SCHSL Class 2A: Upper State/Lower State Championships

This season, the South Carolina High School League is experimenting with the concept of having the Upper State and Lower State finals all in one location. That location? Florence Center – also where the state championships will emanate from during the first couple of days of March.    Recently, the Florence Center also was the site for the Lower State finals.    As of this writing, four teams remain standing in their quest to be crowned 2023-24 2A state champions. The caliber of those four teams should make for exciting basketball as state hardware is on the verge of being captured.    Upper State Final: Gray Collegiate (20-11, 8-0) vs. Landrum (26-3, 9-1)   Gray Collegiate   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/eZy-Watermark_13-01-2024_08-36-29-0150PM.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-837978" style="width:420px;height:auto" /></figure>   Last season at the USC-Aiken Convocation Center, the War Eagles added a girls basketball championship to the school's already impressive laundry list of athletic feats after besting Bishop England for the 2A crown.    Coach Brandon Wallace's team have had to play a more unusual schedule than most teams as its region opponents (Fairfield Central, Keenan, Eau Claire, Columbia) opted not to play the War Eagles this season in any sport.    Nonetheless, Gray Collegiate in its final season as a 2A combatant is doing what it has done best – win. The War Eagles will be in the 4A ranks starting next season.   War Eagles' Road to Florence:   Feb. 14 – 68-14 win vs. Chesnee   Feb. 17 – 62-17 vs. Mid-Carolina   Feb. 20 – 60-32 vs. Silver Bluff   Key Players   The lone senior on the Gray Collegiate roster is [player_tooltip player_id='185424' first='Jordan' last='Mintz']. She is averaging 9.2 points and 1.7 steals per contest. Another thing she is? Unsigned.    Gray Collegiate also has several 2025s that are tough to deal with. One of them is [player_tooltip player_id='242933' first='Kadence' last='Walker-Lee'], the team's leading scorer and rebounder. She has averaged nearly a double-double with 13.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 0.4 blocks per game.    Another is [player_tooltip player_id='207409' first='Karlee' last='Phelps'] who gives interior depth to Gray Collegiate. She has averaged 7.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 1.3 blocks in 16 games.    [player_tooltip player_id='401008' first='Diamond' last='Tatum'] rounds out the War Eagles' core four and is another backcourt anchor. She is averaging 6.9 points and 2.4 steals per contest.    Landrum   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_7363.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-829218" style="width:487px;height:auto" /></figure>   The Cardinals are hoping to get the bad taste out of their mouths from what happened two seasons ago when they were also Upper State finalists. At Bob Jones University, Jared St. Charles' bunch fell to eventual 2A champion Christ Church two seasons ago.    Landrum was eliminated in the second round of last season's tournament by Silver Bluff.    The team's stellar 26-3 mark it has posted this time has seen only 3A Blue Ridge, 5A Gaffney and region rival Blacksburg place the Cardinals in the loss column. Since that Blacksburg blemish in mid-January, the Cardinals have reeled off 11 consecutive victories.    Cardinals' Road to Florence:   Feb. 14 – 77-21 win vs. Newberry   Feb. 17 – 64-43 win vs. Fairfield Central   Feb. 20 – 50-42 win vs. Keenan   Key Players   If a team is looking to beat Landrum, it has to keep the Cardinals' dangerous big three in check. This includes unsigned senior [player_tooltip player_id='251758' first='Savannah' last='Brown']. She is averaging a double-double of 15.4 points and 10.4 rebounds to go alongside 5.9 assists, 2.5 rejections and 2.4 steals a game.    That big three also includes a second senior in [player_tooltip player_id='399239' first='Kaylee' last='Cortez']. She is the Cardinals' leading scorer at 16 points per game in addition to 4.2 steals and 3.1 assists per contest.    The future of the Landrum program is sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='587300' first='Kylie' last='Fortner']. In 26 games, she has averaged 13.7 points, 3.2 assists and 2.4 blocks in Cardinals contests.   Last Meeting   Feb. 19, 2021 - 52-34 Landrum win   When and Where?   Feb. 24, 2 p.m. at Florence Center   Lower State Final: Andrew Jackson (25-4, 12-0) vs. Bishop England (26-2, 8-1)   Andrew Jackson   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/11/IMG_5514.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-812506" style="width:424px;height:auto" /></figure>   If it is one thing the Volunteers have become too accustomed to in recent seasons, it is tournament heartbreak.    Andrew Jackson falling in the 2A championship game to Christ Church two seasons ago was one thing. Last year when the Volunteers fell in the 2A Lower State final to Bishop England snapping a 17-game win streak was another.    That defeat had to have been on the brains of Volunteers players, coaches and fans since last February. Coach Steven Fair knows this year's Andrew Jackson rendition has all the tools to right its wrong from last year at the Florence Center.    The Volunteers will still be in the 2A ranks next season, but will do so as an Upper State participant.    Volunteers' Road to Florence:    Feb. 14 – 89-41 win vs. Edisto   Feb. 17 – 73-40 win vs. Oceanside Collegiate   Feb. 20 – 70-46 win vs. Woodland   Key Players   The return of [player_tooltip player_id='175322' first='Tamia' last='Watkins'] has paid major dividends for the Volunteers. She has averaged 26.7 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.8 steals and 2.2 blocks per game.    Adding to the Volunteers' interior depth is [player_tooltip player_id='496215' first='Ayona' last='Alexander']. The star sophomore is averaging 18.5 points, 12.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals and 2.1 assists a game.    [player_tooltip player_id='383418' first='Ni'yonna' last='Asbelle'] is one of the anchors of Andrew Jackson's backcourt. She has averaged 14.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.1 steals per contest.    [player_tooltip player_id='395216' first='Emiley' last='McCall'] has also had herself a noteworthy junior campaign in Volunteers orange and blue. She has averaged 9.5 points, four assists and three steals in 29 games.    The Volunteers have also benefitted from the production of [player_tooltip player_id='587310' first='Trinity' last='Delly']. It was recently announced she will run with [program_tooltip program_id='783909' first='A'ja' last='Wilson Elite']/[program_tooltip program_id='713550' first='Palmetto' last='76ers'] on the AAU circuit.    Bishop England   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/11/IMG_4950-crop-3556x2335-1700080238.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-806778" style="width:478px;height:auto" /></figure>   Coach Paul Runey, who recently reached the 800-win plateau for his legendary career, almost always has his Bishops in the thick of things.    Bishop England has consistently been ranked in coaches polls as at or near the top of the 2A heap. Last season, the Bishops were on the receiving end of a 40-32 defeat to eventual champion Gray Collegiate in the championship game.    This year's rendition of the Bishops clearly has what it takes to be the last 2A team standing with only 5A Wando and region rival Oceanside Collegiate dealing losses to Bishop England. Beginning next season, Bishop England will move up from 2A to 4A.    Bishops' Road to Florence:    Feb. 14 – 64-32 win vs. Mullins   Feb. 17 – 40-23 win vs. Chesterfield   Feb. 20 – 56-28 win vs. Kingstree   Key Players   This year's Bishop England team has plenty of veterans. Among those seniors is [player_tooltip player_id='206616' first='Isabella' last='Woods'], a 5-foot-4 guard who committed to Wofford for lacrosse.   Another is Lizzy Tompkins, who is listed at 5-foot-3. She is a two-sport athlete who also participates on the Bishop England varsity lacrosse team.    In the frontcourt, Madison Riley gives opponents plenty of problems. She is listed at 5-foot-8 on the Bishops' roster.    The Bishops also have a 5-foot-7 junior by the name of Lissie Van de Erve who can play at either the guard or forward positions.    When and Where?   Feb. 24, 6 p.m. at Florence Center

This season, the South Carolina High School League is experimenting with the concept of having the Upper State and Lower State finals all in one location. That location? Florence Center – also where the state championships will emanate from during the first couple of days of March.