I Have A Dream Showcase: Monday’s Results

With a number of school districts having Monday off for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, this opened up an addition day on the schedule for a number of schools to host daylong showcases.    One of those took place at 4A West Florence – the I Have A Dream Showcase. It saw a total of 16 teams – eight girls teams and eight boys teams – converge on the home court of the Knights.    We at Prep Girls Hoops also made the trip to West Florence for the day's festivities. Without further delay, Here is our recap of the four girls games that took place on Monday.    Cheraw vs. South Florence   The day's format of games followed a similar blueprint as the Battle at the Border at Landrum HS with two girls games followed by two boys games then two more girls games then finishing with a pair of boys contests.    The first girls game of the day featured the Braves of 2A Cheraw and the Bruins of 4A South Florence. Entering the day's play, Cheraw already equaled its nine-win total from 2022-23. The Braves had a three-game winning streak before it was snapped by region rival Chesterfield.   The combination of graduations and transfers was expected to take a toll on the Bruins this season. South Florence has held its own in 2023-24, but is nowhere near the juggernaut they were the last few seasons.    Winner number one of the day's play was South Florence with the final score being 58-29 over Cheraw.    Remember What Happened Last Time?   Braves fans remembered what happened last time these two teams met – and they'd likely rather forget it. South Florence won in a rout by a final of 69-19.    Quarter-By-Quarter   If the goal of South Florence was to establish itself as the dominant team early, the Bruins did that – and then some. An offensive flurry that Cheraw had very few answers for allowed the Bruins to build a 19-4 lead over the Braves with one in the books.    That theme continued into stanza number two. What was a 15-point edge for South Florence would grow into the 20s as the frame concluded. At the half, the Bruins advantage over the Braves was 33-13.   As the third quarter elapsed, the rout continued – and it was no longer a matter of if the Bruins would win, but what the final point margin would be. That point margin was 47-18 as the fourth quarter commenced.    On most occasions, playing at West Florence can be hostile territory for South Florence. The victory over Cheraw was an exception to the rule as the first game of the showcase was all Bruins, all the time.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8044.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-839120" style="width:371px;height:auto" /></figure>   For the Bruins, [player_tooltip player_id='385365' first='Jada' last='Montgomery'], the team's captain and a senior guard, finished with 17 points. She displayed plenty of attributes – including speed and active defensive hands that should serve her well at the next level.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8045.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-839121" style="width:379px;height:auto" /></figure>   Allyson Watson is one of the two sophomores on the Bruins 2023-24 rendition. She added 12 points to South Florence's overall output. Along with the height advantage she presents, she is also an efficient runner of the floor.   What's Next?   The Bruins and Braves would resume region play on their home courts. Cheraw's ensuing region matchup would be against the juggernaut that is Andrew Jackson while South Florence would host North Myrtle Beach.    Dreher vs. West Florence   While this format was similar to that of Landrum's Battle at the Border, typically the Cardinals teams are last on the schedule. In the case of the I Have A Dream Showcase, host West Florence was early on the card.    Both the Blue Devils and Knights have encountered rough 2023-24 seasons. The closest Dreher has come to a victory so far this season was recently when it was on the receiving end of a 37-29 decision to region rival Swansea.    The host Knights entered play having won only two contests this season – against Lakewood and Cheraw.    Something had to give – and, for one game, what gave was West Florence's bad luck. The homestanding Knights earned a 51-43 victory over the Blue Devils.    Remember What Happened Last Time?   In December of 2022, West Florence would claim one of its eight wins of last season against Dreher. The Knights defeated the Blue Devils by a final of 40-29.   Quarter-By-Quarter   The first quarter of this contest was more competitive than that of the first matchup between South Florence and Cheraw – and the score was of the host team's liking. With one complete, West Florence had a 13-8 advantage over Dreher.    Just as was the case with the conclusion of the opening stanza, the second quarter would also conclude with the homestanding Knights having a five-point edge on the Blue Devils. It was 22-17 in favor of West Florence at the half.    At first, it appeared the Knights would pull away from the Blue Devils in the third quarter before a Dreher flurry kept it close. The score was 33-27 in favor of West Florence with one quarter left to play.   The Blue Devils managed to tie the contest up in the fourth quarter, but the Knights made enough plays to hold off Dreher. West Florence would defend its home court with an eight-point victory.   Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8055.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-839122" style="width:439px;height:auto" /></figure>   With 14 points, [player_tooltip player_id='571844' first='Kendrina' last='Johnson'] led the way to victory for the Knights on their home court. She was an element of the West Florence scoring attack that placed most of its emphasis on interior play.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8053.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-839123" style="width:442px;height:auto" /></figure>   Another one of the Knights' patrollers of the paint was Gabrielle Gunter. She aided the Knights' cause with a 12-point performance. Gunter also connected on the lone 3-pointer West Florence had that game.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8056.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-839124" style="width:439px;height:auto" /></figure>   Dreher was in the game from start to finish because of the heroics of star senior guard Diamond Berry. She tallied 30 points which nearly allowed the Blue Devils to pull off the victory on the road.   What's Next?   When both teams resume region play, both will be facing tough opponents. Dreher welcomes Orangeburg-Wilkinson on Tuesday while West Florence will travel to Hartsville the following day.   Trinity Collegiate vs. Lugoff-Elgin   Out of the eight girls teams that were on hand for Monday's I Have A Dream Showcase, only one of those were from the SCISA realm.    That team was Trinity Collegiate. This one may be brought to us by the letter three. The 4A Titans entered play having dropped only three games – including twice to a SCISA 4A rival in Northwood Academy.    Meanwhile, Lugoff-Elgin began Monday's play having won only three contests. All of those occurred in November against Northside Christian as well as against North Central and Indian Land. Since then – an eleven-game losing streak for the 4A Demons.    Would that continue? As it turned out, it did. The Titans dispatched the Demons with the final being 84-51.    Quarter-By-Quarter   In sports, records can often be deceiving. Lugoff-Elgin looked like anything except a team that only won three games on the season. The Demons' efforts in the first quarter would come up short as Trinity Collegiate's lead was 18-10 with one in the books.   Lugoff-Elgin outscored Trinity Collegiate by the slimmest of margins in the second quarter – 16-15. As the 10 minutes of halftime commenced, the Titans lead over the Demons would be 33-26.    By turning defense into offense, the Titans managed to put plenty of distance between themselves and their Demons adversaries. With eight minutes left to play, it was Trinity Collegiate 59 and Lugoff-Elgin 41.   If there was any suspense in the first half, it had completely vanished by the second half. A dominant second half by the Titans was what led to an emphatic victory for the lone SCISA girls participant.   Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8075.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-839125" style="width:419px;height:auto" /></figure>   As is common with Trinity Collegiate contests, there were several double-digit scorers. Including junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='258135' first='Makayla' last='Legette']. She placed 21 on the board and did the bulk of her damage in the second half.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8074.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-839126" style="width:428px;height:auto" /></figure>   The Titans also benefitted from another big game courtesy of [player_tooltip player_id='369800' first='Autumn' last='Kind']. A 20-point performance was another element to Trinity Collegiate's rout. Kind was particularly effective in the first half.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/11/eZy-Watermark_26-11-2023_06-15-20-0000PM.jpeg?w=380" alt="" class="wp-image-812710" /></figure>   With 18 points, sophomore guard [player_tooltip player_id='380996' first='Kaliya' last='Herman'] added plenty of depth off the bench. Among those 18 points were a trio of 3-pointers that she made. The Titans as a team made six from behind the arc.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8077.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-839130" style="width:442px;height:auto" /></figure>   No. 12 ([player_tooltip player_id='355927' first='Saleese' last='Kind']) finished with 13. Kind is another of the five juniors that is listed on the roster for Trinity Collegiate. Kind particularly was effective in displaying what she can get accomplished as an attacker of the rim.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8071.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-839131" style="width:446px;height:auto" /></figure>   In spite of a rough afternoon at the Castle for Lugoff-Elgin, [player_tooltip player_id='637609' first='Jillian' last='Rush'] had herself another productive contest. The Demons' resident freshman star big added 23 points to aid her team's cause.   What's Next?   Both Trinity Collegiate and Lugoff-Elgin will be on the road on Tuesday. The Titans will be at First Baptist and the Demons will pay a visit to Westwood.    Lee Central vs. Hartsville   The aim of any well-run showcase is to ensure that its marquee matchup is towards the close of the event. This one certainly qualifies as marquee.    One of the premier teams in the 2A ranks took on one of the premier teams from the 4A realm. Lee Central began the day's play with a 13-1 record. That one loss came during a holiday tournament against 5A Goose Creek.    Hartsville took plenty of momentum into the event. Along with being 12-5 overall for the season and seeing one of its star players make a college commitment, the Red Foxes rode a six-game win streak into play. Among Hartsville's five losses, two were to Northwood Academy.   The final girls game of the day would go the way of Hartsville. The Red Foxes earned a 34-27 win over the Stallions.   Quarter-By-Quarter   If the first quarter was any indication, it was another reason why we play these games. One would have expected a get-together between Hartsville and Lee Central to be back-and-forth, but the first quarter was all Red Foxes. Hartsville established a 10-0 edge with one complete.   The ensuing eight minutes would be dictated by defense even though the Stallions showed signs of life early on. The Red Foxes connected on a buzzer-beating triple to conclude the first half to bring a 18-6 lead into halftime.   The bulk of the third quarter resembled more of the evenly matched contest one could expect from these two teams that are among the class of the Pee Dee. A late Hartsville run upped its lead back to double digits – 27-16 having completed three frames at West Florence.   Hartsville vs. Lee Central did turn out to be a competitive contest – but one where points came at a premium. The Red Foxes got the better of the defensive-minded tilt by virtue of a seven-point win over the Stallions.   Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8116-2-crop-2236x1469-1705392426.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-839136" style="width:384px;height:auto" /></figure>   Players can at times perform with a bit of a spring in their step after making a college commitment. It has been a bit less than two weeks since [player_tooltip player_id='175350' first='Jasmine' last='Frierson'] made her commitment to Lander. She led her Red Foxes with 16 points.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/06/F2C47491-B240-431A-8A20-CCFD4DAA5690.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-677935" style="width:382px;height:auto" /></figure>   Hartsville was also aided by another worthwhile game courtesy of their senior big [player_tooltip player_id='355170' first='Tatiana' last='Fisher']. The 5-foot-11 center added 10 points to the Red Foxes' total. High-percentage baskets is another of her strengths along with rebounding.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8091-crop-2349x1542-1705392661.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-839140" style="width:398px;height:auto" /></figure>   Another veteran point guard – [player_tooltip player_id='297243' first='Brooke' last='Mitchell'] – also was integral in the Hartsville victory. In a contest where scoring is at a premium, every point counts – including the eight that Mitchell contributed for her team.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8105-crop-1931x1268-1705392867.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-839148" style="width:404px;height:auto" /></figure>   Hartsville's defense was creating problems for Lee Central from start to finish. A pair of seven-point scorers provided the bulk of what the Stallions got accomplished offensively. One was Hannah Reames – a junior.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/01/IMG_8082-crop-2236x1469-1705393121.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-839150" style="width:412px;height:auto" /></figure>   The other is Mylasia Dennis – a senior. She can display her versatility on the offensive end of the floor with her ability to play as either a three or four forward or as a traditional big. Dennis stands at 5-foot-11.   What's Next?   On Tuesday, Marion will pay a visit to Lee Central. Ironically, after participating in a West Florence-hosted showcase, the Red Foxes will host the Knights on Wednesday.

With a number of school districts having Monday off for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, this opened up an addition day on the schedule for a number of schools to host daylong showcases.