2021/22: SCISA Playoffs At Heathwood Hall

The 2020-21 state playoffs got off to a resounding start on Friday evening, including several games hosted at Heathwood Hall, the alma mater of South Carolina basketball great A’ja Wilson, in Columbia. Here are the results of Friday night’s contests. <strong>Spartanburg Day def. Northside Christian 49-36</strong> <strong>Wardlaw Academy def. Holly Hill Academy 51-20</strong> <strong>Marlboro Academy def. Greenwood Christian 38-33</strong> Richard Winn was also slated to face Andrew Jackson, but the game did not occur and Richard Winn was named the winner against Andrew Jackson via forfeit. Wardlaw (vs. Patrick Henry) and Richard Winn (vs. Lowcountry Prep) will play in its respective quarterfinal contests on Monday while Marlboro Academy (vs. Hilton Head Christian) and Spartanburg Day (vs. Orangeburg Prep) will face its on Tuesday. Prep Girls Hoops was on hand at Heathwood Hall to take in some playoff basketball. Here is a look at the seniors and juniors who caught our attention. <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="235092" first="Marianna" last="Converse"] – 2021 – Spartanburg Day School</strong> – She is one that in South Carolina high school basketball circles has been the subject of much conversation. Converse exceled on Friday night with her ball movement as well as with her rebounding on both ends of the floor. And sometimes, those offensive rebounds would lead to put-backs which bolstered the Griffins’ offensive output. Converse also got to the free throw line in the second quarter. She finished with six points in what was a balanced Spartanburg Day offensive showing. <strong>Brooke Fennessy – 2021 – Holly Hill Academy</strong> – Sometimes, the phrase “floor general” can be thrown around somewhat too loosely in basketball vernacular. That does not apply with Fennessy because she has established herself as a classic floor general that does a bit of everything for her team. Whether it is her ability to pass the ball to an open teammate, being fearless in going to the rim even against a sea of defenders, making shots from the free throw line or making things difficult for opposing dribblers. Her preps career comes to a close with the Raiders’ defeat to Wardlaw. <strong>Halle Mott – 2021 – Holly Hill Academy</strong> – For her time with the Raiders, Holly Hill was Halle Hill and she is another that plenty of Raiders aficionados will miss as she too looks to her graduation. As far as basketball goes, She provides a strong interior presence and is also efficient with her ability to take care of the basketball. Mott is also a force to be reckoned with in the open floor and on the glass. Mott concluded her evening, her season and her Raiders tenure with six points and also (along with Fennessy) played with the Holly Hill volleyball team. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-256380" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/02/6B68DC79-593F-41E9-B181-EBCA27F402FF.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>Gracie Kervin – 2021 – Wardlaw Academy</strong> – Gracie is an ace in the hole for coach Kristina Graves’ Patriots team. Kervin was, arguably, Wardlaw’s most consistent scorer on Friday night and also managed to keep herself out of foul trouble with only one personal called against her for the game. Kervin brings plenty of court vision and awareness to the Patriots in addition to a knack for making plays away from the ball. She will also take her share of 3-point chances and will provide plenty of help on defense. Kervin is one of the parts of why Wardlaw is such a well-oiled machine. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-256377" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/02/BFAAB62A-0C55-4CD9-A6F7-1252582183D8.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="255978" first="Anna" last="Smith"] – 2021 – Marlboro Academy</strong> – When teams face the Dragons, coaches know a key to victory is containing its dynamic duo. Smith knows how to turn defense into offense and will get in position near the rim for putback opportunities off rebounds. She works well within coach Brooks Liner’s system and made big plays for Marlboro towards the closing moments of the game. With the Dragons only leading by one possession (36-33), Smith made two free throws with just over 20 seconds remaining to extend the Dragons’ lead to 38-33 (and a two-possession contest), then was instrumental in a Marlboro defensive stop. Smith finished her evening with 10 points and made four of her six foul shot attempts in a winning Marlboro effort. <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-256378" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/02/99D13B35-0973-4BC6-BC5E-4ECFDA43150D.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="255977" first="Sara" last="White"] – 2021 – Marlboro Academy</strong> – The second of Marlboro’s veteran dynamic duo that teams have to contain if they are to earn victories over the Dragons. White will make moves without the basketball and is creative at getting her team out of tough defensive situations. White will also make plays on defense and convert on high-percentage shots close to the basket. Her spacing on the floor combined with the Dragons’ ball movement enables her teammates to find her at the right place and right time to put points on the board. White put plenty of them on the board as she was the only Dragon with a field goal in every frame. White tallied 17 points to lead all scorers in the Marlboro victory. <strong>Kennedy Kaltz – 2022 – Greenwood Christian School</strong> – Kaltz will have one more season to make opposing defenses feel salty – and a huge reason for this is she is tough to make shots on near the rim. Not only is Kaltz a scorer, but she is a proficient rebounder, passer and shot blocker. Her scoring effort was not only effective, it was timely as was the case in the second quarter when she had the lone Hawks field goal that stanza. Coaches, of course, love it when key players show up late, and even though it was in a losing Greenwood Christian effort, it was proven in the fourth quarter when she scored six of her 11 points in a game where offense was at a premium.