Latta’s Lady Vikings went into the playoffs as the top-ranked Class A team in the state with an undefeated record in Region 8A. But in the opening round of the Lower State playoffs, they met their match in the Carvers Bay Bears.

The Vikings took a 13-11 lead in the first quarter with Jessica Evans scoring the first points of the game. Brittany Burgess laid in a two-pointer to put the Vikings up 6-2 with 5:15 remaining in the quarter. Three fouls against Carvers Bay led to a series of free throw attempts by the Vikings, and Burgess and Tianna Deberry each sank two-pointers to round out the first quarter.

Both teams added 12 points in the second. The Vikings were up 18-13 when TaKeria Legette scored two and was fouled. She sank the free throw to put Latta ahead 21-13 with 4:16 left in the quarter. Deberry sank a two-pointer to pull Latta ahead 23-19 but with 1:01 left in the half, Carvers Bay had tied things 23-23. Legette drove to the net and pulled up to score two, giving the Vikings a narrow 25-23 lead at the half.

The Bears stayed on Latta’s heels in the third, with Anatashia Bromell sinking two before being fouled by Latta’s Legette, allowing Carvers Bay to close the gap to 31-29. The Bears’ Jasmine Cobb sank a three-pointer and with 2:20 on the clock, Carvers Bay was tied 34-34 with Latta. Burgess fouled Cobb, allowing the Bears two foul shots and possession of the ball, and the Bears took a 37-35 lead. The Lady Vikings knotted the score at 37-37 with 34 seconds left in the quarter and held off the Bears to remain tied heading into the fourth.

Carvers Bay’s Deseree Green scored two points in the fourth but fouled out with 7:43 left in the game. With 6:23 remaining, Latta was ahead 46-41. Carvers Bay’s Zaria Blain sank one of two free throws and laid in two points to put the Bears behind 46-44. Deberry responded with a two-pointer, but Carvers Bay’s Quantashia Robinson scored a two-pointer and was fouled, sinking one free throw to put the Bears one-point behind at 48-47. Deberry was fouled and sank a free throw attempt, but Bromell sank a two-pointer to tie the game once more at 49-49. Robinson followed up with another two-pointer to give the Bears a 51-49 lead.

With 2:53 remaining in the game, Latta took a time out. After play resumed, Latta’s Maya Wright was fouled, and managed to sink both free throws to tie things up at 51 each. Cobb banked one in for two points to pull ahead 53-51, and Deberry missed two foul shots that could have tied the game. With a minute remaining, Deberry made up for the missed shots by driving the length of the court and laying in a two-pointer to tie it up 53-53.

Cobb scored two and with 28 seconds left, Deberry was fouled again, sinking one free throw to leave the Vikings trailing 55-54. With 17.5 seconds on the clock, the Vikings tried to drive the length of the court, but Deberry’s shot bounced off and Cobb grabbed the rebound. With 9 seconds left, the Vikings called another time out.

When play resumed, Carvers Bay fouled Wright, and with 4.4 seconds on the clock, Wright sank both free throws to put Latta ahead 56-55. But Cobb took the ball and drove the length of the court to sink one last two-pointer as the timer expired to give Carvers Bay the 57-56 win.

Quantashia Robinson scored a game-high 19 points to lead Carvers Bay in the win with Jasmine Cobb earning 10, including the winning shot. Deseree Green scored nine; Zaria Blain scored seven; Anatashia Bromell added six; Jasmine Eaddy earned four; and LaQuasha Cole added two points for the Lady Bears.

Tianna Deberry led Latta with a team-high 14 points and TaKeria Legette added 13 with Maya Wright scoring 11, Jessica Evans earning 10, and Brittany Burgess adding eight.

The Lady Vikings finish the season with a 17-3 record while Carvers Bay improves to 11-10 overall after finishing fourth in Region 7A. Latta’s loss capped a complete sweep of the Region 8A teams as Region 7A’s Timmonsville, C.E. Murray, and Hemingway defeated Lake View, Johnsonville, and Hannah-Pamplico respectively.

Carvers Bay will travel to Denmark-Olar for the second round of the Class A playoffs tonight at 7:00 p.m.

Photos by Johnnie Daniels/THE DILLON HERALD. Click images below to view at full size!