WARDLAW GIRLS RALLY TO WIN SCISA CLASS A TITLE

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Sumter - Injuries get in the way of a team’s goals like no other factor in team sports; so when top ranked Northwood Academy (28-2) lost 2,000 career point scorer Jada Bates to a knee injury in the second quarter, of a highly competitive game against rival First Baptist , it certainly factored in the Hurricanes going on to win the SCISA AAAA girl’s state title 64-60. The Hurricane won their first state title since 1980. First Baptist head coach Presley Singleton , who had won two state titles at Northwood Academy earlier in her career, earned her third career state title with the win. With a 33-29 lead at the half, Coach Singleton, told her team at the break, “I told my team that Northwood does not go away and that Northwood plays hard for 32 minutes,” she said. “Do not think that they are going to roll over because they are not. “Things went back and forth in this game,” said Coach Singleton. “Our biggest key was that we stayed out of foul trouble. Foul trouble has been what has hurt us this season, especially with our interior players. “It helped us a little bit that the officials let both teams play and that helped us stay out of of four trouble,” said Coach Singleton. “Also, they had a very good player get hurt and that was unfortunate. “We have seven players who either play travel ball, or live in the gym and that makes a difference also,” said Coach Singleton. “We were hungry coming into this game after we were upset last season. This team really wanted it.” First Baptist was led in scoring by soph Maddy Pojani who led all scorers with 22 points. “Pojani has a bright future ahead of her,” said Coach Singleton. “She is just a great player who is in the gym all the time.” Coach Singleton said she stressed to her team how difficult it was for any team to beat5 a team three times in one season. (First Baptist had lost to Northwood twice this season.) “It is hard to beat a team three times in one season and I told my kids this very thing,” said Coach Singleton. “It’s hard to beat a team three times in one season. We went with a completely different game plan, then in our two other games with them this season. “It helped us a little bit that the officials let both teams play wide open, and that helped us stay out of foul trouble,” said Coach Singleton. “Also, they had a very good player who got hurt and that was unbfortuante. “We have seven kids who either play travel ball, or live in the gym all the time, and it makes a difference in your program to have committed players,” said Coach Singleton. “We were into this game hungry. We got upset last year and we came this season very hungry and we wanted this game really bad.” Northwood Academy head coach Ginnell Curtis was obviously disappointed in the loss and the injuries to two of her better players. “When you lose a player like Jada Bates who was our second leading scorer, and second in steals, it changes your game plan for sure,” said Coach Curtis. “I just hate that she got hurt for her own well-being. “When she went down, we picked each other up,” said Coach Curtius. “We could have folded at the time we kept playing hard. We also had our number four ( Kylee Clarke ) who played with a braced up torn mimesis, and she had flu-like symptoms all day, and she played off her tail off too. “I feel like the refs were one-sided but that is a story for another day,” said Coach Curtis. “I am so proud of my girls for pushing through despite the adversity. Everybody in the gym knew who was the better team but we were just unlucky tonight.”  Northwood Academy, despite the set-back from the injuries, had ever opportunity to win the game, and the Chargers tied the score at 60 with 1:56 left in the game on a free throw by Alyvia Tocco . “We had our chances late in the game, but we just did not value our possessions that gave us a chance to win had we converted,” said Curtis. “We should have been more patient.” When Bates went down, she had already scored 13 points in the game. Junior guard Maliyah Birch , the leading scorer on the team at 20 points a game, stepped up her game, dribbling through double teams with the skill of a: globe trotter” while finishing with 20 points on several key shots in the second half. “Maliyah has been playing in state championship games since the 8 th grade,” said Coach Curtis. “She knew she had to step it up when Bates left with the injury. “I felt like we deserved to win the championship based on our body of work all season,” said Coach Curtis. “Life can deal you unexpected things and you just have to deal with it under the circumstances. I am so proud of our team putting it all on the line tonight when one of our top players left the game with an injury in the second period. “Our goal will always be to win the state championship,” said Coach Curtis. “We’ll be back next season.” Northwood Academy will lose Bates and Tocco to graduation so they return three starters that should put them in a position to make a run next year also. Prior to the championship their lone loss this season was to the highly regarded Bolles School from Jacksonville, Florida. During the season Northwood played one of the toughest schedules of any team in the state claiming wins over Berkeley , Wando , Keenan , Bishop England , Oceanside Collegiate , Ashley Ridge and Stratford . Some of these teams will be playing for state titles in the SCHSL next week. First Baptist began the game playing very loose as they built a 21-12 first quarter lead. Northwood came back and played stronger in the second period to trail 33-29 at the break. At the half, First Baptist was led in scoring by Pojani with 9 points and senior forward Ellie Blitch had 8 points followed by junior guard Gabby Moore and senior guard Paige Pouyat with five each. At the break Bates had 13 points for the Chargers followed by senior Isabella Heaton with 8 points and Birch had three points. Birch scored 17 second half points to help keep the Chargers in the game. The third quarter was fast paced and First Baptist went into the final period up by only one, 46-45. In the final period the lead changed hands several times and the game was last tied at 60 with 1:56 left in the contest. First Baptist scored the final four points of the game at the free throw line. Pojani’s 22 points for First Baptist was followed up by Blitch (12), senior Clemson signee 6-6 Dyarri Braddick (10), Moore (9) and Pouyat (8). Braddick had several blocks in the paint during the game also. Northwood was led by solid prospect Birch (20), Bates (13), Heaton (12), and Tocco (7). Clarke and Lauren Cosman each had four points. The SCISA girl’s AAAA all-tournament team consisted of Braddick, Moore, and Pojani of First Northwood was represented by Birch and Bates. The final member of the team was Lauren Majurkiewicz of John Paul II .

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Sumter —The land-mark coaching orbit of Pinewood Prep boys’ basketball head coach Pat Eidson keeps getting closer to 1,000 career wins, as the Panthers (27-6) capped off the 2025-26 season with a SCISA AAAA state championship over Heathwood Hall (61-49) at the Sumter Civic Center on February, 27. The Panthers only led 20-18 at the half against the Highlanders, and Coach Eidson, and his staff made some key adjustments at the half. “At halftime, we decided to speed the game up with a more up-tempo offense and to press a little more to try and force turnovers,” said Coach Eidson, who became the state’s all-time wins leader with over 944 career wins at the mid-point of last season. Coach Eidson will enter the 2026-27 season needing around 20 wins to hit the 1,000-career win mark. “We were successful with these adjustments and it ended up being the difference in the game,” said Coach Eidson. “They were basically the same team we saw early in the season. They did all the stuff we expected them to. “This state championship is really sweet,” said Coach Eidson. “As you get older, you learn to appreciate it a whole lot more. I know the amount of effort and work that went into this season so I can appreciate it. Returning all five starters this season, I knew we had a chance to be pretty good and we were. “I’m really happy for the kids, especially the seniors,” said Coach Eidson. “ Jayden Alexander and Jonathan Slawson are senior starters who have done a great job for us and Bralon Blackwell made contributions coming off the bench. “I said all season that this team had Potential to win a state title, and tonight we played up to that potential,” said Coach Eidson. “It was one of our better second halves all season.” Over-all, Coach Eidson has now won 12 state titles in his historic coaching career with 9 of these titles coming at Pinewood Prep. “It has been 15 years, or so since we won out last state title so it feels great to finally get another one for our players, fans and the school,” he said. “We are already looking forward to next season.” Heathwood Hall (21-8) head coach Brian Benator was proud of his team for all of their hard work also. “We had a stretch tonight where we struggled to make some shots and they had a stretch where they hit a couple three’s to go up on us 8 to 10 points,” said Coach Benator. “They also put more pressure defense on us in the second half and that helped them get several transition baskets. “The lid was on the rim tonight against us,” said Coach Benator. “We just had some problems making shots tonight. “We came into the game off a great week of practice and focus,” said Coach Benator. “I felt like we came in ready to play tonight. Our guys have been motivated all season and we had not lost a game since January, 3 rd . “I am proud of the effort of our team tonight and we’ll be back next season,” concluded the coach. Pinewood Prep was led on the scoring index by 6-3 junior forward Tre Green who had 24 points and 6-7 junior forward Kais Parris who had 18 points. Also, 6-8 junior center Tripp Eidson had 12 points and directed the defense from the top of the paint all game. Eidson had a monster dunk, off of a steal, with 3:2 left in the game that extended the Panthers lead to 51-39 at the time. Slawson contributed five points and Jayden Alexander closed out the scoring with two points. With the return of Green, Parris and Eidson to the team next season expect the Panthers to be favored to repeat next season. Heathwood Hall was led on offense by 8 th grader Jackson Dickerson with 10 points followed by senior guard Deuce Claxton and soph Hunter Colins with 9 points each. Senior forward Xander Pertile contributed 8 points and senior Ryan Pfister , soph Peyton Souter , and junior Keon McKinley each scored two points. Heathwood Hall led 14-11 after the first period. However, the Panthers rallied to lead 20-18 at the half. The pace picked up in the third period when the Panthers outscored Heathwood 18-14 to take a 38-32 lead into the final period. The SCISA AAAA boys all-tournament team was represented by Zy Dennis of Laurence Manning , along Chip Ravenell and Keon McKinley from Heathwood Hall. Pinewood Prep was represented by Green, Parris,

Bengals' Chase Thomas scores 29 in 60-54 win

Patriots were trailing by 16 points before coming back for 43-39 triumph over Richard Winn

Friday games were exciting games at the Sumter Civic Center with Wardlaw fighting back to win the Girls 1A state title, then First Baptist and Pinewood Prep toughing it out to claim the 4A Girls and Boys state titles. 

Game roundups, state championship schedule and scores and brackets available

Some highlights of the SCISA basketball tournament action going on at the Sumter Civic Center on Feb 26th.

Championship games set for Friday at Sumter County Civic Center

View Thursday's schedule, Tuesday quarterfinal roundup and updated brackets