Class 1A Championship: Lee Central vs. Military Magnet

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Championship Thursday at the Florence Center commenced with the girls representatives from the 1A realm having first dibs.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Military Magnet had shockingly fallen in the Lower State final last season to eventual champion Lake View – a team that was eliminated from this season's tournament in the first round by Scott's Branch. The Eagles defeated Hemingway, Bamberg-Ehrhardt, Latta and Denmark-Olar (all by at least 20 points) to advance to Thursday's title game.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>On the other bench was Lee Central. The Stallions were previously a 2A team but were reclassified into the 1A ranks. After wins over Thornwell, Ridge Spring-Monetta, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler and North, Lee Central made the short trek east to the Florence Center.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>This year's 1A championship would be claimed by Military Magnet which defeated Lee Central by a final of 59-40 to put a lid on the 1A girls basketball season.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“It's not a foregone conclusion (or) an automatic thing that we're the champions,” Military Magnet coach Nathaniel Taylor says. “So, we had to concentrate and work hard to get this one.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Records</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Along with state championship hardware, Military Magnet's successful 2024-25 campaign comes to a close having gone 26-5 overall and going 8-0 in region. Runner-Up status would go to Lee Central after an impressive 22-4 season plus going 12-0 in its region.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Quarter-By-Quarter</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Thursday's contest saw a strong start for Lee Central which opened up a 7-2 lead on Military Magnet. The Eagles responded with a scoring binge of their own to assume a five-point, 19-14 lead on the Stallions with one in the books.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“All respect to Lee Central,” Taylor says. “They're going to come out and they're going to give us their best shot. We're used to that now. We're the champions or we've been known to be the champions. So, they're going to come up, Coach (Patrice Holmes) has them prepared and we had to respect that. We had to weather that storm.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Offensively, Military Magnet did not have the most notable of quarters, but Lee Central stuggled mightily in the second quarter as the Stallions' only two points were via free throws. At the half, the Eagles would lead by a margin of 26-16.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Between the second and third quarters, the Eagles only allowed 13 points – a noticeable distance from the 14 Lee Central tallied in the first quarter. Eight minutes stood between Military Magnet and getting back to the top of the 1A mountain with the Eagles ahead by a margin of 43-27.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Stallions showed some signs of life in the fourth quarter but it was not enough to overcome a motivated Eagles bunch looking to regain its throne. When all was said and done, Miltary Magnet did just that, claiming its fourth championship in five tries.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Solidarity With Ashley Ridge</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Prior to the game, Military Magnet's players showed solidarity with Ashley Ridge's players by wearing Swamp Foxes warm-up uniforms during its pregame shootaround.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Ashley Ridge was notably disqualified from the 5A Division 1 tournament due to player eligibility issues after qualifying for a Lower State championship matchup with Summerville following a 74-70 four-overtime win over Ridge View.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“Charleston's not so big, so we all eventually get in the same gym,” Taylor says. “Those young ladies play recreational ball and we all play in the same community – rec ball. And as they grow up, they spread out and go to different, various high schools. But, we're all one family – one basketball community.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Primetime Performers</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1211861,"width":"555px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/IMG_4165-crop-2235x1468-1741364672.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1211861" style="width:555px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='366551' first='DaNariyah' last='Williams']</strong> concluded her junior campaign in emphatic fashion. Williams not only tallied 18 points, she also was three rebounds shy of a double-double with seven. Williams made 10 of her 14 attempts from the free throw line.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1211863,"width":"553px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/IMG_4009-crop-2951x1938-1741364801.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1211863" style="width:553px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='196266' first='Dream' last='Watson']</strong> – one of the Eagles' five seniors – would go out a winner with a championship-level performance. Watson's final game in Military Magnet red would see her score 16 points, grab four rebounds and dish out three assists. Watson also made 10 of her 11 free throws and collected six steals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1211865,"width":"558px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/IMG_4206-crop-1893x1243-1741364927.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1211865" style="width:558px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='252502' first='Sabri' last='Mitchell'] also had herself a productive game in her final time wearing the Eagles uniform. Mitchell would score 11 points and grab six rebounds. Her afternoon also included collecting four steals.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“I can't put one over the other,” Taylor says of the seniors. “I love all of them. I hate to see them go.”</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1211867,"width":"560px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/03/IMG_4117-crop-2389x1569-1741365097.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1211867" style="width:560px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In what would be <strong>Kiyonna Austin</strong>'s final occasion sporting the black and Vegas gold of Lee Central, Austin managed a double-double. She finished with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Austin is one of seven Stallions seniors.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>So Long, Seniors</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>[player_tooltip player_id='366548' first='Dejamari' last='Pugh'], [player_tooltip player_id='196266' first='Dream' last='Watson'], Aumani Price, [player_tooltip player_id='860961' first='Jada' last='Davis'] and [player_tooltip player_id='252502' first='Sabri' last='Mitchell'] are calling it a career at Military Magnet. The same applies to [player_tooltip player_id='370271' first='Ja'niya' last='Slater'], Ke'Myra Dennis, Kiana Hopkins, Johnnae Alston, [player_tooltip player_id='992657' first='Hannah' last='Reames'] and Kiyonna Austin at Lee Central.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->