Thomas Sumter girls basketball team young and improving

Dalzell – The Thomas Sumter Academy girls basketball team was off to a 2-3 start under head

coach Cedric Rembert. However, looks can be deceiving.

“We look better than our record shows and have already improved so much this season,” said

Lady Generals assistant coach Kristin Connell. “We just have to learn how to finish games as a team,

teach our new ones the system, and stay injury-free.

"We are young, but we are looking forward to a strong second half of the season. It is a great group

of girls who are committed to improving their skills and working together as a team.”

TSA returns three starters in sophomore Malayia English, junior Ronia Sanders and junior

Anna Bell. The offense revolves around English, who is averaging 27.0 points per game to go with 6.3

rebounds.

Bell is averaging 5.0 points and 5.0 rebounds to go with a team high 2.4 blocked shots. She’s also

averaging 1.4 steals. Sanders is averaging 3.6 points and 2.6 rebounds.

The other two starters are sophomore Kendal Lucas and freshman Natalie Saphore. Lucas is

averaging 2.6 points, while Saphore is scoring at a 4.2 clip to go with a 4.8 rebounding average.

Other members of the team are senior Anna Luzzi, senior Sylvia Burrows, junior Chloe Isaac,

sophomore LilaKate Stines, freshman Eden Stokes, freshman Annabelle Connell and eighth-grader

Libby Leagones.

]We have had a few early-season injuries, but thankfully they were minor,” said Coach Connell.

“Our newcomers are going to be great additions this season, and we expect them to contribute to our

success in the future.”

HILL, BLACK-CINTRON FOOTBALL ALL-REGION PICKS

Thomas Sumter had two football players selected to the All-Region 2-AA football team. They

were defensive back Carter Hill and offensive lineman Ryan Black-Cintron.

Hill, a junior, had 51 tackles, one tackle for a loss, a team high two interceptions, four passes

defended and one blocked field goal. Offensively, Hill rushed for 186 yards and three touchdowns on 44

carries while catching nine passes for 96 yards. On special teams, Hill had 257 yards on kickoff returns

and returned one punt for 21 yards.

Black-Cintron started on both lines for the Generals. On the defensive front, Black-Cintron had

29 tackles, five tackles for loss and one quarterback sack.

Thomas Sumter finished the season with a 1-8 record in its first season under head coach Stacy

Bell.