Keenan repeats in Class AA

COLUMBIA --- Keenan began the season No. 1 and ended it that way.

Advertisement

Quinton Johnson scored 18 points to give the Raiders their second consecutive Class AA boys state championship with a 56-50 victory over Mullins on Saturday at Colonial Life Arena.

Coach Zach Norris, an Aquinas graduate who played at USC Aiken and coached at several area schools, won his fourth state championship with Keenan (26-3). He also won state titles with the Raiders in 1999 and 2000.

CLASS AAA

WADE HAMPTON 79, DARLINGTON 68

Brian Steele scored 30 points to lead four players in double figures as Wade Hampton (29-0) capped the only unbeaten season in the state with a victory over Darlington (24-2) in the Class AAA state championship game.

Wade Hampton won its first state basketball title since 1971.

MYRTLE BEACH GIRLS 60, GREENVILLE 38

Khadijah Sessions scored 21 points to lead three Myrtle Beach players in double figures as the Seahawks captured their second consecutive Class AAA girls state championship with a victory over Greenville.

Shatia Cole scored 11 points and DJ Hunter added 10 for Myrtle Beach (25-5).

Davia Mills led Greenville (21-7) with 13 points.

CLASS AA

TIMBERLAND GIRLS 55, KEENAN 48 (OT)

Rateska Brown scored the first seven points of overtime as Timberland defeated Keenan for the Class AA girls state championship.

The Wolves (25-2), who beat Silver Bluff in the semifinals, led nearly the nearly the entire second half but the Raiders (20-8) closed late and forced overtime when Jocolby Brown scored on an offensive rebound with seven seconds left to force overtime.

CLASS A

RIDGELAND GIRLS 41, ST. JOSEPH'S CATHOLIC 34

Brittany Richardson scored 17 points and Ridgeland (23-5) used a stellar defensive effort to claim its first-ever Class A girls basketball state championship with a victory over St. Joseph's Catholic.

Elizabeth Reynolds scored 19 points for St. Joseph's.

GREAT FALLS 53, BURKE 50

Alstevis Squirewell scored on a layup with 37 seconds left and Shaquille Lamar added two free throws in the final 21 seconds to give Great Falls its state-record tying ninth state championship with a victory over Burke in the Class A boys championship.

The Red Devils (25-2) overcame an 11-point third quarter deficit to win the seventh state title under John Smith, the state's all-time leader in coaching titles.