PHOTOS: Mar 1st SCHSL BB Semi Finals - Blythewood vs JL Mann

Military Magnet Earns Their 4 th State Girl’s Basketball Championship In Five Seasons With A 59-40 Win Over Lee central In Class A Girl’s basketball By Billy G. Baker Publisher Florence —The Military Magnet girls won their fourth state basketball championship in five seasons with a dominating 59-40 win over Lee Central at the Florence Center on March, 6. Military Magnet head coach Nathaniel Taylor shared his thoughts after the game, “We picked up off the 2022-23 team today and I am very proud of my players,” said Coach Taylor. “I work with my players and once they tell me what they hope to achieve in basketball I feel like it is my duty to help them get there. “We have had success because our girls play with a lot of heart, desire and passion for the game,” said Coach Taylor. “North Charleson is a very gritty, tough place, so we are blue collar so our passion and desire is to be the very best we can be.” Coach Taylor said senior starters Dream Watson , Jada Davis , and Sabri Mitchell would be missed and they have been involved in the program for many years. “I would not say that we are rebuilding or reloading next season,” said Coach Taylor. “I would just say that we are maintaining.” Lee Central head coach Patrice Holmes is coaching at her alma mater where she helped the Stallions win a state title, while playing for two others in high school. “We must have had 30 turnovers and you are not going to beat many teams with that happening,” she said after the game. “Military had a very good press and it was hard to break at times,” said Coach Holmes. “It was great to see our fans come out and support us today and it would have been nice to have found a way to win the game. I love our fans. Lee Central is losing seven seniors. “This team has been four years in the making I am so proud of all of them and the hard work they put in,” said Coach Holmes. “Kiyonna Austin, Ke’Myra Dennis, and Hannah Reames are our senior starters and Janiya Slater and Kiana Hopkins are the first two off the bench. We will miss all of them.” Military Magnet led 19-14 after the first period and both teams stepped up their defense in the second quarter, won by MM 7-2. Giving the victors a 26-16 advantage at the break. The third quarter began with MM’s Da’Nariyah Williams scoring off of a steal and then moments later she converted a free throw to put her team up 29-18 with 7:07 left in the third period. Williams led all players in the game with 18 points and seven rebounds.  Lee Central’s first baskets of the third period came on back-to-back lay-ups by My’Keriyah Holmes and Serenity Williams that cut the deficit to 29-20 with 5:50 left in the third period. With 4:16 left in the third, Hannah Reames and Ke’Myra Dennis scored on close in shots to cut the deficit to 32-25, the closest the lady Stallions would come in the second half. MM went on an 11-2 run for the rest of the period to take a 43-27 lead into the final period. The run was led by Dream Watson who made a pair of free throws, and Williams who scored six points, her final score came with .02 left in the quarter as she was falling down. The final period was won by Military Magnet 16-13 and the six turnovers their defense forced on Lee Central in this quarter alone helped preserve their win. MM made the score 45-29 off of Williams’ two free throws to start the quarter. Mariah Brown scored all of her four points for the game in the final period and her put back shot with 3:38 to go gave MM a 49-36 lead. With 1:03 left MM scored their final points of the game on two free throws by senior Sabri Mitchell , a fitting way for her to close out a six-year career. In the final period Lee central continued to play hard with Serenity Williams fouling out at the 7:20 mark. The final two baskets scored by the Stallions came at the 2:29 mark by Holmes on a lay-up and Jiana Hopkins scored her team’s final points on a lay-up with 2:17 left in the game. For the game the top scorers for MM, other than Williams, were Dream Watson with 16 points, six steals, and three assists. Watson made 10-of-11 free throws. Mitchell scored 11 points and grabbed six rebounds. Lauren Willis Mariah Brown , and Jada Davis each contributed four points. For the game. MM converted 25 of 32 free throws and they forced strong defense forced over 20 turnovers, Lee Central was led in scoring by Kiyonna Austin with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Holmes had seven points, 9 rebounds, and five blocked shots. Reames, Janiya Slater , and Kiana Hopkins each had five points. Ke’Myra Dennis had four points and three steals and Serenity Williams contributed two points and four rebounds. Lee Central converted on 13- of -22 free throws.

Andrew Jackson To face Eau Claire In SCHSL AA Girl’s basketball Finals While High Point Academy Meets Atlantic Collegiate In AA Boy’s Action, In Div. II AAAAA the Berkeley Girl’s Confront Greenwood In The State Finals While The Goose Creek Boys Play Greenville In Div. II AAAAA By Billy G. Baker Publisher Florence —In Div. II AAAAA basketball action on Wednesday at the Florence Center the Berkeley girl’s defeated North Myrtle Beach, 67-32 to win the lower state title while in upper state action Greenwood came back from an early deficit to defeat Greenville in over-time 49-45. In the AAAAA Div. II boy’s lower state game at the same venue Goose Creek defeated Berkeley County rival Berkeley 58-45 to advance to the state finals. Later that day in upper state action Greenville rallied to defeat Fort Mill 46-44 in a game that went down to the wire. The Berkeley girls will now face Greenwood in the Florence Center at 4 p.m. on Saturday March, 8 while the Goose Creek boys will challenge the Greenville boys at 6.m the same day. Goose Creek defeated Greenville at home in a game played back in the early season. In semi-finals SCHSL AA action on Tuesday the Andrew Jackson girls advanced to the finals in SCHSL AA competition with a 96-33 win over Lake City and the Lady Volunteers will face-off against Eau Claire after their come-from-behind win over region foe Clinton , 41-30 to earn upper state AA girl’s honors. These two teams will compete for the AA girl’s state title at noon on March 8 in the Florence Center. In AA boy’s action on Tuesday, Atlantic Collegiate (from Conway) defeated the Andrew Jackson boy’s 45-40 in a highly competitive game to take lower state honors. In the upper state AA boy’s action High Point Academy defeated Cinderella Liberty High 62-41. Liberty came into the game with a record of 13-15 and the Red Devils had caught fire in the play-offs starting with a road win over number one seeded Fairfield Central to start the play-offs. On a side note, High Point is coached by Lee Sartor who won three state championships at Spartanburg Day where he coached former number one NBA pick Zion Williamson . Atlantic Collegiate will compete against High Point Academy in the AA boy’s finals at 2 p.m. on Saturday March, 8 at the same venue. Here are some random quotes from some of the winning coaches on Tuesday and Wednesday: Atlantic Collegiate boy’s coach Tanner Massey : “We get after it with game day practices and we practice hard to get ready to play in games,” he said. “We have six seniors and three of them start so we are a veteran team. Our senior starters are Jaylen Bellamy, Clayton Hemingway and Jamie Brooks and Brooks should be the AA Player of the Year.” High Point Academy’s Lee Sartor : “It is always an honor to get to this point in the season and I am so proud of my team, and so proud of our school,” said Coach Sartor. “We didn’t come here just to play in the upper state championship and win it. We came here to win a state championship. So, we have one more game and we are playing a very talented Atlantic Collegiate team and I know they will be ready and we will be ready.”  Eau Claire, head coached by Ashley Patterson - Gilmore , will be making their first state title appearance since 1998. “We are excited and I am over-whelmed right now,” she said after the big win. “The girls said when the season began, they wanted to go to Florence and compete for a state title. Their work ethic was there all season and now we have come here and we are going to the state finals and our school has not done this since 1998. We are focused on this next game and we are looking forward to the challenge of playing a very talented Andrew Jackson team.” Goose Creek head coach Blake Hall : “I asked the team just what do you want,” said Coach Hall. “Is winning the lower state what you want; is that enough? If you want more we have to play hard in one more game. Really, I think this game (win over Berkeley) was about stamina. Our guys have worked really hard and if your players have to have the will not to give in when you get tired on the court.” Greenville High head coach Mike Anderson: “I am just so proud of our guys and we have been knocking on the door for the past five years being in the game three different times. It was an absolute battle night. Fort Mill is really good and well coached and they controlled most of the game. We have a little bit of nerves early and we tried to clam everyone down. We told them to stay the course and that the game was for four quarters. The game came down to one play and they had a good shot but missed. We are just thankful to be playing one more game.” An emotional Berkely High head coach Crystle Peace after Berkeley’s win: “It’s been a 15- year journey and I am just thinking about my Mom right now (passed away in March, 2024),” said Coach Peace. “I am just thinking about my Mom. ”So many times I wanted to give up and she was there for me. I just feel her presence right now. I am so proud of our group, our coaching staff, and never giving up. Even when I played, we never got to this point so I am just thankful to God and God is so awesome.”

Day 2 - of the SCHSL Championships Games at The Florence Center: 4 games with 8 teams going for the gold! Friday, March 7 Class AAAA 2:00pm - Westside vs. North Augusta - Girls Class AAAA State Championship 4:00pm - Lancaster vs. North Augusta - Boys Class AAAA State Championship Class AAAAA, Div 1 6:00pm - Summerville vs.Bylthewood - Girls Class AAAAA, Div 1 State championship 8:00pm - Blythewood vs. Ridge View - Boyss Class AAAAA, Div 1 State Championship Tickets are available at the gate at The Florence Center for $15. . Gates open 1 hour before the first game. If you want to watch at home, the SCHSL announced coverage from stations in these markets on March 6th, 7th, and 8th : Asheville, NC / Greenville, SC WMYA (My40 Asheville-Greenville ) Columbia, SC WACH.2 – (TBD Network) – the network is called TBD Charleston, SC WCIV (MyTV Charleston) Myrtle Beach, SC Thursday – Friday: EPDE(CW21 Myrtle Beach) Saturday: HPDE (WPDE-4)

Fort Mill senior Noah Johnson at the three point line

Greenville junior Cameron Oliver driving for two more points.

Berkeley junior Donovan Green about make a fade away jump shot.

Berkeley junior Aiyanna Moses launches a three point shot.

Day 1 - of the SCHSL Championships Games: 4 games with 8 teams going for the gold! Thursday, March 6 2:00pm - Lee Central vs. Military Magnet - Girls Class A State Championship 4:00pm - Abbeville vs. Denmark Olar - Boys Class A State Championship  6:00pm - Dillon vs. Walhalla - Girls Class AAA State Championship 8:00pm - Powdersville vs. Keenan - Boyss Class AAA State Championship Tickets are available at the gate at The Florence Center for $15. . Gates open 1 hour before the first game. If you want to watch at home, the SCHSL announced coverage from stations in these markets on March 6th, 7th, and 8th : Asheville, NC / Greenville, SC WMYA (My40 Asheville-Greenville ) Columbia, SC WACH.2 – (TBD Network) – the network is called TBD Charleston, SC WCIV (MyTV Charleston) Myrtle Beach, SC Thursday – Friday: EPDE(CW21 Myrtle Beach) Saturday: HPDE (WPDE-4)

Photo from March 4th, the SCHSL AA Girls semi-final game between Lake City and Andrew Jack son . This sample of images, follow this link for the full gallery.