Saluda HS vs Eau Claire HS

Saluda made the most of its make-up game with Eau Claire on Thursday evening as the defending 2A state champion Tigers traveled to the home of the Shamrocks and picked up a 44-33 victory. The victory means that Saluda remains one of two teams in Region 3-AA play without a blemish within said region with the other being the Eagles of Gray Collegiate. Thursday night’s game was a rematch of when the two teams met at Saluda – one where the Tigers earned a 57-55 victory on January 11. Saluda’s mark now stands at 9-1 while Eau Claire falls to 5-7. Prep Girls Hoops was on site at Eau Claire HS for Thursday night’s standalone contest. Here is a look at who came through with big games for their respective teams. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="246204" first="Kaylen" last="Nick"] – 2024 – Saluda HS</strong> – Kaylen has managed to make sure everything stays o-kay at Saluda. She is listed at 5-foot-9 and, as good as she already is, will only improve as she gains more experience at the high school level. Offensively, she stayed prepared to make plays and had a number of good looks near the rim. Nick also gets to the basket via a dribble drive and will draw contact which can put her at the free throw line. Opponents will have to look out for her as a defender as well. She led all scorers with 17 points. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-378434" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/IMG_6609-scaled-crop-2560x1681-1642733475-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>Shakira Jackson – 2022 – Eau Claire HS</strong> – Jackson stays in action. She was held mostly off the scoreboard throughout the game until crunch time in the fourth quarter – a frame where the Shamrocks entered trailing 32-23. Jackson can score from anywhere on the court – including from 3-point range as she drained a couple of triples in the fourth quarter. She will find lanes to the rim and her efforts could result in her absorbing contact which will place her at the free throw line. Jackson will make efficient passes in transition and will come from out of nowhere to come up with big defensive plays. Her defense also enables her to affect an opponent’s passing lanes. Jackson scored 12 points – eight in the fourth quarter. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-378439" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/IMG_6599-scaled-crop-2525x1658-1642733556-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="235395" first="Jessica" last="Means"] – 2023 – Saluda HS</strong> – Means was meaner than Eau Claire green on Thursday night. She had 21 points in the Tigers’ earlier victory over the Shamrocks on January 11. Means followed that up with a 15-point outing on Thursday night in a game where points were a bit more at a premium. She keeps her hands out on defense, will shoot midrange jumpers and can haul in rebounds. Means is a proficient distributor of the ball and will make things difficult for opposing offenses with her ability intercept passes and get out in transition for easy buckets. Means also plays volleyball at Saluda HS. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-378441" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/IMG_6607-scaled-crop-2318x1522-1642733740-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>Milaysha Chisholm – 2025 – Eau Claire HS</strong> – There are a few noteworthy freshman on coach Ashley Patterson-Gilmore’s Shamrocks squad that should give those who eat, sleep, live and breathe green and orange visions of a bright future. Chisholm is one of those 2025s. Chisholm came through big on Thursday night from deep as she made three of the team’s five made tries from downtown. Chisholm can play the role of either scorer or facilitator on offense and keeps her hands up as a defender. She will also get out in transition and showcases confidence in a midrange jump shot as well. One of the threes she made was near the end of the first quarter which gave the Shamrocks a 9-6 lead at the time. She scored nine points. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-378443" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/IMG_6550-scaled-crop-1941x1274-1642733877-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="245730" first="Mya" last="Carroll"] – 2022 – Saluda HS</strong> – In the January 11 game on the Tigers’ home floor, the preseason SCBCA 2A Top 5 senior selection tallied 23 points, hauled in five rebounds, compiled five steals, dished out four assists and had two blocked shots. Carroll finished with six points on Thursday night. She attacks the rim and will find ways to score. Carroll is a tough defender and will absorb contact which will place her at the free throw line. She also plays defense on the perimeter in addition to her being quick up the floor and displaying impressive ball-handling attributes. Carroll will also come through with tough shots. She also plays volleyball as well at Saluda. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-378446" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/01/IMG_6566-scaled-crop-2048x1345-1642733956-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="378764" first="Destinee" last="Tiller"] – 2025 – Eau Claire HS</strong> – Tiller is another one of the several standout freshmen that bodes well for the coming seasons of the Shamrocks’ girls basketball program. The team’s primary point guard who is listed at 5-foot-5, she is an accurate passer who also will come away with steals and go the other way with the rock. Tiller can bolster a team’s rebounding efforts – including coming up with offensive boards that can turn into putbacks for two more points. She finished with seven points – including six in the first half. Tiller scored 10 in the January 11 game with the Tigers and has also participated in track and field events throughout her athletic career.