FRIDAY'S HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS - Lady Wildcats headed to 3rd round

Lexington will play host to James Island Monday for berth in Lower State finals.

Thomas Grant Jr.
chroniclesports@yahoo.com
Posted 2/15/19

For just the 3rd time in 21 years, the Lexington girls' basketball team is headed to the 3rd round of the playoffs.

Friday's 35-29 win over Wando not only put the 7th ranked Lady Wildcats a …

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FRIDAY'S HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYOFFS - Lady Wildcats headed to 3rd round

Lexington will play host to James Island Monday for berth in Lower State finals.

Posted

For just the 3rd time in 21 years, the Lexington girls' basketball team is headed to the 3rd round of the playoffs.
Friday's 35-29 win over Wando not only put the 7th ranked Lady Wildcats a victory shy of the Class 5A Lower State finals. With James Island's 34-26 upset over top-seed Socastee, the senior players will get a final home game Monday at Wildcat Gymnasium.
"I didn't want to ride," said head coach Molly Goodrich about the prospect of a trip to Myrtle Beach. "I don't like bus rides. So, riding 3 hours, I don't like that. So, I'm proud of the girls to pull this out and have another home game. I'm just very excited." 
After receiving pre-game recognition for becoming the school's first-ever Class 5A girls' Player of the Year, senior Olivia Thompson willed her team to victory with 26 points. 
In moving 5 points shy of 1,900 career points, the University of South Carolina commit accounted for 15 points in the first half as Lexington led as many as 10 points. Aside from Thompson, the Lady Wildcats struggled from the field and at the free-throw line where they finished 7-18. 
"Shooting-wise, we couldn't have shot any worst than we did,"said Goodrich, who also led Lexington to the 3rd round in 2016. "I thought the girls held their composure. You could tell that they were pressing out there, but they stayed with my gameplan."
A 3-pointer by Thompson early in the second half gave Lexington a 22-15 lead. It was the team's only points of the third quarter as Wando scored 7 unanswered points to tie the game at 22-22.
After Thompson opened the 4th quarter with a twisting layup, Rena Mamaccini hit a 3-pointer from the corner to give Wando the 25-24 advantage. A putback layup by J. DeMario extended the Lady Warriors' lead to 27-24. 
Lexington answered with a layup by Hannah Kumiyama and free throws by Faulks and Thompson put the Lady Wildcats ahead 30-27 with 2:54 remaining.
The Lady Warriors got within 2 points, but Lexington's defense forced two turnovers. The latter off a Kumiyama steal lead to a Thompson layup with 32 seconds left to make it 33-29. 
Thompson hit 2 more free throws to with 8.9 seconds left to close out the scoring. 

"I tried to stay as relaxed as I could," Thompson said. "It was a high intensity game. There was a lot happening and a lot going on and a lot of emotions. So, I just tried to calm everyone down the best I could and put the ball in the basket." 

Gray Collegiate 49, Barnwell 44

For the 1st time in school history, the Lady War Eagles (21-6) will advance to the 3rd round of the Class 2A playoffs.

They will play host to East Clarendon at home for a berth in the Class 2A Lower State finals on Feb. 22 at the Florence Civic Center. 

Goose Creek 51, Dutch Fork 20

The Lady Silver Foxes' season ended with a loss at the top-ranked Lady Gators. 

SATURDAY'S BOYS PLAYOFF GAMES

Northside Christian vs. Spartanburg Christian (at Heathwood Hall) 3:30 p.m. 

Goose Creek at Lexington 5 p.m. 

Gray Collegiate vs. Whale Branch at Allen University 6 p.m. 

River Bluff at Berkeley 7 p.m. 

Irmo at Dorman 7 p.m.


 

Thompson, Goodrich, Kumiyama

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