Pickens High School’s Lady Blue Flame basketball team celebrates at Greenville High School after winning the first-round playoff game against the Lady Red Raiders.
Photo by Angela Lucas
PICKENS — The curtain came down last week on the Pickens High School Lady Blue Flame girls’ basketball season, but not before the team traveled to Greenville High School for the first round of the playoffs and defeated the Lady Red Raiders in their home gym.
“I am extremely proud and honored to coach such an amazing group of young ladies,” said Rikki Owens, Lady Blue Flame basketball coach. “They are the toughest little group I have ever coached, and they should be proud of themselves for the legacy they have left behind for future Lady Blue Flame players.”
The 2021-2022 season ended for the Pickens High girls’ team on Feb. 18 in Blythewood when the Lady Blue Flame lost 79-34 to powerhouse Westwood High School. Westwood meets No. 1 Westside Wednesday evening in a game that will figure prominently in determining the state 4A champion this year.
But before the final game, the Lady Blue Flame defeated the Greenville High School Lady Red Raiders 48-47 in a back-and-forth thriller on Feb. 16 that literally came down to the last two-tenths of a second.
The Pickens’ girls led for most of the contest, but the Lady Red Raiders kept it close. It looked like the Lady Blue Flame had the game in the bag when they were leading by three at 48-45 with just a few seconds remaining. However, a Greenville High player was fouled attempting to shoot a three-pointer with only 0.2 seconds remaining. She calmly sank the first two free throws, but after Coach Owens made her think about it with a time out, the third free throw was missed and the Lady Blue Flame prevailed 48-47.
Owens said the playoff win was even more amazing considering that four Blue Flame players were sitting out with injuries. During the season, sophomore forward Maggie Chambers, junior forward Kat Sanchez-Gamboa and junior center Kaylee Owens each went down with season-ending injuries. Then at a practice the day before the Greenville game, sophomore forward Jayden Harden suffered a severe ankle injury that caused her to miss both playoff games.
“They fought through adversity and never wavered with their commitment to each other and the program,” Owens said.
During the game against Greenville High, eighth-grade guard Ava Owens scored 14 points, pulled down seven rebounds and had six steals and five assists. Freshman center Sadie McKinney had a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds. Sophomore guard Hannah Campbell scored 10 points, senior guard Hannah Roper contributed seven points, and senior forward Caroline Lucas scored five points and pulled down 11 rebounds.
The Lady Blue Flame finished the season with a winning record at 11-10 and were 3-5 in Region 1A.