 points. Davis just missed a
double-double, finishing with 17 points and nine rebounds, as did Stewart with eight points and 10
rebounds. Whitt had four points, five rebounds and four assists.
Against High Point, Davis led the way with 12 points while Gilliam had 11 points, five assists
and two steals. Odom had nine rebounds and five points, and Whitt had four rebounds and four assists to
go with three points.
Stewart and Odom were key contributors throughout the season. Stewart led Batesburg-Leesville
in assists at 2.4 to go with 6.6 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals. Odom was the leading rebounds at 7.2
per game. He averaged 2.9 points.
Junior Amadr’e Wooden, senior Hansel Discua, junior Cameron Martin and junior Jaden
Millhouse all provided key minutes off the bench.
