She Got Next at Lexington HS: Day One Afternoon Recaps

While much of North America was busy on Black Friday looking for cool items to purchase for family and friends because of the holidays, many of the Palmetto State's premier high school girls hoopers were looking for early presents in the form of She Got Next wins.   One of the largest early season tournaments has returned. Another field of 48 teams have converged on the Midlands between a pair of 5A schools in White Knoll and Lexington.    We at Prep Girls Hoops were on hand for the day's festivities. In an earlier article, we recapped the results of the morning contests that took place at the main court at Lexington. Now, we move on to the afternoon matchups.    Eastside vs. Stratford   After the Midland Valley vs. Greer had concluded, the final three games at Lexington would feature at least one 5A school.    The one immediately following it saw two. One in Eastside moved up from 4A to 5A. The other in Stratford had a dreadful 4-23 (0-8) season last year after advancing to the 5A state matchup with Mauldin the previous season. The Knights were also part of last year's She Got Next where they lost to Woodmont but bounced back with a win over Midland Valley.    Fittingly, the win was claimed by the team whose colors are similar to Lexington's. The first afternoon contest on Lexington's main court would go the way of Eastside as they dispatched the Knights in a close 36-35 decision.    Quarter-By-Quarter   Up to that point, of the three games that had been played, the one between Stratford and Eastside had been the most offensively sound. The Knights and Eagles battled each other to be all tied up at 12 with the first quarter in the books.    The near-stalemate was broken up by back-to-back Stratford 3-pointers. As both teams entered their locker rooms to discuss second half strategy, the Knights established a 3-point, 18-15 advantage over the Eagles.    A game of runs ensued in the third quarter. Because of a 15-4 Eastside run, the Eagles managed to increase its lead to as many as eight (30-22). Stratford then responded with a 7-0 run of their own. A highly competitive contest between two 5A squads was going the way of the Eagles by the slimmest of margins – 30-29 over the Knights.   With Eastside leading 36-34 late, Stratford had a chance to tie the game up with a pair of free throws. One of the attempts from the charity stripe was good – the second was not. Another game that came down to the final seconds – and it was one that went the way of the Eagles.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_1248-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1092482" style="width:439px;height:auto" /></figure>   With 12 points, [player_tooltip player_id='850202' first='Laila' last='Harvey']'s interior presence was the centerpiece of the Eagles' offensive efforts. Most of what she did scoring-wise was in the first half where she scored 10 of those 12 points.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_1209-crop-2585x1698-1732978097.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1092484" style="width:441px;height:auto" /></figure>   Stratford still was the beneficiary of a valiant effort put forth by [player_tooltip player_id='529245' first='Ciara' last='Mustapher']. Out of the 35 points that the team placed on the scoreboard, Mustapher had 20 – including three of the team's four 3-pointers.   What's Next?   Eastside's win earned them a Quartz Bracket championship contest against the winner of a later contest at the Lexington auxiliary gym between Georgetown and C.A. Johnson - one the Bulldogs were victorious in. Stratford would vie for third place the following day against the Green Hornets.    Richland Northeast vs. Irmo   The 5A team in question for this contest was Irmo – and they were facing a familiar foe given the team is a former regional rival of the Yellow Jackets.    Richland Northeast did not take part in last year's She Got Next tournament – but they did take part a few days ago at a tournament at Heathwood Hall where they won the Green Division with victories over Cardinal Newman and Orangeburg Prep. As for the Yellow Jackets, they began last season's tournament with a win over Indian Land before getting thrashed at the hands of Dutch Fork.   The second Crystal Bracket contest of the day put Irmo in the win column as they defeated Richland Northeast with the final score being 45-34.   Remember What Happened Last Time?    Jan. 26 was when Irmo and Richland Northeast had their most recent get-together prior to She Got Next. It was when the Yellow Jackets and Cavaliers still vied for 5-AAAA region supremacy and Irmo picked up the 41-27 victory over Richland Northeast.    Quarter-By-Quarter   Irmo had an auspicious start to Friday's contest. The Yellow Jackets embarked on an early 8-0 which prompted a timeout from Richland Northeast. As the frame concluded, Irmo had built a 15-8 lead.    Fortunes for Irmo continued to remain positive in the second quarter as the Yellow Jackets lead grew into the double-digits. As halftime commenced at Lexington, that lead was back in the single digits – 24-15 in the Yellow Jackets' favor.   Irmo caught a wave of momentum late in the third quarter after Richland Northeast managed to trim its deficit. With one quarter remaining, the Yellow Jackets' lead was 34-28 over the Cavaliers.   The Yellow Jackets managed to not only hold off Richland Northeast, but increase its advantage into the double digits again while doing so.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_1362.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1092485" style="width:473px;height:auto" /></figure>   Leading all scorers for Friday's matchup was sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='404246' first='Abby' last='Livingston'] who spearheaded the Yellow Jackets' efforts with 17 points. From those 17, 11 were put on the scoreboard in the first half.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_1363.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1092486" style="width:471px;height:auto" /></figure>   The early portions of this season has seen excellent performances out of youngsters. [player_tooltip player_id='975807' first='Lailah' last='Singletary'] is one of them. She was in the starting lineup for Irmo and added 11 points to the Yellow Jackets' total. This included draining three of the team's six 3-pointers.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_1365.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1092488" style="width:468px;height:auto" /></figure>   Irmo's paint presence was largely solidified by [player_tooltip player_id='622398' first='Jayla' last='Anderson'] – the team's senior big. She contributed eight points to the Yellow Jackets cause. Along with making plenty of plays near the basket, she displayed her willingness to get to the line and make her tries at the stripe.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_1351-crop-2216x1455-1732978630.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1092491" style="width:459px;height:auto" /></figure>   The Yellow Jackets may have handed the Cavaliers their first loss of the season but a winning performance was still turned in by senior center [player_tooltip player_id='811001' first='Sasha' last='Cebula']. She led all Cavaliers point-getters with 16.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_1359-crop-2685x1763-1732978802.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1092493" style="width:458px;height:auto" /></figure>   Also helping greatly for Richland Northeast was Amaiya Gadson, a standout senior guard. She added 10 points. Gadson is listed at 5-foot-2 on the Cavaliers' roster and can operate at either the one or the two.    What's Next?   This completed the championship and third place contests for the Crystal Bracket. Richland Northeast would do battle with Marlboro County for third place and the championship will be up for grabs between Irmo and Cross Schools.    Eau Claire vs. Lexington   One more matchup remained on the schedule for the day's play at Lexington – and it meant the home Wildcats were ready to take the court alongside another Midlands squad.    Both the 2A Shamrocks and the 5A Wildcats took part in last year's She Got Next tournament. It was a mixed bag for Eau Claire as they defeated another 2A combatant in Strom Thurmond then lost narrowly to host school White Knoll. As for Lexington, they lost narrowly to First Baptist prior to a 21-point defeat to eventual 2A state champion Andrew Jackson.    One of the final winners of the day at Lexington would be the Wildcats. The result was a 63-39 decision to get the win over Eau Claire.    Quarter-By-Quarter   A game of runs ensued as this one commenced. Lexington jumped out to an early 5-0 lead prior to Eau Claire responding with a 5-0 run to close the quarter. As the first frame concluded, the Shamrocks held a two-point, 7-5 advantage over the host Wildcats.    Lexington then began the second quarter with a 12-2 run which prompted a timeout from Eau Claire. The Wildcats would outscore the Shamrocks by a margin of 14-4 in the second stanza and went into halftime ahead by a score of 21-9.    The good news for Eau Claire is that they had their best offensive quarter of the game in the third. The bad news for Shamrocks? So did Lexington. With three in the books, Lexington's lead was 45-23.   What was a defensive struggle became a track meet with both teams trading buckets. The problem for Eau Claire was it needed a bevy of stops. That bevy of stops never came and Lexington was the final winner of the day at the main gym.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_1445.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1092494" style="width:529px;height:auto" /></figure>   Leading all scorers for the Wildcats was Izzy Saville. Lexington's star senior guard began her 2024-25 season in a huge way with a 15-point performance. Included in those 15 were three 3-pointers.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_1449.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1092496" style="width:525px;height:auto" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='452367' first='Sydni' last='Anderson'] was also instrumental in the victory for the Wildcats. She finished the game with 10 points. The junior center for Lexington combined both efficiency and veteran instincts in what became a resounding victory.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_1448.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1092497" style="width:526px;height:auto" /></figure>   A performance like Friday's could not have taken place without big numbers from the bench. Lexington got that in the form of [player_tooltip player_id='674609' first='Cassidy' last='Harry']. The sophomore shooting guard for the Wildcats stands at 5-foot-7 and tallied nine points.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_1451.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1092498" style="width:525px;height:auto" /></figure>   That bench also included depth in the interior. The Wildcats took advantage of the height edge they had over the Shamrocks – including the eight points placed on the scoreboard by sophomore big [player_tooltip player_id='975829' first='Kate' last='Mills'].    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_1415-crop-2224x1461-1732979394.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1092502" style="width:522px;height:auto" /></figure>   The lion's share of the offensive production for the Shamrocks came from two players. It is rare that [player_tooltip player_id='378764' first='Destinee' last='Tiller'] has an off game and Friday afternoon was no exception. She led all scorers with 23 – including 14 in the second half.    <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_1429-crop-2340x1537-1732979533.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1092509" style="width:518px;height:auto" /></figure>   Eau Claire also benefitted from the 14 points that were put on the scoreboard courtesy of Milaysha Chisholm. All in all, she and Tiller combined to put 37 of the Shamrocks' 39 points on the scoreboard.    What's Next?   This win sets up a Lexington vs. Greer matchup in the championship game for the Pearl Bracket on Saturday. What it also does is establish a Eau Claire vs. Midland Valley contest for third place.

While much of North America was busy on Black Friday looking for cool items to purchase for family and friends because of the holidays, many of the Palmetto State's premier high school girls hoopers were looking for early presents in the form of She Got Next wins.