SCISA Quarterfinals at Cardinal Newman: Top Eight Performers

We arrived at the quarterfinals of the South Carolina Independent Schools Association (SCISA) playoffs this past Monday. Only a few days remain until championship weekend once again emanates from the Sumter County Civic Center where a grand total of eight teams will depart from its confines with championship hardware.    Before that takes place, the quarterfinals in the 2A, 3A and 4A classifications would take place. One of the venues that played host to this year's quarterfinals was Cardinal Newman in the Midlands. Three 2A quarterfinal matchups and one 3A contest all took place at the Cardinals' nest on Monday.    We at Prep Girls Hoops made the drive for the day's four-game slate. Here are the top performers from Monday's play.     We highlighted Finley for the 21 points she scored in the opening round of this year's SCISA 3A playoffs as St. John's Christian prevailed over Thomas Sumter. Finley, leading a battle-tested Cavaliers assembling, tallied 23 as her team punched its ticket to the semifinals after a 50-45 win over Shannon Forest. Out of the 23 she scored, 14 occurred in the first half of play. The Cavaliers needed all of those buckets given it was a rout that became a nail-biter in the second half. A three-level scorer who has also played softball and volleyball, her versatility is an extension of her talent as she has the height of a three or a four but has the handles of a guard. Finley understands the art of drawing contact that can place her at the free throw line. Rebounding is another strong element to her well-developed skillset. St. John's Christian will face Orangeburg Prep in the semifinals.      A team's chances of winning can be sure and pure with McClure. Dorchester Academy earned a berth in the 2A Upper State championship game with Lee Academy by virtue of a 53-30 victory over Andrew Jackson Academy. McClure would lead all point-getters for that contest with 18 points. Among the 18 she scored were 13 in the first half of play. The 11 rebounds brought down by McClure gave her a double-double and she also helped Raiders' cause with six steals and four assists. She is one of three 2028s on this year's Dorchester Academy group and also excels as a softball standout.      The day's play at Cardinal Newman concluded with a 2A quarterfinal get-together between Laurens Academy and Cathedral Academy. The Crusaders got the better of the Generals with the final score being 63-45. Senn finished the contest with 16 points. She is a multi-sport athlete who excels as a volleyball player as well as an outside hitter and a right side. Her long-range shooting capabilities make her effective as a two guard. Laurens Academy connected on six of its tries from distance – four of those departed from Senn's hands. Senn is one of the four 2029s on this season's Crusaders roster. The win earns Laurens Academy a semifinal contest against a familiar playoff foe – defending champion Cross Schools.      One of two Meltons on this season's Lee Academy assembling, she led the charge of what was a total team effort for the Cavaliers by outlasting Our Lady of the Rosary in a 45-37 decision. Melton tallied 12 points to lead her team scoringwise. Out of the 12 she placed on the scoreboard, seven occurred in the second half of play. She also hauled in four rebounds as well as collected a steal. Melton has also worn Lee Academy's colors as a softball player throughout her career. The win over the Lions earned Lee Academy a berth to the SCISA 2A Upper State championship. The Cavaliers would later learn that opponent would be Dorchester Academy.      Our Lady of the Rosary did not get the result it was looking for in its SCISA 2A Lower State semifinal matchup against Lee Academy. The result was 45-37 in the Cavaliers' favor but Strelow did everything she could to get her team in the win column as her 26 points displayed. Out of the 17 she placed on the scoreboard, 17 occurred in the first half of play. Strelow does not shy away from contact that can place her at the free throw line. Even if a shot may not be there, Strelow has no issues attempting to get an opposing defender to get the personal. Her ability to place crooked numbers on the scoreboard can also draw plenty of attention from opposing defenses.      Even though Williams and her Cathedral Academy team was on the wrong end of a 63-45 decision in the 2A quarterfinals to Laurens Academy, Williams put forth a valiant effort with 22 points. Williams maintains a busy athletic schedule as she also has played volleyball and runs on the cross-country team in addition to her participation in swimming and softball over the years. Even though the contest became more out of reach as time ticked off the clock, Williams continued to compete. Her AAU career has included a stint with [program_tooltip program_id='713840' first='Charleston' last='Raptors']. A 3-point shot is a central element to Williams' offensive repertoire. She stands at 5-foot-7. Attacking the basket, ball-handling and making accurate passes are also part of Williams' well-developed skillset.      First Presbyterian was on the wrong end of a 50-45 decision to St. John's Christian, bringing a close to not only Shannon Forest's season but Thompson's career considering she is a senior. It concluded in emphatic fashion as she led the Crusaders with 21 points. Thompson especially gave the Cavaliers problems in the third quarter when First Presbyterian embarked on a ferocious comeback that trimmed what was a double-digit deficit at halftime to single digits. Thompson even connected on a midrange jumper which gave the Crusaders a 41-40 advantage, which prompted a timeout from St. John's Christian.      Andrew Jackson Academy had a rough evening at the Cardinal Newman office as the Warriors' 2025-26 campaign came to a close at the hands of Dorchester Academy. Sease proved to be a bright spot for the Warriors as she led her team's efforts with nine points. She thrives as a two guard while possessing the height and length of someone who would typically operate as a power forward. Sease's length is a great compliment to her height. She maintains a high degree of activity even when she is away from the ball and can have her hands outstretched on defense. Sease is one of two sophomores on Andrew Jackson Academy's 2025-26 version.

We arrived at the quarterfinals of the South Carolina Independent Schools Association (SCISA) playoffs this past Monday. Only a few days remain until championship weekend once again emanates from the Sumter County Civic Center where a grand total of eight teams will depart from its confines with championship hardware.