GRAD Athletics Thanksgiving Classic: Day Two Recaps

This week saw high school basketball return to Heathwood Hall for the first time since the host Highlanders were successful in bringing back-to-back SCISA 4A championships to the Midlands school last season.    Eleven other teams also converged on the Highlanders home court to take part in the GRAD Athletics Thanksgiving Classic. That field included Dutch Fork, Aiken, Hammond, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Northside Christian, Providence Athletic Club, Richland Northeast, Orangeburg Prep, Gilbert and Cardinal Newman.    Day one of the invitational saw Dutch Fork defeat Hammond, Heathwood Hall prevail over Aiken, Bamberg-Ehrhardt dispatch Dreher, Northside Christian win over Providence Athletic Club, Richland Northeast get the better of Cardinal Newman and Orangeburg Prep best Gilbert.    We at Prep Girls Hoops made the trip to Heathwood Hall for day two of the festivities. Here are the three games we had the opportunity to watch.    Hammond vs. Aiken   Both the Green Hornets and the Skyhawks were on the receiving ends of lopsided defeats to Heathwood Hall and Dutch Fork, respectively. Meaning that both teams were looking to regroup.    Third place in the Plaid Division was up for grabs between a pair of teams that compete in different leagues but are both in the 4A realm.    Both teams were also part of the invite last season. The Green Hornets and Skyhawks met in last season's invitational and Aiken defeated Hammond by a final score of 60-53.    Would this year see more of the same or a change? It saw more of the same. This time, the Green Hornets defeated the Skyhawks with the scoreboard reading 61-40 at the final buzzer.    Last Season's Records   Hammond is coming off a 2023-24 where it finished with a 15-6 record and 5-2 in its SCISA 1-AAAA region. Aiken compiled a 14-8 record along with a 5-3 mark in a Region 4-AAAA that was different and smaller than what it is today.    Quarter-By-Quarter   Both teams had a proverbial sixth woman. For Hammond it was the 3-point arc – the Skyhawks connected on a pair of 3-pointers. For Aiken it was the free throw line – six of their eight first quarter points came via the charity stripe. With one in the books, the Skyhawks led the Green Hornets by a margin of 10-8.   The second quarter was slow-moving – as was the game itself because of a litany of fouls charged against both the Skyhawks and Green Hornets. Where it mattered was on the scoreboard – and that saw Aiken bring a 21-18 lead over Hammond into the half.   The theme of fouls and defense continued into the third quarter. Eight minutes remained to determine who would claim third place in the Plaid Division with the Green Hornets leading the Skyhawks by a score of 34-28.   Aiken saved its best for last. The fourth quarter was all Green Hornets all the time. There is closing out games and there is closing out games with authority. Aiken outscored Hammond 27-12 en route to what turned out to be a commanding 61-40 victory.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0795-crop-2518x1653-1732716965.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1090663" style="width:499px;height:auto" /></figure>   In a contest that was mostly dictated by defense, the Green Hornets still had players that could put plenty of points on the board. Aiken sees its immediate future every time freshman [player_tooltip player_id='925564' first='Azaria' last='Sapp'] sports the green and gold colors. She led all point-getters with eight points.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0860-crop-3108x2041-1732717061.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1090665" style="width:497px;height:auto" /></figure>   A mixture of youth and experience served the Green Hornets well on Tuesday afternoon. Senior [player_tooltip player_id='558729' first='Malasia' last='Jamison'] represented the experience part of that equation. The 5-foot-11 Aiken veteran added 15 points.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0864-crop-3066x2013-1732717223.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1090667" style="width:500px;height:auto" /></figure>   Contributing another 11 points to the Green Hornets' cause was freshman Aalijah Drummings. She recently has played her AAU ball with Carolina Lakers during the spring and summer months.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0838-crop-1833x1204-1732717335.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1090669" style="width:500px;height:auto" /></figure>   A bright spot for the Skyhawks occurred in the form of Hailey Inman. The senior did not play that many minutes but still managed to contribute a 12-point effort to spearhead the Hammond attack.   What's Next?   Aiken is scheduled to host 2A Strom Thurmond on Dec. 3. Hammond will also be at home on Dec. 7 hosting 5A James Island.    Northside Christian vs. Bamberg-Ehrhardt   With a number of SCISA teams on hand at Heathwood Hall, it was expected that a theme would be those assemblings matching up against their counterparts from the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL).    The additions that Northside Christian made over the offseason from schools such as Lexington and River Bluff has certainly put the rest of the SCISA 4A field on notice. Meanwhile, Bamberg-Ehrhardt is looking for even bigger things after its 20-win 2023-24 with a relatively young team.    The Crusaders were the superior team on this occasion, earning a 59-23 win over the Red Raiders.    Last Season's Records   Last season's Crusaders rendition was 14-9 but struggled in region play as a SCISA 3A team, going 2-5 down the season stretch. The Red Raiders concluded last season with a mark of 20-6 (9-2 in Region 7-A)   Quarter-By-Quarter   If the first quarter was any indication, it foretold the story of a possible rout. The Blue Division final had Bamberg-Ehrhardt feeling blue as Northside Christian opened up an 18-5 advantage with eight minutes having elapsed.    The second quarter made it crystal clear that this contest had the makings of a drubbing. As both teams entered their respective locker rooms to converse on second half strategy, this one was all Crusaders – 44-10 at the break.    Quarter no. 3 may not have seen the offensive clinic that was the case for Northside Christian in the first half, but it was still one where it was advantage Crusaders. Eight minutes remained and Northside was cruising to a Blue Division win.   Here is all one needs to know about the state of affairs in the fourth quarter – the clock was continuously turning. The Crusaders of Northside Christian not only win the Blue Division, they won it going away.   Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0880.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1090670" style="width:435px;height:auto" /></figure>   The sight of [player_tooltip player_id='520657' first='Chaelyn' last='Tifre'] sporting Northside Christian's signature red is sure to bring smiles to Crusader backers. Tifre concluded her time at the GRAD Athletics Thanksgiving Classic with a 17-point performance (almost as many as the entire Bamberg-Ehrhardt team).   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0873.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1090671" style="width:424px;height:auto" /></figure>   Speaking of transfers, [player_tooltip player_id='560668' first='Evie' last='Godfrey'] is also more than poised to improve fortunes for the Crusaders. The 13 points she scored also played a role in Northside Christian's offensive onslaught. With the game so lopsided in the second half, both she and Tifre got plenty of rest.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0876.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1090672" style="width:450px;height:auto" /></figure>   The Crusaders cause was also aided by the 10 points that were placed on the scoreboard courtesy of sophomore Maddie Coker. All of the points she scored were of the two-point variety. Coker is a two-sport athlete who also excels in volleyball.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0878.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1090673" style="width:449px;height:auto" /></figure>   With nine points, eighth grader [player_tooltip player_id='831289' first='Campbell' last='Childers'] also was part of the Northside Christian points parade. She also participates in cross country and she was part of the Northside Christian team that won a middle school state invitational championship last month.   What's Next?   Following the Thanksgiving break, the Red Raiders will resume play at home vs. 4A Colleton County. That same day, the Crusaders will also be home to take on Greer Middle College.    Orangeburg Prep vs. Richland Northeast   One of the final games of the day's play would see plenty of red, blue and orange on the court.    Both Orangeburg Prep and Richland Northeast were part of this tournament last year as well. For Orangeburg Prep, it defeated Gilbert as well as Ben Lippen. The Cavaliers departed from last season's event at Heathwood Hall having picked up its first two victories of the season over High Point Academy and Lugoff-Elgin.    After both teams going a combined 6-0 in their last games at this event, something had to give. This contest would go the way of Richland Northeast which defeated Orangeburg Prep by a final score of 52-36.    Remember What Happened Last Time?   It was in 2010 when Orangeburg Prep and Richland Northeast were last together on the same court. In that contest, the Cavaliers scored a close 34-33 win.    Last Season's Records   Richland Northeast is playing its first games of 2024-25 after finishing last season with a 8-14 (2-8 in its region). Orangeburg Prep went 20-1 (5-0 in region) with its only loss of the season coming in last season's tournament against John Paul II.    Quarter-By-Quarter   While Richland Northeast and Orangeburg Prep appeared to match each other point for point for much of the first half, the Cavaliers managed to pull away as the frame wore on. It was a 14-7 advantage in Richland Northeast's favor as the first quarter came to a close.    When looking at the point margin for the second quarter, it was also identical to what happened in the opening stanza. As halftime arrived, Richland Northeast had establied a 13-point, 28-15 advantage over Orangeburg Prep.   Richland Northeast managed to put a bit more distance between themselves and their Orangeburg Prep adversaries – but not much. Still, the lead for the Cavaliers remained in the double digits – 42-27 to be exact.    In situations such as these, the team that is trailing by such a margin needs an early run in the fourth quarter to make things interesting. That scoring binge for Orangeburg Prep never came and the Green Division belonged to the Cavaliers.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0937.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1090674" style="width:465px;height:auto" /></figure>   It was a 16-point performance for senior guard Ajaela Brown. She had nine of those 16 in the first half. Richland Northeast was true on four of their attempts from 3-point land. Two of those departed from Brown's hands.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0939.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1090675" style="width:459px;height:auto" /></figure>   A pair of Cavaliers also turned in 12-point performances – one of them fittingly being No. 12. Senior 6-foot-1 big [player_tooltip player_id='811001' first='Sasha' last='Cebula'] once again made things happen for the Cavaliers. Cebula once again keyed the team's interior efforts and also was effective from the free throw line.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0940.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1090676" style="width:446px;height:auto" /></figure>   Veteran instincts proved to serve the Cavaliers well on Tuesday evening – and that likely will be the case as the season wears on. The other Richland Northeast player with a 12-point performance was senior guard Amaiya Gadson.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0905-crop-2216x1455-1732718017.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1090678" style="width:445px;height:auto" /></figure>   Orangeburg Prep's time at this year's GRAD Athletics Thanksgiving Classic may have concluded in inauspicious fashion, but it was not because of the efforts of [player_tooltip player_id='460546' first='Jane' last='Walker Yonce']. She led all scorers for her team with 10 points.   What's Next?   Next up for Orangeburg Prep is a home contest vs. Dorchester Academy on Dec. 2. Richland Northeast will take part in the She Got Next tournament at Lexington HS where its first opponent will be 5A Irmo.

This week saw high school basketball return to Heathwood Hall for the first time since the host Highlanders were successful in bringing back-to-back SCISA 4A championships to the Midlands school last season.