Berkeley basketball teams headed into state playoffs
Berkeley basketball teams headed into state playoffs
By David Shelton
Senior Writer
Moncks Corner – As the 2024-25 regular season winds down, the best teams in the state are looking forward to the upcoming state playoffs.
The boys and girls basketball teams at Berkeley High are among those teams that will enter the Division II-AAAAA state playoffs with a chance to contend for the Lower State title. Both teams have put together solid seasons and have been ranked in the top 10 all season long.
Girls coach Crystal Peace has worked through some lean years as she rebuilt the program and now has the Stags as a viable product on the floor.
As of Feb. 7, Berkeley was 17-5 overall and 6-1 in region 7-AAAAA. The region and regular season wraps up on Feb. 14.
Peace is winning with a young roster, which bodes well for future success. Freshman Alaina Carter is the leading scorer at 12.4 points per game. Sophomore Amani McCray averages 8.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and junior Demi Gray adds 8.5 points per game.
Junior Aiyanna Moses adds 7.6 points per game while junior Madison Thomas chips in six points per outing. Sophomore forward Imani Levey anchors the inside with 6.6 points and 4.4 rebounds. Levey scored 15 points in a recent region win over Goose Creek. That win on Feb. 4 avenged Berkeley’s only region loss, a 49-48 setback.
“I appreciate the girls accepting their roles and doing what we ask them to do,” Peace said. “They work extremely hard.”
Matthew Mullins’ boys team put together an 11-game streak in the first month of the season and sat at 15-5 overall and 3-3 in region play as of Feb. 4. The Stags are locked in a battle for second in the standings with county rival Cane Bay and out of region title contention after two losses to Goose Creek.
Junior forward Damien Kinloch continues to set the pace in scoring at 14 points per game. Sophomore wing John Cleveland adds about 12 points and senior guard Cam Palmer has been a solid all-around performer. Justin Suarez and Jordan Livingston also have been solid contributors.
“We’re a bit deeper than we have been the last couple of years,” Mullins said. “Some of the guys have come up from the jayvee and we haven’t missed a bear.”
The duals portion of the wrestling season is complete and the focus now turns to the battle for individual state championships.
Berkeley has four wrestlers in contention for the state tournament. All four are ranked in the top 12 in AAAAA in their weight class.
Hunter Drawdy is ranked 11th in the 285-pound class while Landon Jackson is ranked No. 8 at 215 pounds. Aiden President is ranked 10th at 190 and John Clarke is ranked 11th at 144 pounds.
