CGHR Carolina Clash Barefoot Classic: Saturday’s Recaps

With the basketball calendar having advanced into mid-December, the mid-season tournament and showcase schedule is preparing to get extremely active.    One of those showcases that took place emanated from 4A Wilson HS - The Carolina Clash Barefoot Classic that was hosted by Carolina Girls Hoops Report. The gathering welcomed teams from both Carolinas with Scotland, Albemarle, The Burlington School and Victory Christian representing the Hoop State and South Florence, Cheraw, Atlantic Collegiate and host Wilson representing the Palmetto State.    We at Prep Girls Hoops made the drive out to the Pee Dee for the day's festivities. Here is a recap of how the day from the Tigers den unfolded.    Cheraw vs. Victory Christian   Opening the day's play was a matchup that did indeed feature North Carolina vs. South Carolina.    The Braves of 2A Cheraw have began the season with a fast start at 5-2 with two wins over Marlboro County plus victories over Aynor and two Hoop State teams in Whiteville and South Columbus. Latta has accounted for Cheraw's defeats. The Braves were recently ranked fourth in the most recent coaches' poll.   Victory Christian has began the season at 3-3. Forsyth Country, Lincoln Charter and Charlotte Country have accounted for the team's wins while Greensboro Day, Legacy Early College and Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (out of Georgia) are responsible for the team's losses.    The first varsity victory of the day was claimed by Victory Christian as they earned a dominant 78-21 win over the Braves.   Quarter-By-Quarter   Victory Christian wasted no time establishing itself as a dominant team against Cheraw. The team began the contest with an 8-0 run and eventually opened up a 24-4 advantage over the Braves with one stanza in the books.    More points were placed on the scoreboard by Victory Christian in the second quarter than Cheraw had in the game. At the half, Victory Christian was in cruise control mode leading 35-9 over the Braves.    One fact about this game – both teams only had two available players on their respective benches. Another fact about this game – it was all Victory Christian, all the time as their lead was 54-14 over Cheraw.   This one was not in doubt as it was no longer a matter of how big the Victory Christian victory would be – but what its point margin would be over Cheraw. That answer would be 57 points in what was Victory Christian's most lopsided victory of the season.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1818.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1109238" style="width:505px;height:auto" /></figure>   With 19 points, [player_tooltip player_id='1058488' first='Sofia' last='Ponce'] spearheaded the efforts for Victory Christian. Ponce did most of her damage in the first half as she tallied 14 of her 19 in the first 16 minutes of play. Ponce also showcased how effective a rebounder she is.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1821.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1109240" style="width:505px;height:auto" /></figure>   Included in Victory Christian's offensive onslaught of Cheraw was pinpoint accuracy from behind the 3-point arc. Iany Molnar, a 2027, also added 19 to her team's total. Molnar had five of Victory Christian's 10 3-pointers.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1822.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1109241" style="width:481px;height:auto" /></figure>   Victory Christian also benefitted from a 14-point showing courtesy of junior Hannah Tesfay. She placed eight of her 14 on the scoreboard in the first half. Tesfay is one of three juniors on Victory Christian's roster.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1825.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1109242" style="width:480px;height:auto" /></figure>   No. 14 for Victory Christian had herself a 13-point afternoon. [player_tooltip player_id='1215134' first='Roselyn' last='Sanchez'], another senior, also connected on a pair of her 3-point tries. Sanchez stands at 5-foot-5 and is one of four seniors on the team.   Up Next   Both teams will take the court once again this Tuesday. Victory Christian will host Greater Cabarrus while Cheraw will travel to York Prep.    Albemarle vs. The Burlington School   Second on the four-day varsity card at Wilson HS featured a pair of North Carolina teams.    The Bulldogs, coming off a 25-4 (12-0 Yadkin Valley) 2023-24 season have began the 2024-25 campaign with a 6-2 record. The six victories have been against Sun Valley, Uwharrie Charter, North Rowan and Ashbrook plus a pair of wins over West Stanly. The two losses have been against Bishop McGuinness and last year's 3A state runners-up Terry Sanford.    Meanwhile, The Burlington School have began the 2024-25 season at 3-3. Fayetteville Academy, Fayetteville Christian and Burlington Christian have accounted for the three wins while Freedom Christian, John Paul II and Orange were responsible for the three defeats.    The Bulldogs were nearly 50 points better than the Spartans on Saturday afternoon. The final result was a 76-27 victory for Albemarle over The Burlington School.    Quarter-By-Quarter   The Burlington School only had one player on its bench but the Spartans still managed to stand tough vs. Albemarle. With one in the books, the Bulldogs had built a 19-11 lead over the Spartans.   One had to guess if the Spartans' thin bench would ultimately catch up to them given their opponent was one of the premier 1A schools in North Carolina. The answer appeared to be yes as Albemarle had a 44-17 edge at the break.   Just as the first game was all Victory Christian, all the time, this one had become all Albemarle all the time. The Bulldogs had constructed a commanding 63-21 lead over the Spartans with one quarter left to play.   The second matchup followed a similar theme as the first – one where only the margin of victory was yet to be determined – not the victor. Winner number two of Saturday's play at Wilson was Albemarle.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1830.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1109244" style="width:473px;height:auto" /></figure>   As the matchup wore on, it quickly became the [player_tooltip player_id='617121' first='Amari' last='Baldwin'] show. She concluded the contest with 30 points – more than the entire The Burlington School team. Seventeen of her 30 were tallied in the second half.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1829.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1109246" style="width:465px;height:auto" /></figure>   The Bulldogs' interior efforts – and their early efforts – were centered around their resident center. [player_tooltip player_id='617122' first='Jasmine' last='Brown'] – a senior as is Baldwin – finished with 19 points. She had 10 of the 19 in the first quarter.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1827.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1109247" style="width:465px;height:auto" /></figure>   The Spartans as a team had a rough afternoon at the office – but sophomore Alaiyah Mitchell still delivered a valiant effort for The Burlington School. She concluded her afternoon with 19 points – including 12 in the first half.   Up Next   The Burlington School's next contest will be this Tuesday at Cristo Ray Research Triangle. Albemarle is scheduled to return to the court next two days following Christmas when it travels to Northern Guilford.    South Florence vs. Atlantic Collegiate   Fittingly enough, following a matchup featuring a pair of North Carolina teams, it was time for South Carolina to once again take centerstage.    The 4A Bruins' two losses so far from their 4-2 record have come against a pair of tough 5A teams in Carolina Forest and Rock Hill – last season's 5A runners-up. South Florence has made its way into the win column because of Silver Bluff and Lake City along with a pair of victories over Lake City.    Atlantic Collegiate's sophomore season has started rocky following its 6-14 maiden voyage in 2023-24. The Armada's 2024-25 has included losses to tough teams such as Lower Richland, Northwood Academy, Trinity Collegiate and Mullins. The team did pick up a win earlier this month over Wilmington Christian.    Pee Dee prevailed over the Grand Strand at the Barefoot Classic. The Bruins improved its record to 5-2 by claiming the 50-24 win over the Armada in their first-ever matchup against each other.    Quarter-By-Quarter   South Florence's football team recently was successful in claiming a 4A state championship over Westside. Typically, the good vibes of state glory translate to other athletics programs. It appeared that way for the Bruins girls hoops team as it built a 15-7 lead over Atlantic Collegiate after one.   The Armada then caught a wave of momentum early in the second quarter. Atlantic Collegiate began the stanza with a 12-0 run and held South Florence to only one field goal – a 3-pointer. As both teams entered their respective locker rooms to discuss second half strategy, it was a 19-18 lead for the Armada.   Fortunes once again turned in South Florence's favor in the third. The Bruins would outscore the Armada by a margin of 14-3 in the third frame and assumed a lead of 32-22 with eight minutes remaining on the clock.   An old adage in sports is that it is not how one starts but how one finishes. A strong close from the Bruins made the difference – and prevented Atlantic Collegiate from getting into the win column for the first time this season.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1834.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1109249" style="width:504px;height:auto" /></figure>   Junior two guard Allyson Watson led all scorers for either team. She finished Saturday's contest with a 19-point performance. She had 11 of those 19 in the first half. Watson's ability to score from all three levels ensured the Armada's defense would have little answers.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1836.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1109253" style="width:503px;height:auto" /></figure>   Jazmyne King, a sophomore provided plenty of scoring depth off the Bruins' bench. She added 12 points to South Florence's total. The Bruins as a team drained six 3-pointers – four of them were King's.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1833.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1109255" style="width:499px;height:auto" /></figure>   With an eight-point showing, [player_tooltip player_id='821381' first='Zaniya' last='Blackmon'] paced the efforts for Atlantic Collegiate. Six of her eight occurred in the first half. Blackmon displayed a keen ability to organize an offense in the halfcourt and connect on floaters while attacking the basket.   Up Next   Tuesday will see both teams compete next – both on the road. South Florence will travel to regional rival Crestwood while Atlantic Collegiate will head to the shark tank at one of the top 3A teams in Oceanside Collegiate. The Armada also recently competed this past Sunday against Wilson to close out this year's Carolina Clash.   Scotland vs. Wilson   The day of varsity contests started with Hoop State vs. Palmetto State and was bookended with Hoop State vs. Palmetto State.    Wins over Montgomery Central, Hoke County and Southern Lee had the Scots in the throes of a three-game winning streak that was recently snapped by Union Pines. Scotland also dropped a contest against South Central.    As for Wilson, it earned a fifth-overall rank in the most recent 4A coaches' poll. The Tigers have started the season 5-0 with victories over South Aiken, Powdersville and Marion plus two wins over West Florence.    Would the Tigers take care of home to finish the day? The answer was yes as Wilson earned the 45-41 victory to dispatch of Scotland.    Remember What Happened Last Time?   Saturday's get-together between the Scots and Tigers was the first time they have matched up against each other in a decade. That last contest resulted in a 56-43 win for Wilson.   Quarter-By-Quarter   Defense was more the story in the first quarter of Scotland vs. Wilson than it was in the previous three get-togethers that occurred earlier in the day. A combined four field goals were scored between the two teams, but free throw shooting helped the Scots establish an early 10-5 lead over the Tigers with at the end of one.   A competitive contest was brewing at the Tigers' den as Scotland's margin was trimmed to a mere one at the end of the first half. The Scots had a 19-18 edge over Wilson as halftime commenced.   A late surge – including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer at the close of the quarter - from Wilson stretched its lead out to six – relatively large given this matchup was unfolding. With 24 minutes having elapsed, the Tigers lead over the Scots was 35-29.   Both teams were all knotted up at 39 apiece late in the fourth quarter but Wilson embarked on a late 6-0 run that made the difference. Not only did the Tigers earn the win, but they preserved its undefeated record.   Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1838.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1109257" style="width:480px;height:auto" /></figure>   Who knows where Wilson would have been without the heroics of [player_tooltip player_id='444370' first='Logan' last='Murray']. She finished the evening having scored 23 points. That included 16 that were placed on the scoreboard in the second half.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_1841.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1109258" style="width:483px;height:auto" /></figure>   Who knows where Scotland would have been without the heroics of [player_tooltip player_id='302290' first='Morgan' last='Thompson']. She also concluded Saturday's play with 23 points. Much of her early production occurred at the free throw line.   Up Next   Wilson on Tuesday will host a region rival in Lakewood following a matchup with Atlantic Colleigate this past Sunday to close out this year's Carolina Clash. Scotland will continue play against South Carolina opponents on Friday when it travels to 3A Marlboro County.

With the basketball calendar having advanced into mid-December, the mid-season tournament and showcase schedule is preparing to get extremely active.