Conway outlasts Socastee for hard-fought win in region opener

With both teams struggling to hit the mark, a hustle play on the defensive end for Conway helped tilt things in its favor Tuesday night against Socastee.

Every basket taking on added importance down the stretch, it seemed the Braves would take a 4-point lead as Shayla Baldwin streaked down the floor without any opposition. However, Conway’s Zakera Chadman was not ready to give up those two points that easily.

The Tiger point guard blocked Baldwin’s attempt at a layup, saving not only two points – but inevitably shifted momentum toward her bench.

Chadman would score the next five points, helping Conway earn a hard-fought 38-32 victory in both teams’ Region VI-AAAA opener.

“Certainly, that steal was big in terms of momentum for us,” said Conway girls basketball coach Shamae Hemingway. “We were getting good looks at the basket, but nothing was going down for us. But with that play, a couple of steals and some well-timed baskets down the stretch, we were able to pull this out.”

For stretches throughout the game, neither team could buy a bucket – particularly the first several minutes of each half.

Socastee held a 10-5 lead after the first period, largely courtesy of a quick 8-point spurt by Mia Angelo. Conway would claw back in the second though, receiving contributions from Meme Williams, Jamecia Hemingway and Kishanda Adams.

Neither team could create much distance from the other until the fourth, as Chadman’s five points on consecutive trips helped give Conway a lead it would not relinquish. Also big down the stretch was a steal by Williams and rebounds by Hemingway – possessions that ended in buckets for the Tigers.

Her team’s inability to somehow put the ball in the basket – particularly at crunch time – proved to be mighty frustrating for Socastee girls coach Ginger Ford.

“There were times we had good shots and didn’t make them, and others where we simply were stagnant on the offensive end of the floor,” she said. “Those are things that cannot happen when you want to win these all-important region games.”

As for the Conway coach, falling short in region openers over the past two years made her want this one more for her team, and obviously ecstatic that it is under their belt.

“We fell short the past two years, so to get this one feels good,” Hemingway said. “Hopefully this help us as we move forward, especially in games where we don’t necessarily play our best.”

This story was originally published January 12, 2016 at 11:23 PM with the headline "Conway outlasts Socastee for hard-fought win in region opener."