On a mission: Camden girls basketball returns to state championship game
The Camden Bulldogs have been on a mission all season to get back to the state championship game.
The Bulldogs accomplished that goal on Saturday with a dominant 50-24 performance over Lower Richland in the Class 3A Lower State championship.
Now, the final piece will be to cap off the year with the school’s second state championship. Camden will face Wren for the 3A title at noon on Friday at USC Aiken. It is the third title appearance for the Bulldogs.
“These girls have had a singular focus since the buzzer went off in the state championship game last year,” Camden coach Natalie Norris said. “That was our mission, and we feel good about where we are, but we got a little work left to do.”
Camden lost last year to Keenan, 60-58, in the state championship game but returned most of the team and has put together one of the best seasons in school history. The Bulldogs are 28-2, won 26 games in a row and haven’t lost to an in-state opponent all season.
All of Camden’s victories have been by double figures, including wins over Mauldin (No. 1) in Class 5A and North Augusta (No. 1) in Class 4A. The Bulldogs’ average margin of victory is 35.2 points a game.
Junior standout Joyce Edwards led the way with 18 points before fouling out in the fourth quarter. South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and assistant Lisa Boyer were there to see Edwards, the No. 2-ranked player in the Class of 2024.
Edwards scored 12 of her 18 points in the first half and is 17 points shy of 3,000 in her career.
“Last year was the first time that we were able to get to state in over 40 years. So, it is an honor for me and my teammates to get there again,” Edwards said.
It wasn’t one of the best offensive performances for Edwards or Camden. The 50 points were its lowest point total since scoring 48 points against Paul VI in the United Holiday Bank.
Lower Richland coach Aaron Lucas was pleased with the way his team executed the game plan and holding the Bulldogs to 22 points under their scoring average. But offensively, the Diamond Hornets struggled to make shots, and Camden’s defense had a lot to do with it.
Camden held Lower Richland to just five points over 13-minute stretch from the second quarter to the end of the third to take a 44-17 lead into the fourth.
“Some nights, the ball just doesn’t go in the hole. But we try to play defense every single night and bring that intensity,” Norris said. “We got good quick guards and good size up front. We try to play defense that turns into offense for us.”
Tyra Floyd led Lower Richland with nine points. The Diamond Hornets were making their first state semifinal appearance since 2017.
Lower Richland started the season at 6-6 but won 13 games in a row and a Region 5-3A title before losing on Saturday.
“It has been six years as a program since we have been here,” Lucas said. “The seniors that have been around for a while, have taken from some of the seniors in the past and shown these younger teammates how to work hard and grow. I’m very proud of what we were able to accomplish this season.”
C: Carter 7, Mungo 5, Jeffcoat 5, Joyce Edwards 18, Tateyonia Harris 13. LR: Floyd 9, Isaac 5, Sumter 3, Weston 2, Curry 5.
This story was originally published February 25, 2023 at 7:36 PM.
