North Augusta girls defeat Spring Valley in battle of defending state champions
The streak continues.
Two-time defending Class 4A champion North Augusta extended its dominance over in-state opponents with a 71-65 win over Class 5A champ Spring Valley on Saturday at the Crescent Construction MLK Bash at Eau Claire High School.
It was the Yellow Jackets’ 49th straight win over South Carolina teams. NA’s last loss to an in-state team came against Sumter in the 2016 playoffs.
“We knew we were going to be challenged. I think our girls played through some tough times,” said North Augusta coach Al Young, who took over this season for Crystal Cummings who led the Yellow Jackets to titles the past two seasons. “We were tired, couldn’t substitute a lot, but we played with a lot of heart and got it done.”
The Yellow Jackets played just six players in the game but got a big effort from J’Mani Ingram, Mya Burns and Tyliah Burns, who combined for 62 of NA’s 71 points.
It was the first time NA has played in the four-year event, and organizer Carey Rich and the rest of the crowd got what they hoped for in the matchup between two championship teams.
Spring Valley, which was coming off a big region win over Sumter on Friday, had its chances to put the game away in the second half. The Vikings led 52-45 with 9:46 left, but Spring Valley coach Megan Assey thought her team ran out of steam
With the score tied at 60-60, Ingram made a layup and Mya Burns a basket on back-to-back possessions to give North Augusta a 64-60 lead with 1:16 left. Ingram scored 24 points to lead the Yellow Jackets.
After Taylor Lewis’ free throw cut the lead to 64-61, North Augusta missed two straight 1-and-1 chances from the free-throw line but the Vikings turned it over on three straight possessions.
It was Spring Valley’s second loss this season to a top-tier Class 4A opponent. The Vikings split with No. 2 South Pointe.
“We made too many mental errors, too many turnovers down the stretch. I think we played some soft basketball,” Assey said. “We got some rebounds we should have held on to, lackadaisical turnovers and moments where we couldn’t handle the basketball.
“We just ran out of gas. I felt like they outworked us and that was the true test there at the end.”
Taylor Britt led Spring Valley with 18 points, and Lewis had 14. The Vikings led by as many as nine points in the first half and were up 38-36 at halftime.
The boys portion of the Crescent Construction MLK Bash will be Monday at Eau Claire starting at 10:30 a.m.
North Augusta 71, Spring Valley 65
NA: Tyliah Burns 19, Mya Burns 19, Bell 5, J’Mani Ingram 24, Lee 2, Smith 2. SV: Taylor Lewis 14, Coleman 9, L. Taylor 9, Williamson 9, Taylor Britt 18, K. Taylor 2, Lee 2, Wiley 2.
Cardinal Newman 44, Ridge View 41
CN: Tanaja Kennedy 12, Hogan 4, Ashlyn Watkins 16, Audrey Meyers 12. RV: Mirah Mitchem 12, Standifer 4, Singleton 4, Thompson 2, Murphy 3, Keller 3, Laila Acox 11, Daney 4.
Westwood 66, Wilson 58
WI: Johnson 8, Loyal McQueen 18, Kiki Jones 12, J. Washington 2, Jada Nowlin 15, Foster 3. WE: Etheredge 6, Essence Marshall 11, Unique Drake 18, Lockett 6, Nyah Leveretter 11, Miles 2, McCant 3, Wade 7, Frederick 2.
Swansea 44, Dreher 25
S: Edmond 4, Hampton 4, Danae McNeal 26, Lauryn Robinson 10. D: Scipo Foulks 2, Hollis 5, Burton 4, Sims 9, Davis 2.
Lexington 51, Lower Richland 42
L: Olivia Thompson 21, Nichols 8, Kumiyama 5, Brooke Foulks 12, Saxton 3, Monroe 2. LR: Canty 4, Brooks 8, Nelson 8, TT Jones 15, Brown 3, Smith 4
Orangeburg-Wilkinson 56, Chapin 31
OW: Zeigler 9, Deondra Darby 10, D’Mya Tucker 12, Davis 2, Brailey 2, Gaillard 2, Graves 7, Bantan 2, Stroman 2, Rivers 8. C: Lott 9, Robinson 2, Fabry 9, Rutherford 9, Molinaro 2.