SCHSL 2-A Basketball: Gray Collegiate boys, Andrew Jackson girls win state titles

Brayhlan Thomas nets 16 to lead the War Eagles to their sixth crown in the last seven 2-A championship games; Tamia Watkins has a monster 26 point, 19 rebound double-double to lead Jackson

Mike Duprez | Mar 2, 2024

SCHSL 2-A Basketball: Gray Collegiate boys, Andrew Jackson girls win state titles /

FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA – Gray Collegiate ended an era with yet another basketball state championship.

Brayhlan Thomas scored 16 points as the War Eagles held off Oceanside Collegiate 44-40 for their third consecutive 2-A state championship.

Gray Collegiate has won six of the last seven SCHSL Class 2-A Boys Basketball state championship, including the 2024 crown with Friday's 44-40 win over Oceanside Collegiate. The War Eagles will move to Class 4-A next season. — Gray Collegiate has won six of the last seven SCHSL Class 2-A Boys Basketball state championship, including the 2024 crown with Friday's 44-40 win over Oceanside Collegiate. The War Eagles will move to Class 4-A next season

Gray has won six of the last seven 2-A titles. It will also be their last because the War Eagles (30-6) are moving up to 4-A due to the South Carolina High School League’s attendance multiplier for determining how to classify charter schools.

Carson Jones led Oceanside (22-7) with 11 points while Travis Stickney had 10 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

The Land Sharks started strong and led 11-3 after one quarter.

But Gray recovered and got it down to a 20-19 game by halftime.

Darius Carr’s dunk gave Gray a 40-37 lead and then Thomas, who has committed to Georgia Southern, iced it with a pair of free throws.

Tamai Watkins monster double-double leads Andrew Jackson girls

Tamia Watkins dominated play as Andrew Jackson rolled past Landrum 78-60 to win the girls 2-A state championship on Friday.

The 6-foot-1 junior center had 26 points and 19 rebounds.

Ayona Alexander scored 20 points and had 8 rebounds while Ni’yonna Asbelle contributed 19 points.

Kylie Fortner and Savannah Brown each scored 19 points to lead Landrum and Kaylee Cortez added 12.

The Volunteers had a huge edge in the paint, outscoring Landrum 56-26.

Landrum was ahead 21-18 at the end of the first quarter but the Volunteers utilized strong a second quarter and led 37-30 at halftime.

Led by Tamia Watkins and Ayona Alexander the Andrew Jackson girls stormed past Landrum to win the 2024 SCHSL Class 2-A state championship game. — Led by Tamia Watkins and Ayona Alexander the Andrew Jackson girls stormed past Landrum to win the 2024 SCHSL Class 2-A state championship game

Published Mar 2, 2024

MIKE DUPREZ

Mike Duprez became a freelance sports journalist for Scorebooklive.com several months after retiring from the newspaper business. A native of Oakland, California, Duprez moved around as a child due to his father’s service in the United States Marine Corps. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981. Duprez, who lives in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had 30 years of experience in newspapers as well as other endeavors before retiring at the end of 2021. He covers stories in both North Carolina and South Carolina for Scorebooklive.com.