East Marion High School had a packed house for both nights of its 2022 East Marion Holiday Tournament, where eight local teams went toe-to-toe for a chance to bring home bragging rights and make a few more improvements before diving into the 2023 portions of their schedules.
East Marion head coach Calvin Brown said the annual tournament is a highlight of the season for his players, giving them the opportunity to test their skills against tough local competition with a huge showing of support from their community. On behalf of both teams and the school, Brown thanked everyone who took part in making this year's tournament another special memory for all involved.
"First and foremost, we want to thank everyone who played a role in making these last two nights so special for our kids — the volunteers, the officials, all of the teams that participated and the fans who showed up to give their support," Brown said. "It's something our staff and our students look forward to every year. We hope it was a great experience for everyone who took part, and we hope each team comes away from it just a little more prepared for district play."
The action tipped off Dec. 22 with a pair of matchups between the girls and boys teams from Columbia and Jeff Davis County. The Lady Wildcats (6-6) steam-rolled their way to a 69-44 victory while the Wildcats (7-4) fell in a tightly contested matchup, 69-65.
The girls game remained close through the first eight minutes of action, with Columbia carrying a 12-8 advantage into the second quarter. But that's when the Lady Wildcats began to pull away. Sophomore guard Jakira Brown scored 12 points in the second quarter, and Payshunce Sims chipped in eight points as Columbia stormed its way to a 34-21 lead by the halfway mark.
Ten Lady Wildcats scored baskets in the second half as they kept their foot on the gas and stormed their way to an even larger lead. Brown led the way with a game-high 25 points, followed by Sims with 17 points, and they cruised to a win and a spot in the tournament championship game.
Contrarily, it was Jeff Davis that slowly pulled away for a win in the boys game. Trailing 16-12 after the first quarter of action, the Jaguars turned up the intensity on both ends of the court and outscored the Wildcats 21-12 in the second quarter, claiming a lead that would never be relinquished.
Foul trouble became an issue for the Wildcats down the stretch. Their fourth quarter comeback attempt fell short after three of Columbia's starters fouled out in the final minutes of action. Six-foot-five junior Cordarius Hathorn scored 10 of his game-high 29 points in the final quarter to help the Jaguars maintain the lead and punch their tickets to the boys championship game.
The first day of competition was capped off with a pair of games between East and West Marion, with the games being split between the two schools. The Lady Trojans (15-2) continued their momentous run through non-district play with a 45-21 victory over the Lady Eagles (0-6), and the Eagles (4-2) defended their home floor with a 76-62 win over the Trojans (3-11).
It was all West Marion in the girls game. Eleven combined first-quarter points from seniors Raven Jones and Olivia Miller helped the Lady Trojans capture an early lead, and they continued to pile it on over the final three quarters. Jones led the team with 14 points, and Miller finished just behind her with 10 as they secured their 10th consecutive victory.
The Eagles and Trojans remained locked in a close battle through the first half of the boys game, with East Marion carrying a 42-36 lead into the locker room at halftime, but senior LaDarien Haynes helped the Eagles pull away down the stretch, scoring 12 of his 17 points in the third quarter. West Marion's Jamal Peters scored eight of his 15 points in the final quarter, but it was too little too late in a contest that was already well in hand.
In Friday's consolation games, the girls from Jeff Davis County pulled out a third-place finish with a commanding 54-18 win over East Marion, and the boys from Columbia wreaked their revenge on West Marion for a loss the week prior by defeating them 70-62 to earn third place in the boys bracket.
The girls championship game marked the third meeting of the season between Columbia and West Marion, who played each other closely in their first two bouts. With a 10-game winning streak weighing in the balance, the Lady Trojans put together yet another impressive performance, increasing their lead quarter by quarter en route to a 47-36 victory to claim the girls championship trophy.
Jones scored nine of her game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter, followed by Miller with 11 points as West Marion extended what head coach Calvin Newsome believes may be the largest winning streak in the history of the program.
The finale pitted East Marion and Jeff Davis County against one another for the boys championship in one of the closest contests of the tournament. Down 18-12 entering the second quarter, East Marion utilized the charity stripe to claw their way back, sinking 10 of 13 free throws in the quarter to enter halftime trailing 30-29. The Eagles soared into the lead in the third quarter, led by Haynes, who scored six points in the period. Jeff Davis' Malik Williams took over in the final eight minutes, however, scoring nine of his game-high 17 points to put the Jaguars back in front. With Haynes and Jack Johnson both fouled out of the contest, the Eagles were unable to generate enough offense down the stretch to close the gap, and the Jaguars ultimately came away with a 66-53 win and the tournament championship trophy.
Anderson led the Eagles with 15 points in the outing, followed by Haynes with 14 and LJ Andrews with seven.
Brown said this year's tournament was a major success, not only for the winning teams but for all parties involved, including the fans that were gifted with two nights of great basketball just before Christmas.
"We ate some great food, we saw some great basketball and, hopefully, each team came away from the tournament just a little more prepared for district play," Brown said. "We're always grateful for the opportunity to host this tournament, and we're already looking forward to what's in store for next year."
