Former Dillon and Latta standout basketball player LaShay Page is back home in the Carolinas and making an impact with the Gamecocks on the court.
The Dillon County native announced earlier in the year that he would be transferring from Southern Miss, where he helped lead the Golden Eagles to the NCAA tournament and averaged more than 11 points and three rebounds per game in his junior year.
In high school, Page played for Latta but spent his senior season at Dillon High. He earned all-state honors all four years, was a four-time team MVP, and was named All-State by the SCHSSR. He spent his first year of college at Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Florida, averaging 14.7 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game and earned Second-Team All-Panhandle Conference honors. Page transferred to Southern Miss for his sophomore and junior seasons, where he played under head coach Larry Eustachy.
The Gamecocks started the season with a new head coach, Frank Martin, who led the Kansas State team that knocked Page and the Golden Eagles out of the NCAA tournament. Martin praised Page as “the best player on a very good Southern Mississippi team.” He added that he hoped that Page would take a leadership position for a young Gamecocks team.
So far Page has stepped up for USC. In his debut, the 6-foot-2, 195-lb. guard scored a team-high 19 points, scoring 17 of them in the second half as he helped the Gamecocks earn a come-from-behind win in overtime against Milwaukee. The Gamecocks, who finished last season with a 10-21 record, are currently 7-3 in non-conference action.
Page is the team’s second highest scorer so far with 105 points in nine starts, averaging 11.7 points per game, with 14 three-pointers. He’s grabbed 30 rebounds so far, 26 defensive and four offensive, and he’s got a 27-31 record at the free throw line.
On Wednesday, December 19, Page combined with Eric Smith for three free throws in the final 20 seconds to help USC to a 74-69 win over Appalachian State. After missing the previous game due to illness, Page started a 9-0 run with a three-point play and two free throws in the final quarter to break open the game.
For Page, the best part of playing for the Gamecocks is being closer to home. He is the son of Jessie Townsend and Cathy Page and has four siblings: Kendrick Page, Jessie Campbell, Malik Thompson, and Jessica Bethea.
