Dillon’s #10 Khamele Manning is guarded by Mullins’ #3 Brittani McDonald.
Dillon’s Lady Wildcats defeated Waccamaw on Wednesday night and held on against Mullins on Friday to win the Region 8-2A girls basketball title in overtime.
With the win and the title, the Lady Wildcats will host the first round of the Class 2A playoffs tonight at 7:00 p.m., taking on Region 7-2A’s fourth place team, Andrews.
Click here to view videos of the Waccamaw and Mullins games!
Dillon was undefeated in the region for much of the season, but a 67-50 loss to Mullins on February 3 left the two teams tied for first place at 6-1. Dillon secured wins over Marion and Loris, while Mullins defeated Loris and Aynor to maintain the tie heading into last week’s games.
Dillon’s #24 Shimya Sowells guards Waccamaw’s #23 Jazmyn Torrance on Wednesday.
While Mullins earned a win over Marion on Wednesday night, the Lady Wildcats were hosting Waccamaw for a 52-28 win over the Warriors.
The Wildcats took an 8-7 lead in the first period and led 14-11 at the half. Dillon widened the gap with a 13-7 third quarter before pouring in the points, 25-10, in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Khamele Manning led the Wildcats with a game-high 16 points with eight rebounds, and Tejah Breeden earned 10 points with 10 rebounds to assist in the win. Cali McRae added eight points; Da’Kerhia Samuel, 4; Adriana McCollum, 4; Kendra McLeod, 3; Shimya Sowells, 3; Shar’Asia Samuel, 2; and Jelissa Fentzlaff, 2.
Waccamaw was led by D’Avion Funnye, Samirah Murry, and Sydney Derrick with six points each, and Shavashia Grant, Brianna Brooks, and Jazmyn Torrance each added three points in the effort.
Click here to see more photos from Wednesday’s game!
Dillon’s #24 Shimya Sowells drives down the court before being fouled by the Warriors.
With both Dillon and Mullins still tied for the region lead, a tiebreaker game was scheduled for Friday at Loris to determine the title.
Dillon took a 17-11 lead in the first quarter, but Mullins stepped up the pressure in the second, going 19-13 to knot the game at 30 at the half. Mullins started the third quarter by pulling ahead 36-32, but despite pressure from the Lady Auctioneers, the Wildcats were able to catch up to tie the game at 36.
The teams exchanged baskets for the rest of the third quarter, with Manning sinking two for Dillon and Jaleah Lesane hitting two free throws for Mullins to keep the score at 38. Da’Kerhia Samuel laid in back-to-back baskets to put Dillon up 42-38, but Brittani McDonald sank two free throws for Mullins, and as time expired, Brianna Brantley scored to once again tie the game at 42, with both teams adding 12 points in the quarter.
Dillon’s #10 Khamele Manning steals the ball from a Lady Auctioneer on Friday.
The fourth period started with a foul, allowing Manning to sink one free throw for the Wildcats. Dillon pulled ahead 45-42, but Zaakirah Williams sank a free throw to keep the Lady Aucs close. Four points from Shar’Asia Samuel put Dillon up 49-45, but the Auctioneers stayed hot in the Wildcats’ heels. Da’Kerhia Samuel scored for a 51-47 lead, but McDonald responded with two-pointer to once again cut the lead. Tejah Breeden sank one for Dillon, but McDonald struck again for Mullins to keep the Auctioneers close at 53-51. A foul allowed McDonald an opportunity to tie the game with a free throw, but she missed the shot. But moments later, Lasane sank a three-point shot to give Mullins the lead with less than three minutes on the clock.
Brantley went to the free throw line for the Auctioneers but missed, but Cassie Phillips caught the rebound and sank a shot to put Mullins up 57-53. Manning took control of the ball and took it down the court before handing off to Dillon’s McLeod, who sank a three pointer to put the Wildcats down by just one at 57-56 with just under two minutes remaining. But another foul sent McDonald to the line, where she sank one shot, and Lasane followed up moments later for a 60-56 lead for the Lady Aucs.
With less than a minute remaining, Da’Kerhia Samuel was fouled and hit both free throw attempts to pull within two points of Mullins. With 27.4 seconds on the clock, Shar’Asia Samuel tied the game at 60, and after Mullins missed a tiebreaking shot, the game went into overtime.
Dillon’s #11 Tejah Breeden lays one in for two points against Mullins on Friday.
With four minutes on the clock, Dillon’s Breeden went up for a free throw, but missed both shots. The Wildcats and Auctioneers battled back and forth with no scoring until Mullins was again sent to the line on a foul, where Phillips hit one attempt to give Mullins a 61-60 lead. Dillon responded seconds later with as McLeod hit a three-pointer with less than a minute on the clock to give the Wildcats a 63-61 lead. Mullins took the ball back down the court for a miss, and the Wildcats took control in the final seconds, with Shar’Asia Samuel driving down the court for a blocked shot as time expired.
Dillon’s Da’Kerhia Samuel and Shar’Asia Samuel each earned 14 points in the win and Tejah Breeden earned 13. Kendra McLeod scored 12; Khamele Manning, 7; and Adriana McCollum, 3. Da’Kerhia Samuel grabbed 13 rebounds, and Breeden picked up 11.
Jaleah Lasane scored a game-high 22 points and Brittani McDonald added 15 in the effort. Cassie Phillips added 9; Brianna Brantley, 6; Zaakirah Williams, 5; and Zakiya Williams, 2.
Click here to see more photos from Friday night’s game!
The Wildcats finished the regular season with a 20-3 record and the Region 8-2A championship at 10-1. Mullins finishes with a 15-3 record and second place in the region at 9-2.
Dillon will host Andrews tonight, with the winner facing either Silver Bluff or Battery Creek on Friday, February 20.
Mullins will host Lee Central, with the winner facing the winner of the Ridgeland-Hardeeville/Academic Magnet game.
Waccamaw, who finished third in Region 8-2A, will travel to Lake Marion in the first round with the winner facing either Bishop England or Edisto. Region 8-2A’s fourth place team, Marion, will be at Kingstree, with the winner facing Whale Branch or Wade Hampton.
