FLORENCE CENTER: Gray Collegiate dug itself an early hole but ramped up the defensive intensity in the second half to come away with a 44-40 victory over Oceanside Collegiate in the 2A Boys State Championship, Friday.
In what was a rematch of the 2023 title game that Gray Collegiate also won, Oceanside jumped out to a 16-3 advantage. Following the game, Gray Collegiate head coach Dion Bethea said it was probably “the worst half we played all season.”
But the War Eagles came roaring back behind tenacious defense and stellar play from forward Braylhan Thomas, who led all scorers with 16 points. With Gray leading the Landsharks 42-40 in the final seconds, Thomas, the 2A Player of the Year, was fouled and sent to the line. Thomas calmly netted both free throws for his 15th and 16th points, clinching Gray Collegiate’s sixth boys state championship under Bethea.
In his postgame comments, Bethea wouldn’t commit to returning to Gray Collegiate next season under the new SCHSL guidelines that will see Gray move up to 4A.
2A Girls State Championship
In the 2A Girls State Championship Game, Andrew Jackson defeated Landrum 78-60 behind a dominant performance from Tamia Watkins. Watkins, the 2A Girls State Player of the Year, led all scorers with 26 points to go with 19 rebounds, six steals and five assists.