Laurens Academy girls basketball team has another successful season

Laurens – This was definitely going to be a season of change for the Laurens Academy girls

basketball team. The Lady Crusaders lost eight players from last year’s squad that reached the SCISA Class A state tournament semifinals. They also lost Class A, being bumped up to AA this season following

reclassification.

           One thing that hasn’t changed though is the program’s success. LA will carry a 17-7 overall record into the state tournament. It finished 4-0 in winning Region 4 and then won the region tournament.

           tt now awaits founding out its position in the state tournament. The first round of the girls tournaments for all of the classifications are set for February 14.

Despite the upheaval, head coach Jason Marlett isn’t surprised at any of this.

“We are confident and playing well headed into the end of our region season and the state

tournament,” Marlett said. “This team has played at a level I believed they could play at. We lost eight

players off of our Final Four team from a year ago. We do not "bring in"; players so all of our players have

come up through our program and attended our school together. 

“Although we are a younger team, they are excited to be competing and to carry on the legacy of

Lady Crusaders basketball at Laurens Academy."

Forward Madisyn Graham is the only returning starter from last year. The new starters are

Braydyn Dorn at center and Mackenzie Runyans, Sadie Bruyere and Braylee Burke at the guards.

 Runyans, Bruyere, Burke and Brooklyn Senn coming off the bench are all averaging over 5.0 points

per game. Graham and Burke are the leading rebounders.

“We have a number of players who can score on a given night,” Marlett said. “Also, Abby

Howard provides us with strong minutes off the bench at the forward/center position. Junior Taylor

Cagle has been a defensive spark for our team in games this year and also has the ability to knock down

outside shots.” 

Marlett said defense is the key component to this team’s success.

“Our defense is the strength of our team,” Marlett said. “We take pride in being difficult to play

against while we continue to try and improve our offensive skills.”

Marlett said Laurens tries to prepare itself for the state tournament by what it does from the first

day of practice.

“Our message is to continue to try and improve a little each day in practice,” he said. “We have

played an extremely strong non-region schedule against mostly teams that are in upper classifications of SCISA and SCHSL (South Carolina High School League), so I feel like we have also prepared for

tougher competition throughout the year.”