Two times the fun! Diamonds shine again!
The Lower Richland Lady Diamond Hornets repeat as South Carolina Girls Basketball Class 4A State Champs.
Dorman 46
Lower Richland 54
Story by Mike Maddock and Pam Clark

Three- peat? Morgan Stroman (32), Ashley Edmund (40), Fannie Goodwin (53), and Coach Debbie Stroman are all smiles after the Lady Diamond Hornets win their second straight S.C. Girls Basketball Class 4A State Championship. Morgan Stroman led Lower Richland with 14 points. Goodwin added seven for the Lady Diamond Hornets.

The Lower Richland Lady Diamond Hornets hung on for a victory in the 2006 state championship game against the Dorman Lady Cavaliers. In this year's rematch of the girls basketball class 4A championship with Dorman March 2 at the Colonial Center, they dominated.

The Lady Cavaliers won the opening tip, but it was the Lady Diamond Hornets that took control early opening up a 6- 0 lead and building up as much as a 13 point margin in the second period.

The Lady Cavaliers cut the lead to three twice at 41- 38 and 43- 40 in the fourth period with a basket from Brandy Williams then a free throw from Shai Walker, but that was as close as they would get. Fannie Goodwin's three free throws stretched the lead to 46- 40. Breakaway lay ups from Trina Muller, Sabrina Hagood, and Stephanie Wilson opened the lead back to nine. After one final Dorman free throw from Williams, the Lady Diamond Hornets ran out the clock and prevailed 54- 46 to earn their second straight Class 4A state championship.

Stephanie Wilson goes for the breakaway lay up. Wilson scored 11 and was charged with guarding Dorman superstar Bailey Dewart for much of the game.

Lower Richland was led by super sophomore Morgan Stroman who scored 12 points in the first half and finished with 14 total. She collected her fourth foul at the 6:39 mark of the fourth period and was forced to play cautiously late in the game. Fannie Goodwin also got in foul trouble early and spent much of the third period on the bench, but she went three for four from the foul line in the final period and added seven points for Lower Richland.

Diamond Hornet head coach Debbie Stroman said the team had been working on playing with fouls all year. She told her girls to play with confidence, but not try to do too much. It worked. Stroman and Goodwin both finished the game, however, Sabrina Hagood stepped in admirably for Stroman and Goodwin when they were forced to rest. She scored six points in the second half and finished with nine.

Trina Muller drives past Dorman's Bailey Dewart. Muller had eight points for the Lady Diamond Hornets.

Coach Stroman figured Dorman head Coach Joy Couch would rely on Lady Cavalier superstar Bailey Dewart a lot and she did. Dewart had a game high 16 points. Stroman pressured the ball and employed a fast break offense to wear Dewart down and it appeared to work because Dewart had only one point in the final period and went one for four from the free throw line down the stretch.

The other result of Stroman's fast break offense was a lot of uncontested lay ups. Stephanie Wilson was on the end of many breaks racking up eleven points. Wilson also guarded Dewart for much of the game.

Trina Muller added eight points scoring a basket in each period. Dayshaun Richbow scored five points for Lower Richland, but really controlled the pace of the game and the Lower Richland offense from her point guard position. The Lady Cavaliers had no answer for Richbow's quickness and ball handling skills. At one point in the fourth period, Richbow put on a cross over move that sent Dorman's Brandy Williams tumbling to the floor much to the delight of the Lower Richland faithful.

Dayshaun Richbow drives past Dorman's Brandy Williams. Richbow directed the LR attack from the point guard position and scored five. She consistently baffled Dorman defenders with quickness and at one point left a Dorman defender flat on the floor who fell trying to keep up with Richbow.

The Lady Cavaliers fought to the end, but every time they got close it seemed the Lady Diamond Hornets had an answer. Free throw shooting may have been their downfall. The Cavaliers were 14 for 29 from the foul line and just five of 14 in the final period.

Danielle Gibson and Brandy Williams added 10 and nine points respectively for Dorman to go with Dewart's 16. Ashlen Dewart and Lashana Booker had four points each.

Lower Richland fans chanted, "Three- peat! Three- peat!" before the game ended. Expectations will be high in 2008, because the Lady Diamond Hornets will once again return four starters. Only Trina Muller moves on. Don't be surprised if thoughts of a fourth straight championship start early either. Stroman, Richbow, and Wilson are just sophomores.

Sabrina Hagood goes for the lay up as Morgan Stroman blocks out Dorman's Shai Walker. Hagood filled in admirably for both Stroman and Fannie Goodwin who each got in some foul trouble. Hagood finished with nine points.

Dorman (26- 2) : Bailey Dewart 16, Danielle Gibson 10, Brandy Williams 9, Ashlen Dewart 4, Lashana Booker 4, Alexis Gilliam 2, Shai Walker 1.

Lower Richland (25- 2) : Morgan Stroman 14, Stephanie Wilson 11, Sabrina Hagood 9, Trina Muller 8, Fannie Goodwin 7, Dayshaun Richbow 5.