Cross defeats Crusaders for SCISA Class 2A state title
Laurens Academy’s Sadie Bruyere (3) drives to the ba sket against Cross’s Lexann Maldonado (11) during Saturday’s Class 2A state championship game in Sumter.
SUMTER – Cross Schools’ pressure defense finally cracked Laurens Academy, and the Stingrays downed the Crusaders 45-29 to capture the SCISA Class 2A girls basketball championship Saturday at the Sumter Civic Center.
LA head coach Jason Marlett recognized his young team was the underdog heading into the finals, but was hoping his 18-8 Crusaders could scrap its way to one more victory this season.
“We knew it was going to be about composure today and our ability to not turn the ball over early on,” Marlett said. “When we were fresh, we did a good job, and to be down by five to that team, with their skill level at halftime was good.”
Cross (19-10) pressured LA’s ball handlers from the opening tip. The Crusaders were able to navigate the full-court pressure early and jumped out to an 11-4 lead in the first quarter and 11-7 by the end of the first.
Cross scored the final 5 points of the second quarter to build a 20-15 halftime lead. With the game still in reach for LA, Caroline Wheat hit a pair of 3-pointers to stretch the Stingrays’ lead to 34-24 at the end of the third quarter.
Freshman Sadie Bruyere led the Crusaders with 10 points, but 7 of those came from the free-throw line after a 3-pointer in the first quarter.
LA battled through a woeful game from the field, hitting 7 of 49 (14.3%) field-goal attempts.
Ryan Mauers scored a game-high 17 points to lead Cross, while Wheat added 11 with 9 of her total coming on 3 of 5 attempts from beyond the 3-point arc.
Bruyere and senior Abby Howard were named to the all-tournament team during Saturday’s awards ceremony.
“Hats off to (Cross) – they’re a really good team,” Marlett said. “But I was proud. What I asked (our players) most as we came here this weekend is, ‘I want you to leave the floor and there be no doubt that you competed as hard, if not harder, than anybody else.’ If they did that, then I can take any results because they’ve done so much this year.”
With Howard as the Crusaders’ only senior, Marlett sees the experience of making it to the state championship game and winning a region title in LA’s first trip into SCISA Class 2A competition after competing in Class 1A.
LA made it to the Class 1A state championship game two years ago, losing the Cambridge Academy.
“For them to earn this opportunity was great for our program,” Marlett said. “We were able to come down here yesterday, watch games last night, be together as a team and stay the night and all of those things that go with it.”
