HARTSVILLE -- On two occasions in 1990 and 1992, Orangeburg-Wilkinson's quest for the state Class 4-A girls' basketball championship was thwarted by Hartsville.

Monday night on the road, the Bruinettes' title dreams were crushed in nightmarish fashion, 60-57, once again at the hands of the Lady Red Foxes.

In snapping O-W's 12-game winning streak while extending its own by the same number, Hartsville (18-6) erased a four-point deficit with 23.6 seconds left by scoring the game's final seven points. Point guard Kiasiah Ham and forward Jasmine Phillips accounted for all of the points scored during that stretch after the Lady Red Foxes were held scoreless for over 4 1/2 minutes.

After Phillips made 1 of 2 free throws to make it 57-54, Hartsville regained possession and Ham hit a layup as she was fouled by Jessica Jenkins. Ham missed the free throws, but on O-W's next possession, Waneeshia Perry missed a baseline jumper and Phillips was fouled on the rebound.

Phillips made both free throws with 9.2 seconds left to regain the lead for Hartsville at 59-58. Perry tried to answer back for O-W, but her jumper hit the front of the rim and was rebounded by the Lady Red Foxes. On the play, Shawanda Hanton was called for a flagrant foul with 2.7 seconds remaining and Ham hit both free throws to close out the scoring. Hartsville was given possession of the basketball and ran out the clock.

Ham finished with a game-high 20 points and Phillips had 17 for the Lady Red Foxes, who will now face defending state champion Lower Richland Friday in the Lower State final at The Citadel.

The loss spoiled a valiant effort by O-W, which fell behind 12-3 in the first quarter and played most of the game without leading scorer and rebounder Erica Sumpter. The junior forward injured her foot while grabbing a rebound in the first quarter and did not return.

Helping to fill the void for Sumpter was Jessica Jenkins, who scored eight of her team-high 12 points late in the third quarter to cut a 10-point deficit to 46-43 entering the fourth quarter. Cherisha Floyd also had eight points and Shameka Daniels also came off the bench to contribute six points to the frontcourt, including a layup with 5:21 left which gave the Bruinettes their first lead of the game.

The layup came as part of a 14-3 run by O-W in which the defense did not allow a field goal. In the end, the Bruinettes were unable to sustain the effort over the final 23.6 seconds to avoid losing its fifth straight road playoff game dating back to 2000.

O-W ends the season with a 23-3 record and a Region 7-AAAA championship. Next season, the Bruinettes move to Region 5-AAAA.

HARTSVILLE (60)

Kiasiah Ham 20, Jasmine Phillips 17, Brandi Jones 7, Emily Jackson 6, Borley Quarles 5, Shavonne Seymour 4, ,

O-W (57)

Jessica Jenkins 12, Waneeshia Perry 10, Shawanda Hanton 9, La'teia Brailey 8, Cherisha Floyd 8, Shameka Daniels 6, Erika Sumpter 1

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