4M Metals Lowco Girls Hoops Spotlight: Feb. 7

Throughout the high school girls basketball season, we’ll recognize the standouts from the previous week’s action with the Lowco Girls Hoops Spotlight presented by 4M Metals. 

We select our Starting Five of the top players of the week, along with a few standouts we’re keeping “in the rotation,” as well as a Team of the Week, and highlight the biggest game of the upcoming week. Here’s this week’s installment of the Lowco Girls Hoops Spotlight presented by 4M Metals. 

PRESENTING SPONSOR

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LOWCO STARTING FIVE OF THE WEEK

Kynew Barnwell, WB: Barnwell is the Warriors’ Energizer bunny, and as the schedule ramps up, so does her production. The senior star poured in 24 with seven assists, six steals, and five rebounds in a win over St. John’s, then scored 18 and 29 in back-to-back wins against Baptist Hill. With her backcourt mates turning the corner, Barnwell and the Warriors will be a problem in the postseason. 

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Courtney Campbell, HHP: The Dolphins’ sensational freshman had a big week during a busy stretch, averaging 15 points and making hustle plays all over the court to lead HHP to two region wins. Campbell put up 13 points in back-to-back wins over Holy Trinity and Thomas Heyward, and she scored 19 to help keep the Dolphins neck-and-neck with powerhouse Hilton Head Christian Academy until the fourth quarter. 

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Tacoya Heyward, BLHS: Heyward is the heart and soul of a Bobcats team that has put together another incredible season, and she knows she has to step up her game for Bluffton to make a deep playoff run. That’s especially true now that fellow sophomore standout Madi Washington has been lost to a season-ending injury. After collecting 12 points, eight boards, five assists, and eight steals against Effingham County, Heyward stepped it up with 22 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and seven steals in a rout of Colleton County.

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Abby Peduzzi, HHCA: Peduzzi is a powerhouse, plain and simple. She is strong, athletic, and intuitive, which makes her a monster on the boards, and her offensive rebounding prowess often leads to easy buckets. In three wins this week, the junior forward averaged 19 points, 15.3 rebounds, and two steals, recording three double-doubles including a mammoth 28-point, 20-rebound effort against Beaufort Academy.

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Mike’Ala Washington, BA: Regardless of the opponent, Washington continues to score at an impressive clip. After crossing the 1,000-point mark last week, she averaged 15 points, seven rebounds, and four assists during a 1-1 week, including a double-double against Hilton Head Christian Academy with 17 points and 11 rebounds. 

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IN THE ROTATION: Kamirah Freeman, BA; Deja Godsun, HHIHS; Jai’da Grayson, HHCA; Maddie Heathcott, JPII; Tahleea Heyward, BA; Tamya Hutchinson, HHCA; Ja’laina Mosley, BLHS; Erin Rivers, WB; Katie Rodney, BLHS; Lynda Young, HHIHS

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TEAM OF THE WEEK

HHCA Eagles (3-0 this week; 17-2, 9-0 overall)

All the Eagles do is win, though not for lack of trying. Year after year, Kenny Conroy seeks out the best competition he can convince to play his juggernaut squad, and the Eagles take care of most of them. HHCA faced about as tough of a three-game stretch as it will see during region play and came through with flying colors, routing second-place Beaufort Academy on the road and finding an extra gear to finish off a pesky Hilton Head Prep squad in Sea Pines before taking down another Georgia foe with a win over Savannah Christian Prep. The Eagles will test themselves a couple more times this week, hosting Cardinal Newman on Wednesday and traveling to Savannah to face Beach on Friday. 

Honorable Mention: Bluffton (2-0); Hilton Head High (3-0); Hilton Head Prep (2-1); Whale Branch (4-0)

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GAME OF THE WEEK

Cardinal Newman at Hilton Head Christian Academy, 6 p.m. Wednesday

Iron sharpens iron, and three-time defending state champions most certainly sharpen three-time defending state champions. The Eagles have lined up a showdown with SCISA 3A power Cardinal Newman for the second straight year – this time on Lowco turf. The Cardinals handled HHCA with relative ease last January in Columbia, winning 68-48, but Cardinal Newman has not been the same dominant force this season. In fact, the Cardinals lost to Trinity Collegiate this season — their first loss to a SCISA opponent since the 2018 championship game. Can the Eagles hand them another? Cardinals senior Ashlyn Watkins is a lot to handle, but HHCA has enough talent and depth to make this a must-see matchup.

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