Wilson Hall boys hope for success in SCISA AAAA state tournament

Sumter  – After a strong regular season, the Wilson Hall boys basketball team hopes more

success awaits it in the SCISA AAAA state tournament.

“I think we’ve done a good job,” said Barons head coach Rip Ripley, whose team is 19-9 overall

after finishing 8-2 and in a tie for first place in Region 3. “We had a little slow start because the football

team played for the state championship. While we always want that to happen, it does make it harder to

get basketball going.

“The bumps and bruises from football challenge us a little bit. Things balance out in the long run,

and I think we’re in a good spot right now.”

Wilson Hall is led by the senior duo of 6-foot-7-inch Hugh Humphries and 6-3 Sean Michael

Matthews. Both scored their 1,000th career point this season.

Humphries is averaging 14.8 points per game, 8.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocked shots, all team highs.

Matthews is averaging 12.5 points and 5.9 rebounds to go with a team high 3.6 assists.

Ford Wilder, a 6-3 junior, is averaging 14.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists. Seniors Knox

Buxton and Micchael Lauzon are the other starters. Buxton is averaging .9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and

2.4 assists, while Lauzon averages 6.3 points.

Another senior, Thomas Creech, provides big minutes off the bench. “He’s like our sixth man,”

Ripley said. “He’s a lockdown defensive guy who provides toughness.”

Sophomores Caulder Williamson and Eric Brown are part of the rotation.

LADY BARONS HOPING FOR PLAHOFF BERTH

The Wilson Hall girls basketball team finished the regular season with a 9-16 overall record while

going 4-4 in region play. Now the Lady Barons are awaiting their fates in regard to the state tournament.

Veteran head coach Glen Rector has been pleased with WH’s performance.

“We knew we were going to be extremely young and that was before our senior point guard,

Emma Howle, tore her ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) in December,” Rector said. “We ended up

starting one senior, one sophomore, two freshmen and one eighth-grader/”

Senior Logan Mims led the Lady Barons in both scoring and rebounding with per-game averages

14.7 points and 7.9 rebounds. “Logan is overall a tremendous leader for this this team,” Rector said.

Sophomore Caroline Moorman took over at the point and averaged around five points a game.

Freshman forward Lilly Grace Pryzbyla averaged 7.0 points while freshman Grace McArthur started in

the post.

The eighth-grader is Emmie Williamson, who Rector called his “best on-ball defender.”

The other members of the team are senior Lucy Buxton, junior Ella Still, sophomores Madelynn

Davis and Bee Smith and freshman Ellis Coker.

“Offensively we’ve seen a lot of improvement,” Rector said. “Shooting, ball handling. looking

for shots, executing he offense, all of that has improved.”