Berkeley vs. Greenville: 5A Division 2 Championship

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Championship Thursday at Colonial Life Arena commenced with Landrum prevailing in the 2A girls game over Atlantic Collegiate. Following that contest, the bright CLA lights shined upon teams from the 5A Division 2 realm.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Those two teams were Berkeley and Greenville. Coach Crystal Peace's Stags – defending 5A Division 2 champions – earned a bye into the second round and earned victories over Irmo, North Myrtle Beach and Goose Creek to earn a state berth.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The other state berth was claimed by coach Anthony Gowens' Red Raiders, a year after losing in the Upper State championship game. Greenville defeated Riverside, Eastside and Gaffney en route to this year's Upper State championship.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Would Berkeley go back-to-back or would Greenville thwart the Stags' repeat effort? The answer would be the former as the Stags dispatched the Red Raiders with the final score being 54-50.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“This one means a whole lot,” Berkeley coach Crystal Peace says. “Me and the girls know why it means a lot. Our team looks a little different this season. The girls who stuck it out, they stick with what we have and what we do. They believe in me and what we do as a program and our coaching staff, and they stuck with the program – and it just means that much more to the girls.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Records</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Berkeley's latest and biggest win means the Stags would conclude the 2025-26 season with an overall record of 23-5 in addition to a 8-2 showing against region adversaries. The ending to Greenville's season may not have gone as planned, but it can still be proud of its Upper State championship, its 22-7 overall record and its 12-2 mark in region.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Quarter-By-Quarter</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>At one point in the first quarter, both Stags and Red Raiders were all knotted up with six points apiece before Greenville pulled away to finish the frame. Eight minutes were in the books with the Red Raiders ahead of Berkeley by a margin of 12-6.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The many Berkeley fans that were in the stands at Colonial Life Arena had much more to cheer about in the second quarter than in the opening frame. The Stags began said stanza with a 12-3 run which prompted a timeout from Greenville. At the half, Berkeley led the Red Raiders by a margin of 21-19.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“We were just telling the girls we weren't attacking enough,” Peace says of her team's first-quarter performance. “(The Red Raiders) were in a zone and we were just sitting there not being very aggressive. We kept harping on that and said there are gaps (and) why aren't we attacking gaps. And then, when you've got a group of coachable kids, then they attempt and try to do what you ask.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>What was a two-point Berkeley edge at the break became a seven-point Stags advantage with three quarters in the books. Berkeley would outscore Greenville by a margin of 13-8 in the third quarter to grow its lead to 34-27 at the conclusion of three frames.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Greenville displayed that it was not finished as it put together its best offensive quarter in the fourth with 23 points. The bad news for the Red Raiders was that the fourth quarter was also Berkeley's best offensive quarter as the Stags placed 20 on the scoreboard. When the final buzzer sounded, Berkeley would claim 5A Division 2 state hardware for the second consecutive year.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Primetime Performers</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1797241,"width":"568px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/IMG_9963-crop-2632x1728-1772765678.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1797241" style="width:568px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Greenville's defense had no answers for <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='768684' first='Alaina' last='Carter']</strong>. The star Berkeley guard paved the Stags' way to a second consecutive state championship with a 29-point, five-rebound, two-steal performance.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>“She knocked down some big shots for us,” Peace says. “Major shots. You take away those shots then we're probably in a dogfight – which we were. But, I'm just glad she was knocking down the way she was. But that's been her M.O. all season.”&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1797274,"width":"568px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/IMG_0004_622fac-crop-2044x1342-1772766786.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1797274" style="width:568px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Carter could not get the job done by herself. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='365237' first='Amani' last='McCray']</strong> would add eight points to the Stags total. She also grabbed four rebounds and played in all 32 minutes. Three of McCray's four boards were of the offensive variety.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1797278,"width":"568px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/IMG_9994-crop-2442x1604-1772766937.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1797278" style="width:568px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Adding to what Berkeley was able to get accomplished in the interior was <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='651705' first='Imani' last='Levey']</strong>. She aided the Stags' cause with seven points. Levey is one of three juniors on this season's Berkeley team.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1797282,"width":"565px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/IMG_9814-crop-2185x1435-1772767119.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1797282" style="width:565px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='258130' first='Ava' last='Owens']</strong> left it all on the Colonial Life Arena court in what would be her final time sporting a Greenville uniform. Owens led her Red Raiders with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds. She also sent out three assists and made eight of her 11 tries from the field.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:image {"id":1797286,"width":"556px","height":"auto","sizeSlug":"large","linkDestination":"none"} --> <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2026/03/IMG_9890-crop-2184x1434-1772767243.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1797286" style="width:556px;height:auto" /></figure> <!-- /wp:image --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Red Raiders also benefitted greatly from the 14 points that were placed on the scoreboard courtesy of junior forward <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='610425' first='Makayla' last='Assemian']</strong>. Six of her 14 points occurred in the first quarter. Assemian also hauled in five rebounds and rejected two Stags shots.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>So Long, Seniors</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>[player_tooltip player_id='357552' first='Demi' last='Gray']</strong>, <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='662508' first='Madison' last='Thomas']</strong> and <strong>Briahana Thompson</strong> are the three seniors that will soon sport Berkeley caps and gowns. Two 2026s will soon graduate from Greenville – they are <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='258130' first='Ava' last='Owens']</strong> and <strong>[player_tooltip player_id='1318821' first='Taliyah' last='Johnson']</strong>.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong><em>Reclassification</em></strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Greenville will move back down to 4A while Berkeley will remain in 5A beginning next season.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->