Girl's Basketball | 2/20/2025 10:20:00 AM
Mt. Pleasant, SC – The Oceanside Collegiate Academy girls' basketball team got off to a slow start in its SCHSL second round playoff game against Waccamaw High on Wednesday night.
The Landsharks were misfiring on offense and had some early foul calls go against them but rallied from that sluggish start to defeat the visiting Warriors 52-34 to advance to the third round of the playoffs. OCA (21-5) moves on to face Keenan (19-6) on Saturday afternoon with tip set for 3 p.m.
Waccamaw's season comes to an end with a record of 12-16.
"To start the game, we had many open looks in the paint, but our shots just weren't falling," OCA coach
Mandy Harrison said. "
Teagan Scott, our captain and leader, picked up two quick fouls and
Josie Hanks also had two fouls early in the game."
The slow start on the offensive end on the floor, coupled with the early foul troubles, left the Landsharks in unfamiliar territory, trailing 15-11 at the end of the first quarter. Waccamaw freshman Amari Henry connected on a pair of three-pointers in the first quarter and scored eight of her team-leading 13 points in that period.
"Our defensive effort changed after the slow start to the game," Harrison said. "We showed resilience and played with composure while in foul trouble.
Lauren Hagmeyer came off the bench and contributed quality rebounds and was a force in the paint."
The Landsharks turned up the defensive pressure, holding the Warriors to just four points in the second quarter, turning that early deficit around to lead 24-19 at halftime.
Junior
Josie Hanks was a key on the offensive end, scoring four of her game-high 14 points in the second quarter.
"Josie has come on strong during the second half of the season," Harrison said. "She is playing with confidence and getting to the rim. Josie is an offensive threat and can score from all three levels on the floor."
Oceanside continued to extend its lead after halftime with
Ella Hunter hitting her second three-pointer of the game as the Landsharks took a 36-25 lead into the final period of the game. From there, OCA put the game away with scoring from six different players in the final quarter.
Senior co-captain
Ella Mae Schepp scored five of her 11 points in the fourth quarter to finish in double figures along with Hanks and
Ella Hunter (11). Scott finished with eight points.
Henley Hanks had just two points in the game but was credited with distributing the ball well and playing lock down defense.
The focus now turns toward Keenan, a team that has won 11 consecutive games since starting the season with an 8-6 record. The Raiders defeated Loris High 55-38 on Wednesday to advance to face Oceanside. Keenan is led by freshman guard Taelor Lee-Sutton, averaging 18.2 points per game. She is also key to the Raiders' defense, which averages more than 16 steals per game. Lee-Sutton has more than 100 steals on the year.
"Preparation is in full swing for Keenan," Harrison said. "We have our game plan, and our team is ready. The keys will be taking care of the basketball, staying out of foul trouble, limiting their points in transition and executing on offense. It should be a great match up."
The winner of Saturday's game will move on to the Lower State championship game, which will be played on Friday, February 28, in Florence.
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 X. For video content, visit our YouTube channel.
