During a third quarter timeout Friday night, the musical selection that blared from the PA system summed it up best. The Jackson Five’s classic ABC 123 epitomized the ease with which the Greenville Christian Lady Saints disposed of the Porter’s Chapel Lady Eagles 86-42.
The game was decided early with the Lady Saints enjoying huge leads throughout the night. As the officials invoked the mercy rule and let the clock continuously run in the second half, Lady Saints head coach Brother Sandifer emptied his bench while the crowd anxiously anticipated the presentation of its senior girls and boys between games. Nine players (four girls and five boys) suited up for their final regular season home game as members of the Greenville Christian Basketball.
Each student athlete joined their families at half court to have their moment in the spotlight. As each player had their bios, most memorable moments and plans after high school read aloud over the PA system, nine students with nine unique journeys that all converged on the Greenville Christian hardwood. Senior girls included Williette Kingdom, Jordyn Claiborne, Briana Palmer and Anna Katherine (A.K.) Clary. “Tonight, was a celebration of their careers,” Sandifer said as he choked back tears. “I told them not to worry about the outcome of the game tonight. They just needed to go out their and have fun. This is a great senior group who still can go a long way in the state if we continue to play well.”
Clary, a senior that hadn’t played much due to recovering from a broken wrist, scored a personal high of 13 points with three early 3-pointers. Kingdom scored a season-high 38 points andClaiborne scored 16. Tariyah Washington also scored 13 points and had 6 assists. GCS finished their district play with a 6-2 record and is 14-6 overall.
The senior boys honored on Friday included Jermichael Short, Mike Mohead, Antonio Moore, Marcus Anderson and Fred Kingdom. This group has one of the most diverse experiences. Short’s senior year has been his first and only year at Greenville Christian. While Mohead has been at the school for a decade and was unable to see much action this season because of injury. “Jermichael Short played the most minutes of my senior group this year and Mike (Mohead) would have played significant minutes had it not been for injury this year,” said boys head coach Logan Collins. “I’ll remember this group most for their leadership. They came to practice everyday and came ready to play every day.
