WINNSBORO — In a sea of blue t-shirts, if you look closely enough, you’ll see it there in small gold print – “Engineered to the exact specifications of the Richard Winn Lady Eagles.” It’s written on their T-shirts, but it’s playing out on the court.
Richard Winn’s varsity girls basketball team is playing its best basketball at exactly the right time. Following a tough non-region loss to 3A Greenwood Christian in mid-January, the Eagles have soared through a six-game winning streak, clinching a SCISA 1A Region 3 championship on Monday night.
The Eagles (10-7, 6-1) secured their spot atop the region with a gritty 46-36 victory over Wardlaw Academy on Feb. 9. The win was a showcase of Richard Winn’s identity — teamwork. The Eagles put on a masterclass of pressure, forcing 29 turnovers and disrupting Wardlaw’s rhythm from the opening tip.
Eight players combined for the team’s 46 total points. Charlotte Lewis led the charge for the Eagles, tallying a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Haley Autry added muscle on the boards with 8 rebounds and 5 points, while Kate Baker orchestrated the offense with a team-high 8 assists and 6 points. Mary Margaret Swearingen added 7 points, Abby Lewis had 5, Harper Branham and Lillian Trapp had 3 each, and Avery Warren chipped in 2 points.
Swearingen led the team with 10 deflections, followed closely by Ada Bass and Lily, who recorded 9 and 7 deflections respectively. Bass also hauled in 7 rebounds in the effort.
The road to the region title was one of redemption. After dropping an early road contest to Wardlaw in a 67-63 overtime heartbreaker, the Eagles sought revenge on Feb. 3. In a mirror-image battle that also went to overtime, Richard Winn claimed the 55-47 win at home.
That overtime win was the spark in a dominant stretch where the Eagles outclassed their opponents. During this six-game run, Richard Winn dismantled Newberry Academy twice (64-9 and 74-15), cruised past non-region Laurens Academy 64-34, and handled King Academy in a 54-41 region win.
With the region regular-season title now in hand, the Eagles turn their attention to the postseason. The Region Tournament begins this Friday and Saturday, followed by the SCISA State Tournament the following week. If the Eagles can maintain the defensive intensity that forced nearly 30 turnovers on Monday night, they will be a formidable out in the state bracket.
