Lexington Christmas Classic: Saturday’s Silver Division

The two weeks remaining prior to the new calendar year are sure to be busy ones on the high school basketball end of the schedule.    Midseason tournaments will take up the overwhelming bulk of the schedule before the January sprint of region play. One of those midseason multi-team get togethers occurred in the Midlands at Lexington HS.    A total of 13 varsity teams took part in this year's Lexington Christmas Classic – along with several varsity assemblings.    We at Prep Girls Hoops had an opportunity to watch two of the three Silver Division matchups that took place the first day of the tournament. Without further adieu, here is our recap of those matchups.    Ben Lippen vs. North   The first Silver Bracket contest took place following the conclusion of the first Gold Bracket game of the day (South Florence vs. Riverside). It also featured a pair of teams that did not take part in last year's tournament.    While the SCISA 4A Falcons' first opponent of this year's Lexington Christmas Classic would be 1A North, Ben Lippen would see plenty of Northside Christian over this time frame. The Falcons and Crusaders met the evening prior to Saturday with the Crusaders prevailing by a final of 38-34. Also, the two teams were due to meet again on Tuesday at Lexington HS.    The first Silver Division winner of this year's Lexington Christmas Classic was the Falcons after their 59-29 win over the Eagles.    Quarter-By-Quarter   Prior to the Eagles and Falcons taking to the court, Riverside matched up against South Florence. The score of the first quarter was 18-8 Warriors after the first game and it was the same case for the Falcons as they had an 18-8 advantage on the Eagles.   The second frame would be a bit more evenly contested as Ben Lippen only outscored North by a margin of 12-9. As both teams entered their respective locker rooms to discuss second half strategy, the Falcons led the Eagles by a margin of 30-17.    That advantage only continued to grow as the point margin for Ben Lippen was 17-6 in the third quarter. The Falcons were in cruise control as their lead over North had ballooned to 47-23 with one remaining.    After crowning the first victor of the day – Riverside – from the Gold Bracket, the first from the Silver Division was as well. The team that wore green and gold was victorious on the court colored in blue and gold.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6323.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823810" style="width:472px;height:auto" /></figure>   Lane Swan led all point-getters with 16 points. Much of what Swan gets accomplished is near the rim as she uses her tall height to her advantage. She also has no problems drawing contact to get to the free throw line.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6331.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823812" style="width:467px;height:auto" /></figure>   Damaria Brown provided plenty of depth off the bench for the Falcons. A 12-point performance keyed what Ben Lippen did off the bench. As efficient as she is as a scoer, she is every bit as efficient as a shot blocker and rebounder.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6329.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823813" style="width:475px;height:auto" /></figure>   As Swan and Brown propelled the Ben Lippen attack from the paint, MeiLynn Bailey did the same from the backcourt. Bailey finished her day with an 11-point showing including three made 3-pointers.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6326.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823814" style="width:474px;height:auto" /></figure>   Georgia Kate Price also showcased her pinpoint accuracy from behind the 3-point line. Price added nine points to the Falcons' total. Out of the nine points she scored, all nine came via 3-pointers.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6335.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823815" style="width:466px;height:auto" /></figure>   The Eagles had a tough day at the office over all, but did see a couple of bright spots. One of those was in the form of a 2028 in [player_tooltip player_id='823921' first='Amariyah' last='Calloway']. She is a 5-foot-4 point guard who finished with 11 points.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6333.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823816" style="width:467px;height:auto" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='840353' first='Alayshia' last='Mack'] aided the North cause with a 10-point performance. She typically operates at the three and is listed at 5-foot-10 on the Eagles' roster. Mack will also absorb plenty of contact to get to the free throw line.   What's Next?   Both of their ensuing matchups on Monday would occur in the auxiliary gym at Lexington HS. North would take on Northside Christian and Ben Lippen would match up with 4A South Aiken.    Keenan vs. South Aiken   Speaking of the Thoroughbreds…   South Aiken was part of last season's Lexington Christmas Classic – and defeated another 4A team in Midland Valley for seventh place in last year's Silver Bracket consolation group. The T-breds have had a surprisingly impressive start to the 2023-24 season as they have already surpassed their win total from last year – including two wins over Strom Thurmond and a close loss to Greenwood.    Keenan was not part of last season's Lexington Christmas Classic. The Raiders have stacked impressive wins on its 2023-24 resume thus far – including one over 4A Ridge View earlier in the month and most recently against 3A Lower Richland.    The second Silver Division winner of this year's Lexington Christmas Classic was the Raiders by virtue of its entertaining 48-44 win over the Thoroughbreds.    Quarter-By-Quarter   Minutes one through eight was dictated by defense as a low-scoring period ensued between the two teams. Keenan would assume the early advantage as they led 13-8 over their foes from South Aiken.    The Raiders began to put plenty of distance between themselves and the T-breds in the second quarter. Keenan's lead grew to double digits and it would be double digits at the half. The Raiders led the Throughbreds by a margin of 32-17 at the break.   South Aiken showed in the third quarter that this one would not be a rout as the second quarter indicated. The T-breds outscored the Raiders by a margin of 12-3 in third frame and trimmed its deficit to six. It was 35-29 in favor of Keenan with one quarter left to play.    The object that was South Aiken was really close in the Raiders' rear view mirror as the Thoroughbreds' deficit at one point in the fourth was 35-34. Keenan then grew out its lead by hitting clutch free throws. When all was said and done, the Raiders held off a tough South Aiken bunch.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6446.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823817" style="width:475px;height:auto" /></figure>   Raiders vs. Thoroughbreds was a matchup where every point mattered – including the 14 that were placed on the scoreboard courtesy of [player_tooltip player_id='651709' first='Kristin' last='Brown']. Eight of the 14 she scored were in the first half.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6452.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823818" style="width:421px;height:auto" /></figure>   Samiya Hicks was another of three double-digit point-getters for the Raiders. The 5-foot-7 junior finished with 10 points. Hicks will log minutes either as a two in the backcourt or as a three in the frontcourt.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6447.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823819" style="width:453px;height:auto" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='637593' first='Taelor' last='Lee-Sutton'] represents the future of the Keenan program. The talented eighth grade guard added 11 points to the Raiders' total. Lee-Sutton is listed at 5-foot-5 per the Raiders' roster.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6450.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823820" style="width:422px;height:auto" /></figure>   With nine points, [player_tooltip player_id='305001' first='Jayla' last='Fulwiley'], listed at 5-foot-6 on the Raiders' roster, also proved to be crucial in lifting Keenan to victory. She is very confident in her ability to drain 3-pointers as she had a pair of them on Saturday afternoon. Unfortunately for Keene, she eventually fouled out.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6399-crop-2228x1463-1702866516.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-823822" style="width:418px;height:auto" /></figure>   The heroics of senior guard Zanayia Harrison were key in keeping South Aiken in the matchup from start to finish. She finished with 15 points and displayed plenty of accuracy from deep. Harrison drained five from behind the arc.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6415-crop-2186x1436-1702866669.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-823824" style="width:414px;height:auto" /></figure>   Where Harrison was integral in the T-breds' efforts from behind the arc, [player_tooltip player_id='1047752' first='Jasmine' last='Epps'] did the same in the paint. A 12-point performance for the six foot junior big managed to give the Thoroughbreds a fighting chance for all 32 minutes.   What's Next?   With Fairfield Central being a late scratch from the tournament, this created a last minute shift in scheduling. The T-breds would remain in the Silver Division where Ben Lippen would be their next opponent. Keenan, on the other hand, was moved into the Gold Bracket and matched up against Hartsville on Monday.    Laurens vs. Northside Christian   The third of this year's Silver Division matchups took place between a pair of teams that did not participate in last year's Lexington Christmas Classic.    After starting the season with a pair of losses, SCISA 3A Northside Christian has been on a roll. The Crusaders entered this year's tournament winners of seven consecutive games – including the previous evening where they prevailed by a final of 38-34 over a formidable foe in Ben Lippen.    As for Laurens, the 4A Raiders have already bested their win total from the previous season as they entered the weekend in the Midlands with a 5-5 mark. These included victories over tough 3A adversaries in Woodruff (twice and once on the road) and Clinton (on the road).    Would the Crusaders run their winning streak to eight? The answer was no following a Laurens 56-34 victory.    Quarter-By-Quarter   Just as the earlier Silver Division get-together between Keenan and South Aiken was defensive-minded in the first quarter, the same was true for Laurens and Northside Christian. With one in the books, the Raiders maintained a lead of 11-5 over the Crusaders.   The Raiders put a ferocious interior attack to good use in the second quarter. Laurens' paint presence paid dividends but the Crusaders kept it close. Laurens would enter the halftime period leading by a margin of 29-19 over Northside Christian.   It appeared towards the conclusion of the third quarter that the Raiders' lead would remain in the same range as it was following halftime. The Crusaders' coach was assessed a technical foul towards the conclusion of the frame and Laurens' lead was 46-28 after three.    Being ahead by almost 20 with the fourth quarter still left to play made it a matter of what would the final margin of victory for Laurens be. The answer to that question was 22 points as the Raiders claimed the third and final victory among Silver Division teams on Saturday.   Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6479-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823825" style="width:419px;height:auto" /></figure>   Very few teams have had answers for the Raiders' resident 6-foot-1 big in [player_tooltip player_id='399197' first='Zoe' last='Young']. The same proved to be true for Northside Christian on Saturday. With 24 points, she was 10 points shy of outscoring the entire Crusaders' team.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6480.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823826" style="width:418px;height:auto" /></figure>   A pair of 10-point scorers also propelled Laurens to victory – and complimented what Young to accomplished. One of them came off the bench – Nyri Allen – a 5-foot-7 sophomore. A good bit of what she got accomplished was courtesy of free throws.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6482.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823827" style="width:415px;height:auto" /></figure>   Faith Jackson, a senior, had herself another productive contest for the Raiders. She also finished with 10 points and particularly began to have more success with her shot selection in the second half.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6476-crop-2724x1789-1702867477.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-823829" style="width:418px;height:auto" /></figure>   Experience and youth were calling cards for Northside Christian on Saturday. The “experience” part of that equation came in the form of senior Natalie Walke. She finished with 13 points – including nine at the free throw line.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6470-crop-2828x1857-1702867683.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-823831" style="width:420px;height:auto" /></figure>   The Crusaders' fans that were in attendance got to see a glimpse of what will surely be the future of its program. That was [player_tooltip player_id='831289' first='Campbell' last='Childers'] – a seventh grader. Childers concluded Saturday's contest with 11 points.   What's Next?   The Crusaders' next opponent would be North on Monday. As for Laurens, their tournament concluded due to late scratches affecting scheduling. Their next opponent following the Lexington Christmas Classic would be at home against Fountain Inn.

The two weeks remaining prior to the new calendar year are sure to be busy ones on the high school basketball end of the schedule.