SCISA: Cross Schools vs. John Paul II

The southernmost realms of the Lowcountry played host to a top-tier SCISA contest between one of its premier 2A assemblings and one of its premier 3A teams.    Both Cross Schools and John Paul II entered Thursday evening's contest having lost only three games – but the Stingrays' record was 13-3 entering the day's play. Cross Schools' only blemishes have come against St. Joseph's Catholic and Palmetto Christian along with Lawrence County out of Kentucky.    The Golden Warriors appear to be on their way to another stellar season. The 7-3 John Paul II also encountered a close defeat to St. Joseph's Catholic along with losses to Lucy Beckham and Cathedral Academy.    Which team would avoid loss no. 4? That team would be the Golden Warriors by virtue of a 62-40 win over the Stingrays.    Bench Depth   While the Golden Warriors had a full bench available with seven players on said bench, Cross Schools entered Thursday evening's contest shorthanded with only two players available on its.   Quarter-By-Quarter   While some contests can be won in the latter frames, the aim of John Paul II was to establish itself as the better team early and often. The Golden Warriors were successful in that effort en route to a 26-7 advantage with one in the books.    While Cross Schools did put together a better quarter defensively in the second, the Stingrays could have used a combination of offense and defense to close the gap established by John Paul II. At the half, it was 36-15 in the Golden Warriors favor.    The third quarter would likely decide if victory would be practically assured for John Paul II or if Cross Schools would have a chance in the closing eight minutes. The Golden Warriors outscored the Stingrays 16-12 in the third and would bring a 52-27 edge into the final frame.    The contest being out of reach for Cross Schools meant that John Paul II's bench saw a bevy of playing time in the final eight minutes. When all was said and done, the Golden Warriors were once again successful in defending its home court.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_7732.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-837031" style="width:317px;height:auto" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='594320' first='Brady' last='Mahoney'], the Golden Warriors' star senior three forward had herself a banner game with 24 points. While listed as a three, she displays her interior versatility with a willingness to play close to the basket and haul in plenty of rebounds.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_7730.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-837032" style="width:323px;height:auto" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='429825' first='Lily' last='Termini'] had herself another productive outing with a 13-point effort. She is another element of what John Paul II manages to accomplish in the interior with her scoring and rebounding capabilities.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_7725-crop-2710x1779-1705084387.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-837047" style="width:422px;height:auto" /></figure>   Collectively, Cross Schools as a team may not have had one of its more memorable contests, but one standout did emerge. That was [player_tooltip player_id='856288' first='Ryan' last='Mayers'] – a sophomore. Mayers led all point-getters for the Stingrays with 16 points.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_7736.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-837055" style="width:416px;height:auto" /></figure>   A pair of nine-point scorers also keyed Cross Schools' efforts. One of those was freshman [player_tooltip player_id='1199459' first='Sydney' last='Hollings']. She made three of her 3-point attempts – which were also the only triples Cross Schools as a team were true on for the game.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_7735.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-837058" style="width:413px;height:auto" /></figure>   Another of the nine-point scorers for Cross Schools was [player_tooltip player_id='616144' first='PJ' last='Benson'], a freshman. Benson effectively displayed her ability to run point for the Stingrays. Benson can find minutes as either a one or a two guard.   Unavailable   Freshman [player_tooltip player_id='856286' first='Lexann' last='Maldonado'] was unavailable for Cross Schools.

The southernmost realms of the Lowcountry played host to a top-tier SCISA contest between one of its premier 2A assemblings and one of its premier 3A teams.