North Myrtle Beach Times Serving our Community and the Grand Strand for over 50 years
By JOHN SMITHSON
The North Myrtle Beach High School Lady Chiefs finished their regular 6AAAA region season last Tuesday with a 55-28 victory over the Lady Seahawks at Myrtle Beach. The Lady Chiefs now prepare for the SCHSL playoffs first round against AC Flora tonight.
The Chiefs took the opening tip but they turned it over to Myrtle Beach and Nicole Anderson scored the first two points of the game. The Chiefs responded with Ty’Wreanna Woodard scoring from the low post to tie the game at 2-2. Alaya Knox then hit a three pointer for a 5-2 Lady Seahawks lead with 6:40 on the clock. After both teams missed offensive chances, Woodard scored again from underneath and it was 5-4 Seahawks.
Things got sloppy for both offenses again until Woodard made her third basket with 4:08 on the clock and gave the Lady Chiefs a 6-5 lead. The Chiefs and Seahawks found it hard to get points for the remainder of the first period. The Seahawks finally solved the Chiefs defense for a basket on an inbounds play, and the Chiefs added a basket and a late Faith Farmer free throw for a 9-7 lead.
The Chiefs opened the second period with a quick basket twenty-two seconds into the period. A minute later Faith Farmer hit a three from the left corner. Jaden Berger’s drive in the lane for two points made it 16-7 with 5:35 on the clock. Myrtle Beach made a free throw before the Chiefs scored five straight points, another basket by Woodard, a Maddie Vereen jumper and one of two free throws by Woodard, for a 21-8 Chiefs lead.
The Seahawks hit a three to interrupt the Chiefs scoring, but Farmer had a steal and layup with :52 on the clock and the Chiefs closed out the first half with Morgan Soileau calmly making two free throws for a 25-11 halftime lead.
While the Chiefs defense held the Seahawks scoreless for more than half of the third period, the Chiefs built their lead to 33-11. Vereen took the ball the length of the court for a layup to start things. Farmer hit a basket, then Vereen rebounded a shot for two more. Following a Chiefs timeout with 4:29 left in the period, Woodard muscled into a crowd under the basket for two more points.
The Seahawks finally got a basket near the three minute mark of the period, but Farmer answered with another three from the left corner and a 36-13 Chiefs lead. Myrtle Beach made a single free throw and Knox a three to make it 36-17, but the Chiefs Farmer went to the foul line twice in the last 96 seconds and hit all four free throws for a 40-17 Chiefs lead after three periods.
The Chiefs jumped out to a 47-20 lead with 5:35 left in the game thanks to a layup by Vereen , a basket by Jaden Berger and another three by Farmer from the top of the key. A technical foul on Kristin Livingston gave the Seahawks the opportunity for four made free throws and a 47-24 score. The Chiefs outscored the Seahawks 8-4 over the last four minutes of the game. Woodard made two free throws, then another basket down low with 2:30 left. Farmer assisted Navaeh Washington on a layup and Vereen scored with 22.4 left in the game for the 55-28 final score.
The Lady Chiefs were led by Faith Farmer’s 16 points, TyWreanna Woodard’s 15points and 12 points from Maddie Vereen. Elaya Knox led the Seahawks with 14 points. The Chiefs finished the season with a 14-11 record and a fourth place 4-6 record in the region.
After the game, I asked coach Brooke Smith-Vereen about her thoughts on the end of the season.
“I was super proud of the girls in this game. They really came together and played together as a team. I told them that we have a lot built up, stuff we left out on the court those last four games, and that we needed to come out here and let it all out. That’s what they did tonight. They played with passion. They played with heart. They played as a team. They did what we told them to do. And the shots fell for us tonight, which was wonderful to see. We got our flow back. That’s a great way for us to end the regular season and jump into the playoffs, Smith-Vereen said.
They Lady Chiefs now enter the 4A playoffs tonight at AC Flora. The Falcons were 17-9 for the season and 7-3 in region 5, which was good enough for third place.
