Blythewood holds off JL Mann to head to their first state championship game
Blythewood junior, Chase Thomas shots from the top of the key.
By Neill Kirkpatrick
Special to the HSSR
Florence – After JL Mann’s Jade Hailstock gave the Lady Patriots their first lead of Saturday afternoon’s AAAAA upper state girls final with a three as time was running out in the third quarter, Blythwood’s Sherron Waters took the ensuing inbounds pass and then took a couple of dribbles before launching a shot from beyond half court as time expired that found nothing but net and gave the Lady Bengals a 49-47 lead that would never relinquish as they punished their ticket to their first state championship game with a 64-59 win.
“Definitely a big day for the program. I am very proud of the girls. The way they fought through the adversity they faced in the third quarter ,” second-year head coach Emily Schaeffer. “We talk about adversity, day in and day out at practice and how we’ve got to handle it and we did right there.”
The Lady Bengals (27-2) will be back in Florence on Friday to battle the Lady Green Wave of Summerville (24-3). Summerville will also be seeking their first state championship. They have finished runner-up on five other occasions.
The Lady Patriots finished their year at 21-7. They were seeking their first trip back to the state finals since they won three consecutive AAA titles (06, 07, 08).
“We played hard and keep fighting all game. I am proud of the effort the girls gave all game. They just made a few more plays at the end of the game,” said JL Mann head coach Lamont Wakefield.
Blythewood started the game off hot from the three-point line as they jumped out to a 9-0 lead on two three’s by Daniella Bosmans and one by Waters. JL Mann’s Wakefield called a time out after 44 seconds of play.
The timeout helped settled his girls down as Hailstock scored the next four for the Lady Patriots but the Lady Bengal’s remained hot from behind the arc as Waters hit another and Chase Thomas added a three of her own and then converted a three the old fashion way as the first quarter ended with Blythewood up 20-8.
The second quarter started the same way the game did as the Lady Bengals scored the first five points to push their lead to 25-8 as India Williams got on the board for the Lady Bengals with a short jumper and a three.
The Lady Patriots countered with a 7-0 run as Olivia McKinney and Imari Richardson got on the scoreboard. Mckinney hit the Lady Patriot’s first three of the game during the mini run. The lead was cut to 10 at 25-15 when Blythewood coach Schaeffer called a time out.
Out of the timeout Williams hit another three to stop that run but the Lady Patriots went on another run to cut the lead to six at 31-25 with 2:39 to go in the quarter. McKinney and Hailstock keyed the run scoring all 10 points.
Blythewood would get back into their offensive groove as Thomas went 4 for 4 from the line and Wiliams hit the Lady Bengals eighth three of the first half. The teams headed to the locker room with the Lady Bengals up 37-28.
The third quarter saw the Lady Patriots steadily cut into the lead as Hailstock started to take over the game as she hit two threes and scored 10 points and controlled the game from her point guard position. Her final basket of the quarter gave the Lady Patriots their first and only lead of the game at 47-46 but that was short lived as Waters would nail the shot from beyond half court to put the Lady Bengals back on top 49-47.
Hayley Hightower was big for the Lady Bengals in the fourth quarter scoring five of her eight points to help the fight off the Lady Patriots rally.
JL Mann cut the lead to three twice in the fourth quarter but both times they missed lay ups that could have cut the lead to one. The Lady Bengals would answer every time and they finally closed out the Lady Patriots 64-59.
The Lady Patriots were led by Hailstock, who had a game high 24 points and McKinney chipped in with 15 points and hit three of the Lady Patriots four three pointers on the night.
The Lady Bengals hit 11 three-pointers on the night with Waters connecting on four and Thomas, Williams and Bosmans had two apiece. Thomas scored a team high 22 points while Waters and Williams each scored 14.
