By Justin Jarrett
LowcoSports.com
A dynasty unlike any we’ve seen in the Lowcountry was too much for John Paul II’s girls basketball team to overcome, as the Golden Warriors’ best effort wasn’t quite enough to topple perennial power Hilton Head Christian Academy, which pulled away in the fourth quarter to claim its sixth consecutive state title in the SCISA 3A championship game Saturday in The Cove at USCB.
Mahoney converted a three-point play to pull the Golden Warriors within 12 early in the fourth quarter, but star senior guards Mya Hutchinson and Devon Yarde took over in the final period and HHCA eased away for a 68-44 victory to add to its dynastic run.
“What a season,” JPII coach Karen Floyd said. “Team-first mentality. That’s what brought our team success and why individual players were able to reach milestones.”
Mahoney, who reached the 1,000-point mark in her career a game earlier, wrapped up a fantastic run at JPII with another double-double, collecting 13 points and 10 rebounds, while Lily Termini added 12 points and seven boards.
JPII’s backcourt held its own for much of the night, but when the Golden Warriors’ legs started to fade, Hutchinson and Yarde went to work, converting turnovers into runouts and using their dynamic abilities with the ball in their hands to get to the rim. When they misfired, fellow senior Morgan Scott was often there to collect the rebound and putback.
The Golden Warriors finished the season with an 18-8 record with three of the losses coming to the Eagles and two more at the hands of SCISA 4A runner-up Northwood, and with HHCA losing 60 percent of its starting lineup, a changing of the guard could be coming.
“I love that our seniors — Cayce Graves, Gracie Henderson, and Brady Mahoney — have come so far in four years,” Floyd said. “Their individual growth and team success speaks highly of their character and will to win. With the exciting young talent and leadership of our returning players, next season is definitely something to smile about.”
Justin Jarrett is the sports editor of The Island News and the founder of LowcoSports.com. He was the sports editor of the Island Packet and the Beaufort Gazette for 6½ years. He has a passion for sports and community journalism and a questionable sense of humor.
