Region 5-AAAAA: Sumter vs. Lugoff-Elgin

Monday evening's Region 5-AAAAA matchup between 5A Division 1 Sumter and 5A Division 2 Lugoff-Elgin represented the second contest in said region this season for both teams.    Both won their region openers. The Gamecocks achieved its first region win of the season at the expense of Spring Valley while the Demons did the same in a rout at West Florence.    We at Prep Girls Hoops made the trek to Lugoff-Elgin for Monday evening's contest – a matchup that the Demons had an opportunity to win but resulted in a close 42-39 win for the Gamecocks. Here are six standout performers that definitely caught our attention.    Region victories are always big. The Gamecocks of 5A Division 1 Sumter already picked up its first region win against Spring Valley – and the eighth-grade playmaker that is Myers came through for her 5A Division 1 Sumter assembling on the road at Lugoff-Elgin. Myers concluded her evening with 11 points. An opposing team could be in a half-court set and Myers can swoop from out of nowhere to make a big play to cause said team to commit a turnover. Myers is a ferocious rim attacker who does not shy away from contact that can place her at the free throw line.     In low-scoring contests such as Monday's between Sumter and Lugoff-Elgin, every bucket matters. This included the 11 points that Samuel placed on the scoreboard to led her Demons. Samuel overcame early struggles to conclude her evening with a productive night at her home hoops office. Out of the 11 points she placed on the scoreboard, seven occurred in the second half of play. Samuel has more experience than the average 2028 given she first played at the varsity level as an eighth grader. She understands the art of attacking the rim, has confidence in her ability to connect from long range and can create additional opportunities for her team with her defense.     Prior to when Lugoff-Elgin made its second-half comeback, Sumter appeared to be on its way to a comfortable victory after outscoring the Demons by a margin of 22-4 in the second quarter. That gave the Gamecocks a 31-18 edge at the break and Tindal concluded the contest with seven points. Five of those seven took place in the first half – and that is a lot considering how defensive-minded Monday's region clash was. Tindal primarily operates at the four in the frontcourt and uses her 5-foot-9 stature to make things happen on either end of the court. Defensively, she is a consistent threat to collect steals and to block shots.     There were two 2030s that took center stage at Monday's region get-together between the Gamecocks and Demons. Hall was eighth-grade standout for Lugoff-Elgin and she aided her team's cause with a 10-point performance. She gives Lugoff-Elgin a potent threat from distance. The Demons connected on four of its 3-point attempts throughout Monday's matchup. Three of those four departed from Hall's hands. Defensively, Hall can keep her arms outstretched and that defensive activity can lead to additional opportunities for her team. A product of [program_tooltip program_id='903656' first='Lady' last='TUSC'], she is listed as a point guard on Lugoff-Elgin's roster even though connecting from deep is a specialty of hers. Hall is just getting started.     Another seven-point scorer that helped Sumter to Monday's victory was Dantzler. Standing at 5-foot-10, Dantzler can give a team worthwhile minutes either as a power forward or as more of a traditional big. Similarly to Tindal, Dantzler also tallied five of her seven in the first half when it appeared the Gamecocks' margin of victory over the Demons would be more lopsided. She can be offensively versatile as she displayed in the first half when she aided Sumter's offensive onslaught with a successful 3-point attempt. Rebounding and blocking shots are also among Dantzler's strong points. Dantzler is one of two seniors on this year's Gamecocks team.     Hobson is one of three team co-captains on this year's Lugoff-Elgin squad – and one of two juniors. A good bit of the Demons' early efforts were keyed by Hobson – she concluded Monday's contest with nine points and had five of those nine in the first half. As a wing player, she can give a team productive minutes either as a small forward or as a shooting guard. Connecting on floaters and midrange attempts only adds to her skillset. With a near six-foot stature, one can count on Hobson to haul in many rebounds, and her defense is also difficult for opposing teams to game plan against. Hobson first played at the varsity level as an eighth grader.

Monday evening's Region 5-AAAAA matchup between 5A Division 1 Sumter and 5A Division 2 Lugoff-Elgin represented the second contest in said region this season for both teams.