Darlington HS Holiday Shootout

The Holiday season is defined by giving – and by happy students free from the rigors of classes for a few weeks. Many of South Carolina's premier high school basketball players and teams are hoping that the litany of Holiday tournaments being hosted give their teams a lift with January and February lurking.    A number of schools across the Palmetto State are hosting mid-season Holiday tournaments. One of those schools is 3A Darlington as the Falcons hosted three other girls teams and three other boys teams at its tournament.   We at Prep Girls Hoops made the trip out to the Falcons' nest for the day's festivities. Here is our recap of the two girls contests that emanated from Darlington.    South Florence vs. Stall   Typically, headliner games at many a tournament occurs later on the schedule. This one had a girls contest that was the first of the four matchups on the day's slate that looks like one that should be a main event.    One of the state's signature 4A girls squads in South Florence matched up against one of the state's signature 5A assemblings in Stall. The contest was uptempo from start to finish, as advertised and indicative of two top-tier teams. When the triple zeroes read on the scoreboard, the Bruins were several points better than the Warriors as the closing result was 77-35.    Records   The Bruins have put the rest of the 4A landscape on notice that the team has unfinished business to take care of from last season. South Florence is a perfect 8-0 and all of its victories have been in commanding fashion. As for the Warriors, they entered Wednesday's action with a 5-2 (now 5-3) record following a 71-44 defeat at the hands of Stratford.   How Things Progressed   Much of the first half demonstrated how seemingly evenly matched the 4A Bruins and 5A Warriors are. A highly competitive first quarter would conclude with South Florence and Stall all knotted up at 11 points apiece.    More of the same was the case in the second quarter that ended up being a bit more offensively charged than the second. With halftime looming, the Bruins would go into said halftime with a slim, 28-26 lead over the Warriors.    It was in the third quarter where South Florence began to put a bit of distance between themselves and Stall. The Bruins continued to have little problems putting the ball through the basket both in transition and in halfcourt sets and the result was a 51-42 advantage.   The South Florence lead continued to grow and grow and grow in the fourth quarter as they outscored the Warriors 26-11 en route to what was a resounding victory.     Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/IMG_4414-crop-3226x2118-1671689581.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-570193" width="415" height="271" /></figure>   It was [player_tooltip player_id='175309' first='Jaida' last='Cameron'] who led all scorers with 25 points. In addition to her scoring, her transition running, passing and free throw shooting were attributes that were prominently on display.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/IMG_4410-crop-3895x2557-1671689737.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-570195" width="419" height="274" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='239707' first='Ariana' last='Johnson'] was also difficult for the Warriors' defense to contain. She finished with 17 points and also put her quickness with the ball on display.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/IMG_4412-crop-3593x2359-1671689876.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-570197" width="424" height="277" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='172192' first='Jazmyne' last='Lyde'] found her rhythm offensively as the game continued and concluded her afternoon on the court with a 14-point performance.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/IMG_4422-crop-3846x2525-1671690111.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-570199" width="424" height="277" /></figure>   As for Stall, three of its starters tallied 13 points each. The first was senior [player_tooltip player_id='241664' first='Jadein' last='Haynes']. She stands at 5-foot-9 and can play as either as a guard or a wing while having the height of a frontcourt player.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/IMG_4419-crop-3422x2247-1671690225.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-570201" width="425" height="278" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='190156' first='Darnaishia' last='Goss'], another senior, was another with 13. The Lowcountry Premier product also brings height to the Warriors as a 5-foot-10 standout whose bread and butter is what she does in the frontcourt.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/IMG_4416-crop-3666x2407-1671690333.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-570203" width="424" height="277" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='190157' first='Talasha' last='Walker'] is one of the backcourt stars for Stall and was the third of the Warriors starters with 13 points. As confident as she is in her ability to sink her 3-point attempts. She gives the Warriors a reliable long-range threat.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/IMG_4417-crop-3837x2520-1671690508.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-570205" width="436" height="285" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='305504' first='Makayla' last='Waiters'] added 10 points to the Warriors' efforts. Ball distribution and defense are two elements to her game that she excels at - as she has displayed during the high school season and in travel ball which includes a time with Lowcountry Premier.   Up Next…   The Bruins would earn a championship matchup in the Darlington HS Sonic Holiday Shootout against the host Falcons. As for the Warriors, they would await Cheraw in the consolation bracket.    Darlington vs. Cheraw   Following the first boys' game on the schedule between Cheraw and Cross – one that the Braves proved to be victorious over the Trojans by a final result of 60-58 in overtime and that girls contest between South Florence and Stall, the second girls contest had a tough act to follow.   That second game would feature the Braves of 2A Cheraw and the host Falcons from Darlington. Those that were in attendance were also anticipating to see their boys team match up against Lamar, but those fans were beaming with glee following witnessing their Falcons win in a rout of Cheraw.    Records   Coming into the day's tournament, the Falcons' record stood at 4-3 with two of Darlington's losses coming at the hands of 4A Hartsville. As for the Braves, their record upon playing in the Darlington HS Holiday Shootout was 2-7 with the team's two wins coming by way of McBee and York Prep.   What Happened Last Time?   It was during the 2019-20 season where the Falcons and Braves last exchanged pleasantries. That contest was as lopsided as one can get as Darlington, a 4A school at the time, thrashed Cheraw, a 3A school at the time by a final score of 50-7 on January 7.    How Things Progressed   The Falcons were winning from start to finish – including the opening tip. Early on, Darlington got plenty of good looks – they simply were not falling. They began falling the longer the matchup went on. The Falcons embarked on an 18-0 run to overwhelm the Braves in the first quarter. It was 18-2 Falcons with one quarter complete.   The matchup was so lopsided that the Darlington starters had plenty of time to rest in the second quarter. The Falcons' bench held its own against Cheraw and took a 29-point lead into the halftime period.    That lead would only increase, extend and expand in the third quarter as Darlington vs. Cheraw looked like the mismatch many an onlooker may have predicted it to be on paper.    In the fourth quarter, the clock would run continuously to seal the deal on what was an emphatic victory for the Falcons.    Primetime Performers   With the score being so lopsided, it gave many a Darlington starter an opportunity to take in the action from the comforts of their bench.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/12/IMG_4512-crop-3552x2333-1671691155.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-570209" width="415" height="271" /></figure>   Speaking of the bench, it was from said bench where the Falcons' leading point-getter was found. Tamira Benton, a 5-foot-8 senior small forward finished with 13 points – including a made 3-pointer in the second quarter. Six of her 13 points were scored in the fourth quarter.   Up Next…   The Falcons play South Florence in the tournament's following round while the Braves get the Warriors of Stall in the third place game.

The Holiday season is defined by giving – and by happy students free from the rigors of classes for a few weeks. Many of South Carolina's premier high school basketball players and teams are hoping that the litany of Holiday tournaments being hosted give their teams a lift with January and February lurking.