Third time the charm for Holly Hill against Jefferson Davis in SCISA Class A state tournament

          Sumter – The Holly Hill Academy girls basketball team met Jefferson Davis Academy twice during the regular season, losing both times. HHA lost 30-24 in mid-December and 54-41 in mid-January.

         Their third meeting came around in mid-February on Friday, February 14, in the quarterfinals of the SCISA Class A state tournament, and Holly Hill was ready this go-around.

         HHA took control of the game early and never let JDA wrestle the momentum away, going on to a 40-27 victory at Wilson Hall’s Nash Student Center. The win sends it into a semifinal game on Tuesday against Curtis Baptist, the No. 1 team in the High School Sports Report Class A poll.

         “The difference was those girls played tonight,” said Holly Hill head coach Heath Prescott. “The first time early in the season we were still trying to gel. We didn’t have a complete team yet.

         “The second time they ran a box-in-one defense on our No. 2 (Prescott’s daughter Milly Kate Prescott), our leading scorer. We just didn’t seem like we knew what to do. This time we had already repped that because we had multiple other teams run that against us, so we were ready for it.”

         Prescott still managed 14 points to go with six assists for HHA, which improved to 5-14 on the season. Kaley Bell added a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. Holly Hill got its other 16 points from its two post players. Caitlyn Crisp finished with nine and Chloe Wren had seven,.

         “That was the big dierence for us rom the other two games; our inside players scored,” Coach Prescott said. “We didn’t get much of anything inside the first two games. Tonight we did.”

         Jefferson Davis, which finished with a 7-12 record, led by the scores of 2-0 and 3-2. However, when Prescott and Bell hit consecutive 3-point baskets and Crisp hit a layup, that made it 10-3 with 2:40 left in the first quarter. Jefferson Davis never really got back in the game after that.

         It did cut the lead to 10-7 on a basket by Riley Williams at the end of the first quarter and a layup by Rynn Fickling to begin the second stanza. Prescott and Bell both hit treys to key a 10-0 run that made it 20-7 with 4:32 left in the first haff.

         Holly Hill pushed the lead to 25-9 at halftime. JDA scored the first five points of the third quarter to make it 25-14, but it misse several opportunitites to put a real dent in the deficit. Whether behind the 3-point line, at the free throw line or under the basket, Jefferson Davis just struggled immensely at shooting the basketball.

         “Basically we really just didn’t get shots to fall,” said JDA head coach Larry Johnson, whose team hit only six of 20 free throw attempts. “We put them up and we had several that looked like they were going in, but they rattled out just about every time. We just didn’t shoot well.”

         Jefferson Davis managed to pull within 10 at 29-19 in the first minute of the fourth quarter, but could get no closer.

         Williams led JDA with 14 points while Abby Deering and Peyton Hutto  both ha four. Fickling had three and Rileigh York finished with two.

"I think we ended up having a pretty good year," Johnson said. "I felt like we made improvements as the season went on."

         Holly Hill lost to 17-5 Curtis Baptist 66-29 a few weeks ago. Coach Prescott challenged his team to play its best on Tuesday.

         “I told the girls we’ve already played Curtis Baptist at Curtis Baptist, so we know what to expect,” he said. “They’re the No. 1 team, but we just have to go out there and play as hard as we can and see what happens.”

         Richard Winn won the other quarterfinal game on Friday, beating Mead Hall 56-21. The Eagles will take on Wardlaw in the other semifinal game on Tuesday.

         GIRLS FIRST-ROUND ROUNDUP

         Andrew Jackson 34

         Conway Christian 33

         Sumter – Conway Christian School  trailed by 12 points entering the fourth quarter and almost pulled off a miracle comeback. Instead, the Eagles ended up losing to Andrew Jackson Academy 34-33 in the firt round of the SCISA AA state tournament at Nash Student Center.

         AJA took a 28-16 lead into the final quarter but had to hold on to dear life for the win. In fact, the Eagles had a chance to tie the game and force overtime as Emily Gaston was at the free throw line trailing 34-32 with 3/10ths of a second left. Gaston hit the first but missed the second.

         Bella Carrigg  led the 12-11 Warriors with 11 points. Kinslie Carson and Ryleigh Trivette both had eight and McKinnley Beard had six.

         Sophia Hill led 4-11 Conway Christian with 14 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter. Grace Polatty finished with eight.

         Andrew Jackson faces Dorchester in a quarterfinal game on Monday at Cardinal Newman in Columbia beginning at 3:30 p.m.

Shannon Forest 31

Colleton Prep 29

            Sumter – First Presbyterian of Shannon Forest held on to beat Colleton Prep Academy 31-29 in the first round of the AAA state tournament at Nash Student Center.

Peyton Thompson led 14-7 First Presbyterian with 17 points.  Bryson McGrath had eight, and Aubrey Glenn added four.

Anne Hatcher White led 17-10 CPA with 14 points. Millie Drew had seven, and Shelby Baker had four.

First Presbyterian will take on Pee Dee Academy in a quarterfinal game on Monday at 6:30 p.m. at Orangeburg Prep.

Patrick Henry 56

Spartanburg Day 39

         Sumter – Emilee Stanley  scored 18 points to lead four Patrick Henry Academy  players in double figures in a 56-39 victory over Spartanburgh Day in the first round of the AAA state tournament at Nash Student Center.

         PHA, whicih improved to 14-7, is scheduled to take on Spartanburg Christian  in a quarterfinal game on Monday at Orangeburg Prep beginning at 5 p.m.

         After Stanley’s 18 points were three players with 11 – Lillian Lucas, Laney Futch and Mills Lucas. Futch had nine rebounds, four assists and three steals, while Lillian lucas had eight rebounds and five assists.

         Augusta Christian 52

         Wilson Hall 35

         Columbia – Augusta Christian School led 12-7 after one quarter and never looked back as it rolled to a 52-35 victory over Wilson Hall  in the first round of the AAAA state tournament at Cardinal Newman.

         ACS is scheuleded to take on First Baptist  on Monday in a quarterfinal game.

         Augusta Chroistian, which improved to 16-14, pushed its lead to 28-16 at halftime and 44-29 through three quarters.

Makenna Ellis led ACS with 28 points. Avery Schwartz  had seven, Taylor Booker six and Sophia Carter four.

         Logan Mims paced the 9-17 Lady Barons with 17 points. Ella Sill had seven, Caroline Moorman five and Lilly Grace Pryzbyla four.

         Florence Christian 36

         Calhoun Academy 21

         Sumter  – Florence Christian School expanded its lead over the first three quarters on the way to a 36-21 win over Calhoun Academy in a AAA state tournament first-round game at Sumter County Civic Center.

         The 15-9 Eagles will take on Hilton Head Prep on Monday at 3:30 p.m. in a quarterfinal game at Orangeburg Prep.

         FCS led 12-4 after one quarter, 23-9 at halftime and 32-15 entering the final stanza.

         Demi Greene led Florence Christian with 13 points, while Emerson Poston had nine. Bailey Johnson added six and Anna Kate Huggins  five.

         Natalie Porth had six to lead 10-18 Calhoun. Natalie Quattlebaum, Layla Walker  and Ella Jane Stickles each had four.

Northside Christian 74

Laurence Manning 41

         Columbia  – Northside Christian Academy scored 51 points in the first half as it rolled to a 74-41 win over Laurence Manning Academy in the first round of the AAAA state tournament at Cardinal Newman.

         The Crusaders, who improved to 23-2 on the season, led 23-13 after one quarter. They outscored LMA 28-7 in the second quarter to open at 51-20 halftime advantage.

         Campbell Childers  led NCA with 23 points. Evie Godfrey had 14, Chaelyn Tifre  12, Riah Beckwith nine and Kaleigh Howell seven.

         Ashley Rae Hodge led the Lady ‘Cats, who finished 14-12, with 14 points. Lyza Pricklemyer had seven, Sarah Margaret Ferriell  five and Laini Koinski and Jessica Griffith both had four.

          Northside Christian will take on Northwood in a quarterinal game on Monday. Northwood beat Cardinal Newman in a first-round game.

         Greenwood Christian 50

         Thomas Sumter 46

         Columbia – Greenwood Christian School outscored Thomas Sumter Academy  19-11 in the fourth quarter to pick up a 50-46 victory in the first round of the AAA state tournament at Cardinal Newman.

         TSA, which finished 9-9, led 35-31 entering the final stanza.

         Emma Hudgens led 13-6 GCS with 15 points, while Anna Claire Watkins had 10. Kenadre Slay  and Audrey Federe both had nine, and Natalie Gilbert  had six.

         Malayia English led the Lady Generals with 23 points. Annabell Connell had eight, Natalie Saphore six, Chloe Lewis  five and Anna Bell four.

Greenwood Chrisian will take on Orangeburg Prep on Monday at 8 p.m. at OP.

.       First Baptist 68

         Hilton Head Christian 19

         North Charleston – Hilton Head Christian Academy saw its run of consecutive state championships come to an end at six with a 68-19 loss to First Baptist in the first round of the AAAA state tournament at Cathedral Academy.

         The Eagles had won the last two AAA titles and four straight AA crowns prior to that. They finished 4-18 while the Hurricanes improved to 27-2.

First Baptist will take on Augusta Christian in a quarterfinal game on Monday.