North Augusta girls defeat South Pointe for third straight Class 4A title

The names might change but the tradition continues.

North Augusta claimed its third straight state championship with a 50-39 victory over South Pointe Saturday evening at the Colonial Life Arena. The Yellow Jackets have not lost to a team from the state of South Carolina since losing in the playoffs to Sumter in 2016, a span of 56 games. They’re a combined 80-3 the last three seasons.

“I think it’s creating a tradition for us,” first-year North Augusta coach Al Young said. “Certainly, the girls that are leaving are leaving a legacy behind them. We talk about that all the time. They fought through a lot of stuff tonight and all season.”

“(The instate winning streak) means an awful lot. We certainly take pride in that. We just hope we can keep pushing. We will stress that. For the young girls coming in, we’ll certainly remind them of that. We’re keep working hard to see if we can hold on to that.”

This one was decided with a dominant second quarter. North Augusta (26-2) turned an 11-5 first quarter lead into a 28-12 lead at the half. It was a 17-7 spurt that concluded with the Yellow Jackets scoring the final eight points of the period.

J’Mani Ingram led three North Augusta players in double figures with 17 points. Mya Burns added 13 points and 16 rebounds while Kiana Lee chipped in with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

“We believe if we play well defensively, we always have a chance,” Young said. “I thought our girls did a good job of boxing out. They controlled the boards. That was one my concerns coming into the game.”

NA – J’Mani Ingram 17, Mya Burns 13, Kiana Lee 12, T. Burns 5, Bell 1, Holmes 2. SP – Sierra McCullough 13, Scarlett Gilmore 12, Neal 2, Adams 9, Blake 3.

This story was originally published March 2, 2019 at 8:15 PM.