Region 3-A: Wagener-Salley HS vs Ridge Spring-Monetta HS
If one may have noticed throughout the weekend peering at the brackets on the SCHSL website that not all of them were finished – there was a reason for that. That is because several matchups among playoff teams occurred on…
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Continue ReadingIf one may have noticed throughout the weekend peering at the brackets on the SCHSL website that not all of them were finished – there was a reason for that.
That is because several matchups among playoff teams occurred on Valentine’s Day to decide where those teams would begin their playoffs.
One of those was a neutral site matchup between Ridge Spring-Monetta and Wagener-Salley from the Region 3-A ranks. The result was the Trojans defeating the War Eagles by a final score of 52-27.
Prep Girls Hoops was on site for the Valentine’s Day contest. Here are some notes and takeaways from Trojans vs. War Eagles.
Flurry in the Fourth
Ridge Spring-Monetta and Wagener-Salley battled each other to what was a close contest throughout three quarters. The Trojans had a 33-22 lead heading into the fourth quarter and it was a closing stanza dominated by coach Gail Johnson’s Ridge Spring-Monetta team.
The Trojans outscored Wagener-Salley by a margin of 20-5 in the final frame, en route to the lopsided Ridge Spring-Monetta victory.
Neutral Site
With the game being a tiebreaker, Ridge Spring-Monetta and Wagener-Salley had its get-together at North HS – another Region 3-A school.
Thin Benches
Both the War Eagles and Trojans needed to get plenty of productive minutes throughout the game given the status of both benches. At the outset of the game, Ridge Spring-Monetta only had two available bench players and the same turned out to be true for Wagener-Salley.
Primetime Performers
Meleah Jones Meleah Jones 5'7" | CG Ridge Spring-Monetta | 2022 State SC concluded her evening with a game-high 33 points. Among those 33 were 16 in the fourth quarter that went a long way in sealing Monday night’s contest for the Trojans. Ridge Spring-Monetta collectively scored 20 points in the fourth quarter – only four did not come from Jones’ hands. Jones will find a way to the basket – even without the ball in her hands, will shoot 3-pointers, attract double teams and delivers hustle plays.
Another one of the Ridge Spring-Monetta seniors was looking to establish herself early. Mikenzie Kinard Mikenzie Kinard 5'11" | C Ridge Spring-Monetta | 2022 State SC finished with nine points – including seven that she scored in the first quarter. At a tall 5-foot-11, Kinard works hard near the rim to put up points with her offensive rebounding and attitude to never give up on a play. She will also play tough defense.
Allie Davis (2024) led the way for coach Robert Frederick’s Wagener-Salley team with 14 points. She is versatile as she can play either in the frontcourt as a big or backcourt as a guard. She can score from anywhere on the floor – near the rim, midrange, from behind the arc or at the free throw line. Davis also displays impressive handles and remains active away from the ball.
Up Next
The first round of the single-A SCHSL playoffs begin on February 16. If our guesses are correct comparing the Region 3-A standings to the SCHSL playoff format for its brackets, we may see Ridge Spring-Monetta host Great Falls while Wagener-Salley takes to the road to play Calhoun County.
Other Valentine’s Day Games
Greenville def. Greenwood 51-33
Greer def. Eastside 51-42
Landrum def. St. Joseph’s Catholic 39-32