Raiders are champs!
The W.J. Keenan Lady Raiders win their first South Carolina Girls Basketball Class 2A State Championship.
By Michael Orr

The W.J. Keenan Lady Raiders: 25- 5 and South Carolina Girls Basketball Class 2A State Champions. They are joined by W.J. Keenan cheerleaders, administration, trainers, coaches, and others.

Keenan used a completely dominant first quarter and clutch fourth quarter free throws to hold off defending champion Lee Central 54- 50 and earn its first 2A state basketball title on March 1 at the Colonial Center. Olivia Irick's 25 points and Brittani Goodwin's seven fourth quarter free throws led the Lady Raiders.

Irick owned the first quarter as Keenan opened the game as the aggressor on both ends of the floor. Scoring eight points and coming up with several steals, Irick's strong play dictated the pace of the game in the early minutes. Lee Central managed only three Lechell Rush points in the entire quarter, falling behind both on the scoreboard and mentally. Keenan finished the quarter with the swagger of a team knowing it can be a state champion, leading 14- 3.

Diminutive Lee Central guard Whitley Smith changed the course of the game in the second quarter as her strong defense and quick- release shots allowed the Lady Stallions to get back into the game. Lee Central was finally able to get out on fast breaks and simply outplayed Keenan in the second. The Lady Raiders struggled to find the shots that came so easily in the first quarter, eking out only six points through most of the quarter. On the last possession of the half, however, Keenan's all- state guard Santera Grooms converted a critical three- point play, pushing the Lady Raider lead back to six for a halftime advantage of 23- 17.

Photos by Morgen Orr Brittani Goodwin goes in for two of her nine points.Her seven fourth quarter free throws sealed the championship for Keenan.

Rush earned her fourth foul early in the third quarter for Lee Central and was forced to sit. With Rush out, Keenan took advantage of the smaller Lady Stallion lineup and used its strong guards, Grooms and Irick, to score in bunches. The two guards combined to score 14 of Keenan's 16 points in the quarter, pushing Keenan back out to a sizeable lead. But when Rush reentered after several minutes on the bench, she provided an instant boost, scoring seven points in the last four minutes of the quarter, pulling the Lady Stallions back within six, 39- 33.

Keenan's Kierra Tillery scored five points.

Lee Central started the fourth quarter on a 7- 2 run, bringing the score to 41- 40 in favor of Keenan with just 5:30 to play. For the remainder of the game Keenan would be sent to the foul line and forced to keep its narrow margin in tact by knocking down clutch free throws. Rush scored eight points in the final quarter for the Lady Stallions, making the Keenan foul shots even more important. The Lady Raiders rose to the challenge behind the efforts primarily of Goodwin and Irick. Goodwin's seven and Irick's five free throws in the fourth quarter alone pushed the Keenan lead to four with just seconds to play, putting the game out of reach and giving Keenan its first state championship, 54- 50.

Keenan's Olivia Irick scored a game- high 25 points against Lee Central. Keenan's Santera Grooms goes in for two of her 11 points against Lee Central. Keenan's Lauren Jones sprints down court. Keenan's Keosha Scott makes a pass against Lee Central. Keenan's Myosha Henricks got two points.