Class 2A Upper State Championship: Gray Collegiate vs. Keenan HS

It was only fitting that the 2A Upper State Final would come down to two teams that, arguably, have been the best two teams all season in said classification from start to finish.    A grand total of 20 teams would punch tickets to next week's state championship games at USC-Aiken. One of the first was determined when the War Eagles did battle against the Raiders at Bob Jones University in Greenville.    That ticket would be punched by the War Eagles as they defeated the Raiders with the final score being 46-38.    Record-wise, it ran up the Gray Collegiate mark to 21-6 while that of the Raiders concludes at 19-7.    In the 2A Lower State final, Bishop England came from behind to defeat Andrew Jackson by a score of 39-38 in Florence, setting a 2A championship showdown next week at the USC-Aiken Convocation Center between the War Eagles and Bishops.    “I haven't even seen (Bishop England) yet,” Gray Collegiate's first-year coach Brandon Wallace says. “But I've got a lot of time. So, I'm sure I'm going to try to find every ounce of film I can and try to have my girls ready to play against a tough Bishop England team.”   What Happened Last Time?    Friday's get-together was the third time Keenan and Gray Collegiate have done battle this season. The War Eagles and Raiders met in a home-and-home in mid-January with both contests going to Keenan. It was a 57-48 result at Gray Collegiate's new “War Zone” on Jan. 17 and a 59-47 final on Jan. 20 at the corner of Highway 21 and Pisgah Church.   Unavailable   Except in both of those games, the Raiders had its superstar South Carolina commit on the court. [player_tooltip player_id='124104' first='Milaysia' last='Fulwiley'] was unavailable for Keenan due to an ankle injury after not playing the fourth quarter of the Raiders' third-round matchup against Silver Bluff.    How Things Progressed   Keenan held its own against Gray Collegiate in the first quarter even sans its McDonald's All-American honoree and Gamecock-to-be. The Raiders built up a 13-7 lead at one point in the opening stanza. Following one complete, Keenan led 13-11 over the War Eagles.    Following that 13-7 score, Gray Collegiate embarked on a 15-2 run that stretched into the second quarter. As both teams went into their respective locker rooms for halftime, the War Eagles held a 22-20 edge over the Raiders.    The third quarter began in auspicious fashion for the War Eagles as they built up a seven-point, 29-22 edge before a 5-0 run to cut its deficit to two at 29-27. Gray Collegiate's lead was two at the conclusion at the third quarter with the score being 34-32.   The War Eagles began to put the game away late in the fourth quarter with plenty of opportunities to pad their lead at the free throw line. When all was said and done, Gray Collegiate punched its ticket to USC-Aiken next week by virtue of its eight point win.   Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/02/IMG_3972-crop-3324x2183-1677269031.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-604222" width="345" height="226" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='124108' first='Maliyiah' last='Mason'] led the War Eagles effort with 13 points. Not only did she score on numerous occasions near the basket, but she was also an efficient rebounder and also was a force overall to be reckoned with on defense.    “To think that she just got on the court in December after having over a year off with an ACL injury,” Wallace says. “And she continues to get better every game. She's really carried us down the stretch. I'm so proud of her effort.”   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/02/IMG_3949-1-crop-1830x1202-1677271172.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-604243" width="310" height="203" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='185424' first='Jordan' last='Mintz'] aided the Gray Collegiate cause with a nine-point game. The War Eagles had three made 3-pointers for the game and two of them departed from Mintz's hands. She also does not shy from contact and will get to the free throw line.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/02/IMG_3639-crop-2514x1651-1677270711.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-604239" width="321" height="211" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='124109' first='Tanaja' last='Kennedy'] concluded her afternoon – and her high school career with a 12-point outing. Kennedy managed to display impressive ball handling skills, court vision, passing ability and rim attacking skills.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/02/IMG_3911-crop-2759x1812-1677270961.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-604241" width="376" height="247" /></figure>   It also turned out to be [player_tooltip player_id='359840' first='Teirra' last='Griffin']'s final game sporting the Raiders' signature gold and navy blue colors. She concluded her game with 10 points and made a good number of her mid-range jump shots.    So Long, Seniors   Fulwiley, Kennedy, Griffin, Dallas Cornish and [player_tooltip player_id='187999' first='Samaya' last='Johnson'] are the seniors graduating from Keenan.    Clean Sweep   The 2A boys Upper State championship game also featured Gray Collegiate and Keenan. Points were more plentiful than in the girls' matchup, but the War Eagles - winners of four of the last five 2A state crowns - eliminated the Raiders by a final score of 72-66.   Oceanside Collegiate dispatched Andrew Jackson in dominant fashion with the result being 75-38. USC-Aiken will be the site of a War Eagles-Landsharks get-together for the big 2A prize.

It was only fitting that the 2A Upper State Final would come down to two teams that, arguably, have been the best two teams all season in said classification from start to finish.