Vote for The State’s high school basketball players of the week (Jan. 24)
It’s time to vote for The State’s Midlands high school basketball Players of the Week for games played Jan. 17-21. Voting ends at noon Thursday, and you can vote as many times you like. The winner will be announced on Lou Bezjak’s Twitter page on Thursday.
If you would like to send in a nomination for next week’s ballot, please contact Chris Dearing at dear82c@gmail.com by noon Sunday. Only nominations from the previous week games will be taken in email, not votes.
The nominees are listed below. Please note that these polls are not scientific and are meant to be just for fun.:
BOYS BASKETBALL NOMINEES
Semajeh Echols, Keenan — The senior averaged 14.6 points a game this week as he helped the Raiders to a 2-1 week, which included a pair of region wins over Chester.
Christian Ferguson, Brookland-Cayce — The senior forward averaged 17.3 points and 5.3 rebounds for the Bearcats, who went 2-1 last week. He had scored 20 points or more in region wins over Gilbert and Fox Creek.
Houston Jones, Dutch Fork — The Silver Foxes senior averaged 23.5 points per game in region wins over River Bluff and Lexington. He scored a career-high 26 points in a 47-40 victory over the Gators. He then added 19 points in a 53-43 win over Lexington.
Jalen Jefferson, Gray Collegiate — The junior guard averaged 15.3 points in a win over Keenan and two victories over Columbia last week.
Ryan Lominack, Dreher — The junior guard averaged 15.3 points as Dreher went 2-1 last week. He scored 15 points in a 56-48 win over Cardinal Newman and tallied 19 points in a 50-48 overtime loss to No. 1 A.C. Flora.
Samaad Wright, Blythewood — Wright averaged 22.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2 steals per game in the Bengals’ two games last week. He set a new career-high with 30 points in an 82-80 double overtime victory over Rock Hill.
GIRLS BASKETBALL NOMINEES
Joyce Edwards, Camden — After 11 days off, the sophomore standout averaged 32.3 points per game in three victories. She had 35 points in a 62-48 win over Marlboro, 37 points in a 81-36 win over Manning and 25 points and 15 rebounds in a 68-41 triumph over Lower Richland.
Teirra Griffin, Keenan — The Raiders defeated Chester twice last week. Griffin had 26 points in the 84-33 win and added 14 in the 85-25 victory over the Cyclones.
Diamond Tatum, Gray Collegiate — Tatum averaged 14.5 points as the War Eagles knocked off Columbia twice last week.
Jaden Tucker, River Bluff — Tucker helped the Gators split a pair of games last week. She scored 17 points in a 56-46 setback to Dutch Fork and added 17 points in a 36-13 victory over Chapin, which snapped a four-game losing streak for River Bluff.
Ashlyn Watkins, Cardinal Newman — The Cardinals had a 10-day layoff before returning to defeat Heathwood Hall 76-32 in their only game of the week. The South Carolina signee scored 32 points with 14 rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Lindsay Garner, Lexington — Garner had 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting with eight rebounds and two steals in a key 64-50 Region 5-5A win over Dutch Fork.
