Ninety Six HS vs. Saluda HS

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With one week remaining in the regular season, Region 2-AA appears poised to send at least three teams to the 2A state tournament. Two of those teams that appear in the driver's seat for playoff bids, Saluda and Ninety Six, renewed pleasantries at the home of the Tigers on Tuesday night.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Coach Jeanette Wilder's Saluda squad had already reached double-digit victories for the 2022-23 campaign. Coach Anarie Duckett's Wildcats were looking to do the same – on their final contest of the regular season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ninety Six was successful as the Wildcats earned a 37-27 victory over the homestanding Tigers. With the win, Ninety Six finishes the regular season with a 10-6 record and a 5-3 region mark.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“The last few years, we haven't had a winning season,” Duckett says. And so, these kids playing all this time together and learning together and performing together, it all came together for a part this year.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Saluda has one matchup left to play for the regular season and was previously six-for-six in region.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Shorthanded</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>If one was looking for a reason why Saluda may not have looked like the Saluda that won 12 games, it was because the Tigers were down three starters – including [player_tooltip player_id='235395' first='Jessica' last='Means'] and [player_tooltip player_id='246204' first='Kaylen' last='Nick'].&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We worked hard and they're really good kids and they work hard at practice and they understand and they know how hard I work to get them prepared,” Duckett says. “It's just a great bunch of kids. They're real good kids. I don't have to worry about discipline problems. I don't have to worry about grades because they all do really well in the classroom.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Duckett told Prep Girls Hoops that with the junior varsity season concluding, her varsity team was the beneficiary of three callups from that junior varsity team that saw playing time.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Jan. 20</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Tuesday's matchup was a far distance from when these two teams matched up on Ninety Six's court in late January. That contest resulted in a 43-23 victory for Saluda.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Quarter-by-Quarter</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The tone for this contest was set early as a defensive showdown ensued between the two teams. Points were coming at a premium, but with one quarter in the books, the Wildcats held a slim advantage.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ninety Six's advantage became clearer the longer the contest went. When both teams entered their respective locker rooms for halftime, the Wildcats had built an eight-point, 18-10 point edge.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The third quarter looked more like a continuation of the third quarter as Saluda managed only one field goal in the stanza. After three frames, Ninety Six's lead had ballooned to double digits at 25-14.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tigers made a couple of 3-pointers late in the fourth quarter, but they could have used a bit more to get within striking distance of the Wildcats. At the triple zeroes, it was a 10-point victory for Ninety Six.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Wired with Squire</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":595660,"width":311,"height":203,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/02/IMG_0608-crop-3503x2300-1675851437.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-595660" width="311" height="203" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Containing <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='375981' first='Janiya' last='Squire']</strong> is a tall task – even for a team at full strength. The Wildcats' sophomore big placed 17 points on the board. In addition to what she got accomplished as a scorer, Squire also impressed as a rebounder, shot blocker and free throw shooter.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“She's a force to be reckoned with, but basketball is not her focus,” Duckett says. “She's a volleyball player, a softball player and she plays basketball to fill in her time (in between) volleyball and softball. And if she worked on it a little more, she'd be even better than she is. She's definitely a force to deal with and she's a great kid.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Bright Spot</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":595662,"width":315,"height":207,"sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/02/IMG_0574-crop-1833x1204-1675851539.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-595662" width="315" height="207" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Tigers had a rough night at their home office, but they had a bright spot. <strong>Tamia Daniels</strong>, a sophomore, led Saluda with a 13-point effort. Daniels, who also plays softball managed to show her skills as a ball handler and rim attacker and managed to make plays at the rim and in the midrange.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Up Next…</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While the Wildcats' regular season ends on an auspicious note, the Tigers have one game to play – on Thursday on the road at Mid-Carolina to decide the region.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ninety Six looks ahead to where they will be in the 2A tournament. Last season, the Wildcats defeated St. Joseph's Catholic on the road in the first round of the playoffs before being eliminated by Gray Collegiate.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->