Batesburg-Leesville boys basketball team has great season

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.