Pee Dee basketball teams both share region titles

Mullins – Both the boys and girls basketball teams for Pee Dee Academy have had tremendous

regular seasons. Now they want to see that carry over to their respective SCISA AAA state tournaments

scheduled to begin February 14-15.

The PDA girls carried a 16-4 overall record into the Region 3 tournament on February 10 after

going 7-1 in the regular season to share the title with Florence Christian School. The Golden Eagles also

went 7-1, sharing the boys region crown with Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach. They are 15-5

overall.

Pee Dee girls head coach Megan Thomas believes her squad is more than capable of performing

well at state.

“These girls are talented and have been playing basketball for years,” said Thomas, who has

seven seniors on the roster. “They work hard and want to win. This has been helpful with our success this

year. I believe that we have the capabilities to make a good run in the state tournament. We have to

continue to work hard and improve each day.”

Like Thomas, boys head coach Kyle Drew isn’t surprised with the Eagles’ success. He didn’t just

one-up her, he actually 2-upped her as he has nine seniors on his roster.

“I knew we had a chance to do this all along,” said Drew, who has been the PDA head coach for 12

years. "We’ve got nine seniors who play all three sports and they’re used to winning. They like to win and

they want to keep the boat afloat.”

Starters for the Pee Dee girls are Claire Eskridge, Claire Owens, Rebecca Hammond, Katie

Estes and Sydney King. Hammond is the team leader, averaging 19.5 points per game and 5.7 rebounds,

both team highs. She also averages 2.6 steals.

Owens averages 4.6 points, Eskridge 2.9. Estes 3.9 and King 1.2. Owens averages 4.9 rebounds

and 3.9 steals, Eskridge leads in assists at 2.6 to go with 2.6 steals, and Estes averages 4.1 rebounds and

2.6 steals.

The rest of the roster includes Madison Baxley, Sara Bethea, Caroline Elvington, Kyndal

Larymore, Meredith Lawwrimore, Nylee Jane Causey and Carly Carroll.

The boys team is led by 3-sport standout Colby Richardson. Along with signing to play college

baseball with Coastal Carolina and quarterbacking Pee Dee to a football state championship this year,

Richardson recently scored his 1,000th career point.

The other starters are seniors Miles Trussell, Jamison Rogers, Hayden Spivey and Bennett

Causey.

Key contributors off the bench are Ethan Carroll, Owen Turner and Miles Wiggins.

The rest of the roster includes Lucas Rogers, Tristan Heckman, Jesse Smith, Storm Garris

and Jake Rogers.

“We’re selfless,” Drew said. "This is such a defensive-minded group They’re willing to do things

others aren’t. I couldn’t ask for more execution from a team.

“We’ve just got to do what got us here. Do the little things; we’ve got o finish every detail, every

drill. We’ve got to do things others don’t like to do, and see where the chips fall at the end.”