One of the benefits of finding yourself in a lot of blowout wins is the opportunity to develop depth. Hilton Head Christian Academy’s girls cashed in some dividends Thursday.
With the Eagles battling foul trouble, HHCA relied on its role players and reserves to help grind out a 57-46 win over Oakbrook Prep in the SCISA 2A semifinals.
With Dior Shelton and Mary Yanker in foul trouble, HHCA had a hard time getting in a groove in the first half. The teams slogged to a 9-9 tie after the first quarter and traded punches until Skylar Smith’s 3-pointer in the final seconds of the half gave the Eagles a 24-23 advantage.
Despite spending significant time on the bench in foul trouble, Shelton finished with a team-high 18 points, but the Eagles advanced because they were able to add to their lead with their leading scorer on the bench in the third quarter. Eighth-grader Molly Smith came off the bench to provide a spark at both ends of the floor, and senior Jasmine Campbell asserted her dominance inside as the Eagles stretched the margin to 38-31 entering the final quarter.
The Eagles pushed the advantage to 15 in the fourth quarter, but the Knights wouldn’t go away. Oakbrook clawed within 51-46 with 1:33 left, but HHCA sealed the win at the foul line, as Brielle McCarthy hit 3-of-4 free throws sandwiched around a steal to finish with 11 points, and Shelton knocked down 3-for-4 in the final minute. HHCA was 17-of-25 at the line in the fourth.
The Eagles (29-2) will play in the state championship game for the third consecutive year and try to claim their second straight state title against Spartanburg Christian at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Sumter Civic Center.