Region 2-AAAA Preview: Roaring Lions and Tigers

We have made it to the month of November. A countdown to the 2025-26 high school girls basketball season that used to be months and weeks long has now been reduced to merely days.    Speaking of weeks, we at Prep Girls Hoops have unveiled in-depth region previews in the 1A, 2A and 3A classifications. Throughout the next few days, one will see previews of the six regions that comprise 4A before moving on to the eight regions in 5A.    Our 1-AAAA preview was already unveiled and we remain in the Upper State of 4A with a look at another Upstate region in 2-AAAA.    Daniel   (2024-25 Record: 24-5, 12-0)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/eZy-Watermark_25-11-2024_07-17-49-9200AM.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1068067" style="width:606px;height:auto" /></figure>   There were more than enough 3A teams that breathed a massive sigh of relief when they discovered with realignment that Daniel was no longer their problem to deal with.   Instead, the Lions moved up from 3A to 4A – and made plenty of waves in its new classification. Outside of the loss Daniel suffered in the 4A state tournament to the buzzsaw that is Westside, the Lions' only losses of 2024-25 occurred against 5A teams in Byrnes, J.L. Mann and Dorman.    Even more auspiciously for Daniel is how only two seniors graduated from the 2024-25 Lions version. Daniel advanced to state in the 1996-97 and 2009-10 seasons (both against now 5A Division 2 Myrtle Beach).    Key Players:   Among Daniel's returners is [player_tooltip player_id='753233' first='Lila' last='Mann'], an [program_tooltip program_id='1248511' first='Amp' last='Elite'] product who keys the Lions backcourt. She stands at 5-foot-8. Mann averaged a team-leading 11.4 points and a team-leading 5.9 rebounds along with two steals per game.   This season's Lions junior class also includes [player_tooltip player_id='672998' first='Shala' last='Williams'] who primarily operates in Daniel's frontcourt as a three forward. Also an [program_tooltip program_id='1248511' first='Amp' last='Elite'] product, Williams averaged 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per matchup.   When Senior Day takes place at D.W. Daniel, the headliner of said 2026 class is [player_tooltip player_id='1318813' first='Braelin' last='Cumbie']. Listed at 5-foot-6 and primarily playing as a two, Cumbie averaged 10.4 points, three rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.   This will be the third season at the varsity level for [player_tooltip player_id='827524' first='Campbell' last='Epting']. She first played varsity as an eighth grader and is moving into her sophomore season. Epting averaged 8.6 points and 1.3 steals last season.   Adding backcourt depth to the Lions is [player_tooltip player_id='844773' first='Janiyah' last='Wilson']. Following a sophomore season where she averaged 5.9 points per game, Wilson is looking to make an even larger impact in her junior campaign.   Blue Ridge   (2024-25 Record: 20-7, 9-3)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/12/IMG_2916.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1121430" style="width:615px;height:auto" /></figure>   One would be hard-pressed to find a team across the Palmetto State that experienced more of a stark transition than the Tigers.    After all, the 2023-24 Blue Ridge version graduated five seniors. Also, the Tigers were reclassified out of 3A and up into 4A. Plus, it was the first season for Demarkus Langley as Blue Ridge's head coach.    The Tigers displayed that they are still a contender. A 19-6 regular season was followed up by a first-round playoff win against region and crosstown rival Greer before suffering defeat in the second round at the hands of Lancaster.    Putting together a deeper 4A tournament run and finding a way to defeat Daniel have to be high priorities on the Blue Ridge to-do list.   Key Players:   Another big season from junior [player_tooltip player_id='1098651' first='Opal' last='Maralit'] will help the Tigers with both of those aforementioned objectives. Maralit averaged 14.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.1 steals, 3.6 assists and 1.6 blocks a game. She has played at the varsity level since the seventh grade.   [player_tooltip player_id='1318831' first='Audrey' last='Harkins'] is the headliner of Blue Ridge's 2026 graduating class. Harkins is key to what the Tigers look to accomplish from the backcourt. She averaged 10.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.1 steals in 2024-25.   Also important to what Blue Ridge wants to get done from the guard position is [player_tooltip player_id='1098652' first='Kaydin' last='Sullivan']. Standing at 5-foot-4, the junior product for [program_tooltip program_id='1230024' first='Lady' last='Angels'] averaged 9.1 points, three assists and 2.1 steals last season.   Providing a presence for the Tigers in the frontcourt is [player_tooltip player_id='1098650' first='Talia' last='Maxwell'] who stands at 5-foot-10. The junior Blue Ridge big was the team's leading rebounder, averaging 11.1 per game to alongside the 5.8 points and 2.8 steals she averaged.   Blue Ridge's graduating class also includes Kelei Mckenzie who also typically plays as a small forward. Mckenzie was another of the leading rebounders from last season's team, hauling in 4.2 a game.   Travelers Rest   (2024-25 Record: 16-12, 7-5)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/04/eZy-Watermark_08-04-2025_01-55-49-2520PM.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1230010" style="width:620px;height:auto" /></figure>   Much of Travelers Rest's recent history has been as a 3A team but from 2016-17 to 2021-22, the Devildogs were among the 4A field. Travelers Rest made its return to 4A last season to promising results.    The Devildogs improved its overall win total by six and also encountered better fortunes in its new region that still maintained its previous Region 3-AAA rivalry with Blue Ridge. Travelers Rest's season did come to an end in the first round of last season's 4A state tournament by virtue of a 54-44 decision against Wren.    Travelers Rest enters the 2025-26 season after graduating two seniors from the 2024-25 assembling.    Key Players:   Mabry Mullis is returning for one more go-round with Travelers Rest. She played in 25 games last season. She averaged 10.5 points in 2024-25. Mullis is a three-sport athlete who also competes in volleyball and soccer.   The Devildogs also benefitted from a productive sophomore campaign courtesy of Chloe Stegall. She is also a multi-sport athlete who also showcases her talents on the volleyball court. Stegall averaged 7.5 points last season.   Speaking of graduating seniors, that description certainly applies to [player_tooltip player_id='371550' first='Jadin' last='Dandy']. She averaged 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and one steal per contest last season for Travelers Rest. Dandy has also played softball throughout her career.   Seneca   (2024-25 Record: 12-14, 7-5)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0546.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1067578" style="width:630px;height:auto" /></figure>   Four of the seven teams that make up this region all moved up from 3A to 4A beginning with last season. Daniel, Blue Ridge and Travelers Rest were three of the four. The fourth? Seneca.    The move to 4A proved to pay dividends for the Bobcats. The 2024-25 season was the first campaign with a double-digit win total for the Bobcats since the 2019-20 season when Seneca went 24-25 and advanced to the 3A Upper State championship game against Keenan.    The Bobcats' time in the 4A state tournament would be short-lived – A.C. Flora eliminated Seneca in the first round. After graduating only three seniors from last season's team, coach Anne-Hamilton LeRoy is entering the 2025-26 campaign with expectations for her Bobcats.    Key Players:   Returning [player_tooltip player_id='1318771' first='Savannah' last='Weston'] will be a massive help in ensuring Seneca meets – and possibly surpasses – said expectations. Weston played in 26 games last season and averaged a double-double of 12.4 points and 11.6 rebounds per game.   Also coming back for her junior season – as is Weston – is [player_tooltip player_id='1213548' first='Ja'nyce' last='Floyd']. As was the case with Weston, Floyd also competed in all 26 games last season for the Bobcats, averaging 11.5 points, 3.8 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals in the process.   One more season awaits for Miyana Chamberlain in the Seneca colors. Chamberlain took to the court in 17 games last season for the Bobcats and averaged 10.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.8 steals per contest.   The Bobcats also benefitted from a solid freshman season from [player_tooltip player_id='1319106' first='Karmandee' last='Hall'] who is a multi-sport athlete who also competes in track and field and cross country. Hall averaged 8.1 points, four rebounds and two steals in 22 games last season.   Greer   (2024-25 Record: 10-15, 5-7)   During the past several seasons, we have become accustomed to Greer being among the top teams of the 4A field.    The past two seasons saw the Yellow Jackets win a combined 19 games. In 2022-23, Greer was victorious in 18. The five wins the Yellow Jackets compiled were still enough to claim the final 4A state tournament berth from this region, but Greer's season concluded in the first round of the tournament by way of Blue Ridge.    After graduating a star guard and seeing its star power forward transfer to 5A Division 2 Greenville, questions are abound with the Yellow Jackets. Perhaps Nicole Moore, former coach at Westside, will answer those queries as she assumes the reins at Greer.    Berea   (2024-25 Record: 9-16, 2-10)   The Bulldogs remained in 4A with reclassification but moved from Region 1-AAAA to Region 2-AAAA.    Following the doldrums of a winless season that Berea experienced in 2022-23, there was nowhere to go but up for the Bulldogs. Berea has since improved from four victories in 2023-24 to nine wins last season. The Bulldogs also notched a pair of region victories – both of which were at the expense of Pickens.    Berea did not graduate any seniors from its 2024-25 team. The Bulldogs last qualified for the state tournament in 2021-22 season when the team was among the 3A field but all three of its wins were against region opponents.    Key Players:   One name that one must keep an eye out for when playing Berea is [player_tooltip player_id='821209' first='Jania' last='Martin']. She stands at 5-foot-10. Her grassroots career has included playing with [program_tooltip program_id='713826' first='3' last='The Hard Way']. Martin has also competed in track and field events alongside her basketball achievements. She can play as a combo guard but also as a wing.   Pickens   (2024-25 Record: 6-17, 0-12)   It was expected the Blue Flame would experience a drop off following a high-profile senior graduation and a high-profile transfer. The only question is how much of a drop off there would be.    Pickens went from 19 wins in 2023-24 to only six in 2024-25. Add to the fact that the Blue Flame ran the table in reverse against region foes and Pickens' season concluded in early February as opposed later on in the month.    Two of its six victories were against the same opponent in 2A Liberty. Two more of its wins were against 5A Division 2 Easley. The Blue Flame's only other wins of last season were against 4A Southside and 3A Crescent.    Key Players:   One of the returning names for Pickens is Gabi Sanchez. Listed at 5-foot-2, Sanchez primarily operates in the backcourt at the point for the Blue Flame. Sanchez tallied 19 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out four assists in that early December win over Easley.   Anslie Abercrombie has one more season remaining with the Blue Flame before she trades in her Pickens uniform for a cap and gown. Abercrombie stands at 5-foot-3 and can be placed in a team's lineup either at the point or at the two.    Sanchez and Abercrombie lead Pickens' efforts in the backcourt and Braelynn Hardin does the same for the Blue Flame in the frontcourt typically as a forward. Hardin is entering her junior season at Pickens.

We have made it to the month of November. A countdown to the 2025-26 high school girls basketball season that used to be months and weeks long has now been reduced to merely days.