It was a season for the ages that ended in brutal heartbreak. The stars were all aligned for Dunk Island’s ultimate glory, but South Pointe’s Quan Peterson found an extra gear when it mattered the most, willing his Stallions past Hilton Head High and overcoming an 11-point halftime deficit in the SCHSL 4A state championship game Saturday to stun the Seahawks 52-50.
Hilton Head was in full control early, opening up a 14-8 lead as senior Sam Summa dominated the South Pointe defense, scooping up every rebound in sight and nailing a three to the tune of 11 first-quarter points. The Seahawks made use of their size and attacked the basket with tremendous success, as point guard Alex Smith hit Will McCracken for an and-one before Na’keydrick Black found Summa inside to take a 16-11 advantage.
After matching the Stallions’ point total in the opening period, Summa continued to dominate inside, scoring on a rebound putback and forcing contested shots and turnovers on nearly every defensive possession. Black was sensational off the bench, blocking a shot and nailing a tough jumper to build the Seahawk lead to seven.
HS BASKETBALL COVERAGE SPONSORED BY
Smith displayed incredible hustle, showing no quit after turning the ball over by denying a layup at the other end as Hilton Head’s intense defense overwhelmed the Stallions. Adam Clark splashed a pull-up three, Summa converted another putback after a missed free throw, and a Smith steal set up a pair of McCracken buckets to take a strong 11-point lead into halftime as the vibrant Seahawk crowd rose to its feet.
But the Stallions came out of the locker room determined to flip the script, and they did so immediately. South Pointe found renewed energy, using explosive speed and athleticism to score on its first three possessions of the half before Jalen Hicklin splashed a three to cut the lead to six. All of a sudden, the momentum swung to the other side and the Stallion defense fed off the hot start, forcing a flurry of Seahawk miscues and turnovers with relentless defensive pressure.
Hilton Head continued its strong interior play on defense, but the ‘Hawks couldn’t do much with their stops. Summa found Tre’von Frazier on a fast break to up the margin to seven, but another Hicklin triple and a high-arcing layup off the glass by Waymond Jenerette trimmed the advantage to four with eight minutes to play.
VIEW THE FULL GALLERY
Both defenses excelled in the first few minutes of the fourth until a Hilton Head block spurred an Alex Smith coast-to-coast layup to up the lead back to six. But the Stallions struck right back, as Peterson cashed in an acrobatic layup before a massive three-pointer by Hicklin on a majestic inside-out pass cut the deficit to just two.
McCracken had the response right away, powering his way to the hole to double the lead back to four. Then McCracken and Black drained a trio of shots at the line, and the Seahawks looked to be on their way to the finish line, up seven with under two minutes to play.
But the Stallions weren’t done yet. South Pointe turned to its dangerous full-court press and wreaked havoc on the title-seeking Seahawks. Omega Blake sparked the incredible rally, zooming to the hoop for an and-one to make it 49-45. All Hilton Head needed to do was take care of the ball, but Peterson had other plans. The junior guard put together a magical run, rattling off five quick points fueled by a flurry of steals.
Just like that, just a minute later, the lead was gone.
Summa answered with a free throw to knot the game at 50 with 26.8 seconds left, but Jaylen Sneed was caught for a foul on the red-hot Peterson. With ice in his veins and the state title on the line, the South Pointe junior sank both to take a 52-50 lead with four seconds left.
Chane Brown called a timeout with the hopes of setting up a storybook ending, but the South Pointe pressure denied a favorable look. Summa’s Hail Mary from half-court missed the mark as the buzzer sounded on Dunk Island’s championship hopes.
Peterson scored nine of his 16 points in the final quarter, delivering an unforgettable performance to lead his squad to glory.
Summa poured it all out in his final game as a Seahawk, leading all scorers with 18 points while putting up a double-double. McCracken capped off a phenomenal senior campaign, finishing the year with 10 points against a strong Stallion defense.
Two years ago, the thought of Hilton Head Island basketball reaching the state title game was nearly unthinkable. But just a pair of seasons removed from a 6-19 record, Chane Brown, McCracken, and a determined Seahawk squad did the impossible.
They may have come up just short of the ultimate goal, but in this year like no other, Dunk Island’s boys brought Hilton Head and the entire Lowcountry excitement, hope, and a dazzling display of basketball that we’ll all remember forever.
“People didn’t think we would be here, but we made it,” Brown said. “I’m extremely proud of the seniors. Without their leadership, we wouldn’t be where we are today.”
By Wes Kerr
