SCISA 3A Championship: First Baptist vs. Cardinal Newman

One of many burning questions across the South Carolina high school basketball landscape had its focal point in Columbia – could anyone stop coach Asia Dozier and her Cardinal Newman team from claiming a fourth consecutive SCISA 3A championship? As it turned out, the Cardinals made sure that answer was a resounding no on Saturday afternoon at the Sumter County Civic Center when Cardinal Newman earned a 53-44 victory over First Baptist to claim that fourth straight state crown. After the first quarter, the Cardinals held a 9-6 lead and went into halftime leading by a tally of 23-17. That lead was 37-28 after three frames. Cardinal Newman had outscored First Baptist by the slim margin of 14-11 in both the second and third stanzas. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1528-scaled-crop-1938x1272-1645969646.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-393409" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1528-scaled-crop-1938x1272-1645969646-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> It was <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124089" first="Ashlyn" last="Watkins"]</strong>’ final game sporting the red and black Cardinals colors before she trades her red for a darker shade – garnet – with Dawn Staley at South Carolina. The Gamecock-to-be scored 26 points to lead all point-getters. Watkins sealed the Cardinal Newman victory in the fourth quarter by sinking six free throws in the contest’s closing number. She will depart from the Cardinals as having been a part of all four of its championships. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1484-scaled-crop-2254x1480-1645969774.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-393411" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1484-scaled-crop-2254x1480-1645969774-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="185040" first="Lauren" last="Jacobs"]</strong> will be one of two standouts to watch in the next few future versions of Cardinal Newman basketball. Jacobs finished with 14 points. She was kept off the scoreboard in the first quarter but managed to put the ball through the basket as the game went – including on a couple of occasions from deep and on several tries at the line. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1535-scaled-crop-1961x1288-1645969956.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-393413" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1535-scaled-crop-1961x1288-1645969956-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="216959" first="Sabreya" last="Monsanto"] (2025)</strong> is the other. She contributed nine points to the Cardinal Newman effort – and seven of those occurred in the second half. She also stayed out of foul trouble with only two personals called against her. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1532-scaled-crop-1830x1202-1645970098.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-393417" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1532-scaled-crop-1830x1202-1645970098-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> It was [player_tooltip player_id="158920" first="Alexia" last="Grant"] final game wearing the purple of the Hurricanes before she begins wearing the black and gold of Appalachian State to begin her college career. The future Mountaineer ended her high school tenure with a 16-point effort – after going scoreless in the first quarter. Twelve of her 16 were scored in the second half and among those 12 were a pair of fourth quarter triples. Eight of her points came in the fourth quarter alone and she only had two personal fouls called against her for the game. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1444-scaled-crop-1164x765-1645970236.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-393420" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1444-scaled-crop-1164x765-1645970236-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> The game was also the swan song for <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="300762" first="Mia" last="Wysong"]</strong> for the Hurricanes. First Baptist’s standout senior, who will play her collegiate ball at North Greenville University, added 11 points to the Hurricanes cause. She too was only called for a pair of personal fouls and she scored seven of her 11 in the first half. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1409-scaled-crop-2002x1315-1645970394.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-393422" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1409-scaled-crop-2002x1315-1645970394-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="255966" first="Yannah" last="Seaberry"]</strong> tallied nine points for First Baptist. Seaberry had plenty of success shooting the ball from 3-point range – including a made 3-pointer. She also got to the free throw line on an occasion in the third quarter in drained both of her attempts from the line. The three previous Cardinals championship triumphs all came at the expense of Northwood Academy, but the Chargers were on the same side of the 3A bracket as Cardinal Newman for this year’s playoff rendition. The Cardinals defeated Northwood Academy in the 3A semifinals this year and also earned a victory over Hilton Head Prep after earning a first-round bye. First Baptist was the other team in the 3A tournament that earned a first-round bye. Coach Presley Singleton’s Hurricanes’ route to playing in Saturday’s title game was a bit tougher in terms of point differential after claiming three-point victories over Hammond School and Trinity Collegiate in the previous two rounds. This year’s championship game may have pitted the Cardinals against a different Lowcountry team, but the result was the same as the last three seasons. Cardinal Newman’s record finishes with a 15-5 showing in addition to going a perfect 6-0 against Region 1-AAA opponents. Watkins is the lone senior graduating from the Cardinals. First Baptist’s season ends at 14-12 and the Hurricanes finished with a 4-2 record in its Region 3-A. The Hurricanes will graduate Grant, Wysong, [player_tooltip player_id="171771" first="Tiana" last="Spann"] and Jenna Walling as part of its 2022 class. <a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1877-scaled-crop-2048x1345-1645970576.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-393424" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_1877-scaled-crop-2048x1345-1645970576-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a> <em><strong>SCISA 3A All-Tournament Team</strong></em> <em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="124089" first="Ashlyn" last="Watkins"]</strong> – Cardinal Newman</em> <em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="185040" first="Lauren" last="Jacobs"]</strong> – Cardinal Newman</em> <em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="158920" first="Alexia" last="Grant"] </strong>– First Baptist</em> <em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="171771" first="Tiana" last="Spann"]</strong> – First Baptist</em> <em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="238691" first="Kiyomi" last="McMiller"]</strong> – Trinity Collegiate</em> <em><strong>[player_tooltip player_id="171805" first="Alayah" last="Birch"]</strong> – Northwood Academy</em>