Seniors Paige Shelton, Krystal Judy lead Raiders

Larry Gamble Photo Editor, HSSR Photos from the SCISA Basketball Tournament, from the Hilton Head Christian vs Palmetto Christian girls in their elimination basketball game on Thursday. High resolution prints and digital downloads from this event are available at www.LarryGamble.com by clicking this link to the photos.

By Billy G. Baker Publisher Sumter — Those who think that basketball is a non-contact sport need only to be presented the facts in Clarendon Hall’s 55-51 over-time win over Dorchester Academy in the SCISA AA girls’ basketball semi-finals game to change your opinion. The Lady Saints avenged two earlier season losses to tradition rich Dorchester Academy at Wilson Hall on February, 22 to advance to the finals against defending champion Cathedral at 1 p.m. Saturday in the Sumter Civic Center . During this game the team’s combined to shoot 55 free-throws. Even the Ali-Frazier world championship boxing match, way back when, does not equal the aggressive physicality of the play in this game. (The game even featured an “upset grandfather” diving from his front row seat, towards a game official that had made a call a few feet from him, he didn’t like. The elderly gentlemen tripped to the floor and never made contact with the official, and of course, he was shown the door a few moments later.) Clarendon Hall’s head coach ( Johnny Horton ) missed the game due to having surgery and Jackie McIntosh filled in along with assistant Kylic Horton . The Saints started a different line-up for the first time in a while and they employed a man-to-man defense to start the game for the first time all season as well. After the game, Coach McIntosh told the HSSR, “We went with more of a defensive line-up, over an offensive starting line-up today, to show them something different having played and lost to them twice during the season,” said Coach McIntosh. “It was a solid game plan. “Sidney (Berry) had another phenomenal game for us today,” said Coach McIntosh. “This younger line-up gave us a little more speed on the court and the full man-to-man pressure slowed their offense at the start of the game. It was a hard-fought game and the ref’s let the team’s play on both sides of the ball and it was a battle the whole game. “It has been since the 1970’s that we had a girls’ basketball team play for a state championship at Clarendon Hall so we are excited for the team and our fans,” said Coach McIntosh. ”We lost to Cathedral twice during the season also but we closed the margin to six points the last time we played them.” The Saints led 22-11 after the first period as senior leader Sidney Berry scored 13 of her game high 26 points in the opening period. By half-time the Saints led 32-22 but DA came out with a strong defense in the third period to out-score CH 15-10 with the Saints taking a 42-37 lead into the final period. Berry hit a three-point shot to put CH up 45-39 with 5:57 to go in the game. DA’s Krystal Judy made a base-line shot to cut the deficit to 45-41 with 5:32 left and Paige Shelton putback a missed shot with 3:38 left to close the gap to 46-43. After CH’s Mandy Wells made a free-throw to put the Saints up 47-43 Judy made a clutch three-pointer from the deep elbow to pull her team to within one (47-46) with 3:04 left in regulation. CH missed two free throws with 1:10 left and then Maggie Harrington made a free throw with 1:22 left to put the Saints up 48-46. Shelton made a key lay-up with .04 left in the game for DA that sent the game into over-time. In over-time Ch scored first to go up 50-48 on Sidney Berry’s short jumper and with 3:00 left in the four-minute over-time Judy crashed the boards for a basket that tied the score. Ch then went to the free-throw line three times in a row, making only two of them, to lead 52-50 with 1:49 left in the game. Judy made a free-throw for DA to cut the deficit to 52-51, and then Berry made a free throw for CH to extend the Saints lead to 53-51 with 1:36 left. With 2.8 seconds left in the game Wells grabbed a rebound and then went cost-to-coast to score the final points for either team on a lay-up giving CH a hard-fought 55-51 win. DA was led in scoring by Judy with 16 points followed by Paige Shelton with 11. Freshman talent Rylee Weathers contributed 8 points and Emery McClure had five points followed by Rylee Matthews (4), Ebby Sosebee (3) and Palmer Kizer (2). Behind Berry’s 26 points, Wells had 10 points followed by Brook Corbett who contributed 9 points. Ashlee Berry had four points rounded out by Harrington (3), Macie McIntosh (2), and Zaree Pritcher . (1).

Dillon Christian, Riverpointe Christian advance with wins

Dorchester boys open 1-4 in region play

Raiders win first playoff game since 2013; nine wins most since 2011

Dorchester volleyball team reaches SCISA AA state tournament