The Gray Collegiate War Eagles girls varsity basketball team advanced to the SCHSL 2A state semifinal Tuesday night, defeating the Silver Bluff Bulldogs 60-30 at home. 

This was the third victory in Gray Collegiate’s road to a second consecutive SCHSL 2A state championship, following a first-round victory against Chesnee 68-14 and a second-round victory against Mid-Carolina 62-17. 

Silver Bluff’s playoff run comes to a close after victories against Eau Claire and Blacksburg. 

After a tight first quarter that ended 10-10, the War Eagles began to break away, going on a 9-0 run to begin the second quarter. Gray didn’t make a two-point field goal in the first frame, but that changed quickly in the second quarter when junior forward Kadence Walker-Lee got into the paint for an offensive rebound putback. 

The War Eagles kept momentum heading into halftime, leading 24-14. While Gray got outrebounded in the first half, the team did a much better job of taking care of the basketball, only recording two turnovers to Silver Bluff’s 13. 

Gray Collegiate continued to ride their momentum in the second half, going on an immediate 12-1 run out of the break. 

Junior guard Diamond Tatum and eighth-grade wing Raina Mayers hit big three-pointers during the run, and Walker-Lee corralled multiple offensive rebounds to score a pair of layups. Gray finished the third quarter leading 41-21.

The fourth quarter began with a beautiful skip past from the high post from junior forward Karlee Phelps to senior guard Jordan Mintz in the opposite corner. The War Eagles would cruise to victory from that point, finishing with a 60-30 victory over Silver Bluff. 

Gray Collegiate was backed by a strong showing from Walker-Lee, who finished with 18 points on 7-13 from the floor, while also knocking down four free throws. Walker-Lee, a three-year starter for Gray Collegiate, also tallied eight rebounds, with six coming on the offensive glass. 

“There’s so much that I can say about this kid,” head coach Brandon Wallace said. “There’s no better player in the state in our classification than her, I promise you.”

Gray Collegiate also got some solid contributions out of their backcourt of Tatum and Mintz, who each went for 10 points, while each knocking down two threes. Tatum also recorded five steals on the defensive end, making her presence felt. 

Phelps had one of the more well-rounded statistical efforts for the War Eagles, scoring eight points, two rebounds, five steals, three assists, and a pair of blocks. 

Most impressive for the War Eagles was their collective defensive effort, forcing 25 turnovers from the Bulldogs. The defensive in the 2-3 zone was suffocating the Silver Bluff offense the entire game, as they shot 11-34 as a team.

“I’m just proud of the way we defended,” Wallace said. “They’ve been working all year. Odds have been stacked against us, we had to figure out a schedule all season, but these kids are troopers and they stand tall. We’re playing well at the right time.”

The Gray Collegiate girls will continue their quest for a back-to-back state championship when they take on the Landrum Lady Cardinals in the SCHSL 2A state semifinals this Saturday.