Atlantic Collegiate vs. Landrum: 2A Championship Preview

A 2025-26 season that commenced back in November and has braved through several grueling months balancing athletics with academics has come down to this.    There will be a new 2A state champion. In fact, it is the only one of the six classifications where last season's defending champion did not qualify for this year's state game.    In addition, when championship Thursday tips off from Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, the 2A girls contest will be the first on the 12-game card for championship week. Without further ado, here is a look at the two combatants that will battle it out for this year's 2A big prize – Atlantic Collegiate and Landrum.    This will be the first time the Armada and Cardinals have shared the same court.    Atlantic Collegiate (23-2, 12-0 Region 7-AA)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/02/IMG_7319.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1739264" style="width:526px;height:auto" /></figure>   On many occasions when a new school is founded, it can take some time for said athletic programs to get off the ground. The girls' basketball program at Atlantic Collegiate did not get the memo.    Atlantic Collegiate Academy was founded just three short years ago and is competing in merely its second season as a South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) member. Coach Jordin Anderson's Armada assembling has established itself as one of the teams to beat throughout the state.    Last season's Armada scored a first-round victory over Timberland and a second-round win against Lake Marion. Atlantic Collegiate's 2024-25 season ended at the hands of eventual state champion Andrew Jackson.    Armada's Road to Columbia:   Feb. 17 – 77-39 win vs. Manning   Feb. 21 – 44-23 win vs. Philip Simmons   Feb. 24 – 55-25 win vs. Lake Marion   Feb. 28 – 52-43 win vs. Timberland   Key Players:   [player_tooltip player_id='824826' first='DaZena' last='Capers'] transferred to Atlantic Collegiate from Loris and her addition has been a major lift to the Armada. In the 21 games that Capers has played in this season, she is the team's leading scorer averaging 13.2 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.   One of three Armada freshman, [player_tooltip player_id='1240802' first='Erin' last='Williams'] has also been a major catalyst to Atlantic Collegiate's success this season. Williams has averaged 9.2 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per contest.   Much of Atlantic Collegiate's efforts in the frontcourt have been keyed by [player_tooltip player_id='821367' first='Micah' last='Davis'] – a senior. She is a two-sport athlete who also competes in soccer. Davis is averaging 8.1 points, a team-leading 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 steals per matchup.   Another of the five sophomores that comprise this season's Armada version is [player_tooltip player_id='987452' first='Angelina' last='Collins']. A versatile standout who can play in either the frontcourt or the backcourt, Collins is averaging 6.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and two steals per game.   [player_tooltip player_id='821381' first='Zaniya' last='Blackmon'] is another who provides a veteran presence for the Armada. The junior guard is averaging six points, a team-leading 2.6 assists and 2.1 steals per game. Blackmon is one of four juniors for Atlantic Collegiate this season.   Landrum (24-7, 11-2 Region 1-AA)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_5733.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1577453" style="width:552px;height:auto" /></figure>   Ask a Cardinal fan and they will likely mention that they would rather forget the last time Landrum qualified for state.    That occurred merely two seasons ago when the Cardinals were on the wrong end of a 78-60 loss to Andrew Jackson at the Florence Center.    Following a bit of a down season in 2024-25, Kali Koenig's Cardinals have returned with a vengeance. Koenig has guided Landrum back to state in only her second season at the helm and has a team that is more than capable of bringing state hardware back to The Cage.    Landrum clearly was not fazed by finishing behind Blacksburg in region as evidenced by the run it has embarked on since that loss to the Wildcats in the Cardinals' regular season finale.    Cardinals' Road to Columbia:   Feb. 17 – 73-18 win vs. Strom Thurmond   Feb. 21 – 54-42 win at Saluda   Feb. 24 – 64-37 win at Clinton   Feb. 28 – 66-47 win vs. Andrew Jackson   Key Players:   [player_tooltip player_id='1131791' first='Delaney' last='Caldwell']'s transfer from SCISA 3A Spartanburg Christian was one of the marquee moves of the last offseason. The sophomore has averaged 20.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.8 steals, 3.8 assists and 2.2 blocks per contest.   Thursday's championship get-together in Columbia will be the final time for [player_tooltip player_id='587300' first='Kylie' last='Fortner'] in a Landrum uniform. One of the state's premier sharpshooters, Landrum has averaged 19.6 points and 2.3 steals per game.   It will also be the final time for Kennedy Gardner-speech in a Cardinals jersey given she is part of the team's 2026 graduating class. Gardner-speech is second on the team in rebounding, averaging 4.9 rebounds per game.   An eighth-grader, Avery Caldwell, represents the future of Landrum's program for the next few years. She has seen playing time in 26 games this season and is third on the team in rebounding, averaging 4.4 per game. Caldwell is also third on this season's Landrum team in assists.   There are five 2027s on this season's Landrum team. One of those is Hazel Cain who is a two-sport athlete who also has competed in soccer. Cain is second on the team in assists, averaging 3.1 per contest.   When and Where?   Mar. 5, Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, S.C., 2 p.m.

A 2025-26 season that commenced back in November and has braved through several grueling months balancing athletics with academics has come down to this.