Latta’s #22 Jessica Evans is guarded by Timmonsville’s #11 Sade’ Eli. (Photos by Mark King/THE DILLON HERALD.)
Latta’s Lady Vikings earned a 40-35 win over Timmonsville on Tuesday night to advance to the lower state championship on Saturday.

The win for the Vikings marks Latta’s first lower state title appearances since 2007 It also ended Timmonsville’s bid for another state title and marks the first time since 2010 that the Lady Whirlwinds won’t play for the lower state championship.

Latta took an 8-6 lead in the first quarter on Tuesday night, but Timmonsville kept it close i the second, going 10-9 to trail 17-16 at the half. Latta outscored the Whirlwinds 14-11 in the third to improve the lead to 31-27 and edged Timmonsville 9-8 in the fourth to claim the win.

TaKeria Legette led the Lady Vikings with a team-high 16 pints with seven assists, four rebounds, and three steals. Mallory Townsend added nine points in the win; Brittany Burgess scored eight; and Maya Wright added seven.

Timmonsville’s Sade’ Eli ended her final season with a game-high 17 points for a total of 2,632 in her high school career. Alaya Woods added eight in the effort, and Shania Wright scored six with Justice Gee earning four.

Timmonsville finished the season with a 21-5 record, while Latta improved to 17-4.

The Lady Vikings will face defending state champ Hemingway this Saturday, March 1, at the Florence Civic Center at 11:00 a.m. for the lower state title.

Hemingway earned a 45-29 win over Baptist Hill on Tuesday night for a shot at the lower state championship. Diamond McFadden scored a game-high 24 points to lead the Tigers in the win, and Iresha Cooper added 13 as Hemingway improved to 17-4.

In the upper state, St. Joseph’s defeated McCormick 67-43 and Lamar eliminated Ridge Spring-Monetta 56-49 to advance. St. Joseph’s and Lamar will face each other at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.

Photos by Mark King/THE DILLON HERALD. Click the images below to view at full size!

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