Girl's Basketball | 1/7/2025 3:42:00 PM

Mt. Pleasant, SC – The Oceanside Collegiate Academy girls' basketball team took advantage of the holiday break from school to face some tough competition on the court.
 
The Landsharks, ranked second in the state in Class AAA entering 2025, started the break with a road victory over Northwood Academy on Dec. 20. Immediately after Christmas the team played in the Carolina Lowcountry Invitational, facing off against teams from West Virginia, Pennsylvania and Texas.
 
OCA opened the new year with a road game at Pinnacle Charter Academies rival Atlantic Collegiate Academy.
 
Overall, the Landsharks went 2-3 during that stretch and will take a 12-4 overall mark on the year into Region 6-AAA competition on Friday night against Battery Creek High before facing non-region foe Trinity Collegiate on Saturday. Both of those games will be played at home with the Battery Creek game set for 6:30 p.m. and the contest against Trinity Collegiate scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
"We faced three really talented teams from out of state in the Carolina Invitational," OCA coach Mandy Harrison said. "All three teams were fundamentally sound and provided us with great competition to help prepare for Region play."
 
In the pre-Christmas game against Northwood Academy the Landsharks used a big second quarter that included six three-point baskets, to take a 35-20 lead. That lead was trimmed to eight points in the third quarter before Oceanside pulled away late with senior Teagan Scott scoring 12 of her game-high 17 points in the final period. Ella Mae Schepp added 15 points in the 58-42 victory for OCA.
 
Oceanside opened the Carolina Invitational against defending West Virginia Class AAA state champions from Nitro High. The game, played at OCA, was low scoring early with Nitro leading 13-10 after the opening quarter. Junior guard Henley Hanks got hot in the second quarter, scoring 11 of OCA's 16 points to give the Landsharks a 26-25 lead at halftime.
 
In the third quarter, Ella Hunter hit a pair of three-pointers as part of eight points in the period and Scott added another as OCA pushed its advantage to 40-36. It was Nitro that turned up the defensive pressure in the final period, holding the Sharks to just a pair of Scott baskets while the visiting team hit a trio of three-pointers while also connecting on 7-of-10 free throws to take a 54-44 victory.
 
The Landsharks found themselves in another defensive struggle against Mars Area High from Pennsylvania in their second game of the tournament. Oceanside managed to score just six points in the first half, falling behind 17-6 at halftime. Schepp scored six of her team-high 10 points in the third quarter as OCA closed the gap to 23-17, but the visitors were able to put the game away in the fourth quarter from the free throw line, hitting 8-of-13, to take a 35-24 decision.
 
Oceanside was able to bounce back from those two losses in the final game of the tournament to take a 36-32 victory over St. Agnes Academy from Houston, Texas. Schepp led the way for the Landsharks with 15 points in the victory while Henley Hanks chipped in with 10 points.
 
Following another short break to ring in the New Year, the Landsharks opened 2025 on the road at Atlantic Collegiate, a team the Landsharks had easily handled on December 17. But, playing without three of their regular players, the Armada outrebounded OCA 45-38 while also recording 10 steals in the game. Neither team shot the ball especially well, with ACA shooting 28 percent from the floor to 27 percent for the Landsharks. ACA also had a slight edge in shooting from three-point range as well as from the free throw line.
 
The game was tight throughout, with the Armada holding a slim lead, 11-10, at the end of the first quarter. ACA pushed that advantage to five points, 25-20, by halftime and grew it to eight points, 37-29 after three quarters. Schepp once again led the Landsharks with 15 points in the game while Josie Hanks added 10.
 
The Landsharks now turn their full attention to region play, starting with Battery Creek.
 
"We are focused on one game at a time and playing to our standard of basketball," Harrison said. "We have to be able to push the pace and convert in transition."
 
Battery Creek has gotten off to a slow start this year, posting a 3-9 record so far, having lost their last seven straight games, including a 70-16 loss to Hampton County on this past Saturday. The Landsharks will likely have a better challenge on Saturday afternoon when they host Trinity Collegiate Academy (10-2). This will be the first ever meeting between the Landsharks and the Titans on the hardwood in girls' basketball.
 
About Oceanside Collegiate Academy: Oceanside Collegiate Academy (OCA), located in Mt. Pleasant, S.C., serves high school students in a safe, small and family-centered setting. Our students seek the opportunity and challenge of rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and elite athletics while earning up to two years of college credit. OCA serves students in grades 9-12 using an honors curriculum in 9th and 10 grades with a dual enrollment curriculum in 11th and 12th grades Learn more about OCA by visiting our website at OceansideCollegiate.Academy and by following us on social media on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. For video content, visit our YouTube channel.