ROWESVILLE -- Dedication, determination, desire and discpline.

Those are the four elements that have played a big part in the success of the Bethune-Bowman Lady Mohawks. Tonight, those same elements will be put to the test when the Lady Mohawks face the Hemingway Lady Tigers at 7 p.m. at Timberland High School with a chance to play in the Lower State Championship game on the line.

"They're a very good ball club," Bethune-Bowman girls' head coach Glynn Darby said after practice Monday afternoon. "They're really aggressive. They play hard. They hustle all over the court."

The Lady Tigers finished the regular season as the second-ranked seed in Region 8-A. They earned the right to advance to tonight's game by defeating Hannah-Pamplico and top-seeded Blackville-Hilda. The Lady Mohawks (19-7) ended their regular season by winning the Region 6-A title. Bethune-Bowman knocked off Bamberg-Ehrhardt and Timmonsville in the first two rounds of the playoffs to advance in the Class A playoff bracket. This is the first time that Bethune-Bowman has earned a top seed since 1987 and it's not something that they're going to take for granted.

"It means a whole lot," Darby said, "for the team, the families, and the communities. We're excited about it."

Even though they're happy about earning one of four top spots in the Lower State bracket, Darby and his team realizes that there is some pressure on them to play like a top-ranked team.

"When you're at the top," he said, "everyone wants to come and knock you off. What we have to do is stay focused and maintain our goals."

In order for Bethune-Bowman to avoid becoming a postseason casualty at the hands of the Lady Tigers, Darby feels his players have to keep their heads in the game.

"We have to be mindful of what we're playing for," he said. "We're playing for all the marbles. We're playing to be the state champions in the single-A division."

LaQuanda Williams, who averaged 21.5 points, 14.9 rebounds, six steals and 4.9 assists, is one of Bethune-Bowman's best players, but it is Darby's hope that his team will continue to pull their weight to take pressure off of her. Jasmine Shuler is averaging 13.5 points per game and Rhonda Hook, 12.5.

"Lately, the rest of the girls have been stepping up," he said. "We're becoming really balanced like I thought we would. Now, she can feel free to do what she does best---play ball and have fun doing it."

Despite having Tasha Haigler as the only one senior on the roster, the Lady Mohawks use their youth as an advantage.

"We know that we're going to play hard regardless of that one senior," Darby said. "and we know that we're coming back next year and we're going to play even harder. Right now, [Tasha] is pushing everyone. She's saying 'Girls, we want to do it this year. Don't wait until I graduate. Let's do it this year.'"

If Bethune-Bowman is going to grant Haigler's wish, Darby said his team would have to play his best ball tonight.

"I used to use the old expression 'We need to be clicking on all eight cylinders,'" he said. "If we're not clicking on all eight cylinders, we're not going to be successful."

-- T&D Sports Writer Emery Glover can be reached by e-mail at eglover@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5532. Check out his blog, Cover 2, at www.thetandd.com. --

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