County applauds State, Lower State Champs

As a basketball fan, I was impressed when watching the best teams the state of South Carolina has to offer. I’m also pretty sure Marion County looked like a ghost town, as residents traveled in droves to the Colonial Life Center, home of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks basketball, and the annual state championship games. Those proud supporters witnessed a select group of young ladies becoming a part of history.

Head Coach Leon Sturkey and the Lady Swamp Foxes defeated Pendleton 58-54, winning the Class 2A state championship.
The squad has the distinct honor of being the first to win the crown in more than 50 years and the first in the school’s history to bring home the trophy after the era of segregation.
I’ve been covering this team as long as Sturkey has been the coach and it was awesome to witness the Lady Foxes reach this goal.

Marion set the pace of the game early, taking a 30-21, halftime lead. The lone senior on the team, Shaquita Taylor, made her final game a memorable one. Taylor was on fire in the first half, scoring 13 of 16 points in the first two quarters, with an array of pull up jumpers and three pointers that gave the squad its first double-digit lead.

The frontline duo of Candace Wright and Geneika Brantley dominated, just as they’ve done all season.
The two combined for 15 points in the third quarter alone, as Marion held a 47-36 advantage in the final quarter.
Somehow, the Lady Bulldogs rallied, cutting the lead down to a 47-45 score with just under four minutes in the game.

During the playoffs, the Lady Foxes had a penchant for getting out in front early, then holding off a late run from the opposition. However, final moments of their state championship appeared more nerve racking, until Amber Timmons nailed two “ice cold” free throws to tie the game at the 1:09 mark.

The defense held and it was Wright knocking down two additional free throws to take a two-point lead with 18.7 on the clock. In the final seconds, Brantley followed, pulling down a huge defensive rebound and nailing two additional free throws to seal the victory.

“Those girls did the same thing all year long, and that’s never quitting through adversity,” Sturkey said, adding that he was elated with the win. “This is tremendous; most of these girls have played for me for three years, and this is just the culmination of the hard work they put in,” he said.
The coach said he kept reminding his girls about the historical significance of winning the championship.

Wright held Marion down with 18 points, followed by 12 points from Brantley. Timmons played a great game with seven points, and a great defensive effort, along with teammates Amira Timmons, Jessica Grant, and Jakayla Hyman.

Fans remain proud of Aucs effort

The Mullins Auctioneers took on the defending champions from Southside, a team with gargantuan players who ranged in height from 6’4” to 6’9”. A 6’6” Quinton Thomas brought the ball down the court to set up the offense.

The Tigers put their advantages to good use and held a 15-7 lead in the opening quarter. However, Coach Mark Gerald and his squad found their groove in the second quarter, as Eric Smith attacked with four points, and dished out three assists resulting in three point baskets from Greg Nelson and Stacy Wilson. A free throw made by Donte Cooper in the closing seconds trimmed the deficit, as Southside held a 24-22 lead at halftime.

For a moment, the task of pulling off the upset didn’t appear out of reach, because the best chance for Mullins was playing in a close game. However, the Tigers jumped out to a 10-point lead in the third quarter. And, although Wilson answered with another trey to set a 39-31 score at the 1:30 mark, Southside made very little mistakes with the basketball and slammed it down six times in the second half enroute to a 72-47 victory.

Wilson scored a game high 18 points, followed by Smith and Nelson with 11 points each.

For the thousands of Marion County fans in attendance with custom made t-shirts, painted bodies, flags, and hats, the state championship appearance by the Marion Lady Swamp Foxes and Mullins Auctioneers is an accomplishment many will remember.

“It was a good year,” Gerald was quoted as saying. “The kids really worked hard and overcame a lot to get back to this point. I hate it that we didn’t play one of our better games, but they’re a strong group and they’ll rebound from it.”

The bittersweet ending to a remarkable season of high school basketball, proved to be a historical one. The end result was a championship, and a runner-up that gave a championship effort.
“It’s not only good for the city of Marion, but it’s good for Marion County to have two teams in the state championship,” Sturkey said.

Although disappointed in the loss, the Mullins Auctioneers were presented with the state runner-up trophy after Saturday's game against Southside. It was the first championship appearance for
Mullins since the 1996-1997 season.