1/13 Greenwood Area Weekly Roundup

On paper, when thinking about a matchup between the Chiefs of McCormick and the Blue Flashes of Calhoun Falls Charter, it would not be a game that would lend itself to a possible upset bid.    Friday night showed exactly why one must not always pay attention to conventional wisdom as McCormick flirted heavily with that upset over its region rival.    Calhoun Falls Charter managed to make the plays when they mattered most. And when all was said and done, the Blue Flashes pulled off one of its tougher victories of the season with its 55-53 triumph over the Chiefs.    The record for the Blue Flashes now stands at 7-3.    Calhoun Falls Charter's coach, Joseph Cade, praised McCormick for having a better team than the Chiefs' record displayed as well as his own players for never giving up despite falling behind by double-digits early on.    What Happened Last Time?   Despite Calhoun Falls Charter earning double-digit victories in both of its regular season matchups against McCormick, they met again last season during the 1A tournament. That time, the Blue Flashes still won, but only by a five-point, 46-41 margin.    How Things Progressed   An uncharacteristically slow start for Calhoun Falls Charter ran concurrent with what was a strong beginning for McCormick. The Chiefs managed to successfully put points on the board via attacking the rim while the Blue Flashes attempted many a long range jumper in the first quarter. It was 13-2 McCormick after one.    Order began to be restored, slowly but surely, as Calhoun Falls Charter got itself back in the game. The second frame went better for the Blue Flashes than the first did, but the Chiefs went into halftime with its upset bid still intact, leading 22-16.    Calhoun Falls Charter outscored McCormick by a margin of 18-10 in the third quarter and managed to pull in front with the score being in the Blue Flashes' favor by two. It was 34-32 with three complete.    McCormick managed to stay well within striking distance for the entirety of the fourth quarter, but it was not enough for the Chiefs. A hard-fought 55-53 victory was indeed achieved for Calhoun Falls Charter in front of its home fans.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/IMG_7558.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-582292" width="355" height="266" /></figure>   With 26 points, sophomore star [player_tooltip player_id='235401' first='Autumn' last='Thomas'] led the way to victory for the Blue Flashes. Whether it was midrange jumpers, 3-pointers or the poise she showed under pressure at the free throw line, McCormick had no answers for her.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/IMG_7560.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-582294" width="358" height="268" /></figure>   Despite some early struggles, eighth grader [player_tooltip player_id='387003' first='Anastasia' last='Gillam'] managed to find her shot and finished with 17 points. In addition to scoring, Gillam also displayed her talents as a proficient passer.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/IMG_7534-crop-1840x1208-1673697440.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-582291" width="357" height="233" /></figure>   In her first game back from injury, [player_tooltip player_id='975626' first='Serenity' last='Searles'] proved to be a major catalyst for the Chiefs off the bench. She was McCormick's leading point getter as her 25 points kept McCormick in the game from start to finish.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/01/IMG_7441-crop-2141x1406-1673687240.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-582289" width="365" height="239" /></figure>   The Chiefs also were the beneficiaries of a big game from [player_tooltip player_id='175383' first='Qu'Sondra' last='Wideman'], a Columbia College commit for track and field. She helped McCormick's cause by virtue of her 11-point effort.   Up Next…   Calhoun Falls Charter will be on the road at Dixie on Tuesday while McCormick will host Whitmire.   Other 1/13 Area Results   Greenville def. Greenwood 34-28   Emerald def. Chester 53-19   Mid-Carolina def. Ninety Six 43-35   Cambridge Academy def. Newberry Academy 46-8   Greenwood Christian def. Spartanburg Day 46-34

On paper, when thinking about a matchup between the Chiefs of McCormick and the Blue Flashes of Calhoun Falls Charter, it would not be a game that would lend itself to a possible upset bid.