Though their teams fell short of reaching the state finals, a trio of T&D Region high school seniors still have an opportunityto play basketball this season.

Both Orangeburg-Wilkinson point guard La'Teia Brailey and forward Jessica Jenkins and Bamberg-Ehrhardt center Eric Buckner were selected to participate in the North/South All-Star Game set for March 15 at North Myrtle Beach High School. All three players will represent the South, with Blackville-Hilda head coach Mike Beasley serving on the men's coaching staff.

Brailey and Jenkins were integral players for the Region 7-AAAA champion Bruinettes, who finished 23-3 and advanced to the third round of the Class 4-A Upper State playoffs. A starting point guard the past three seasons, Brailey averaged 10 points, 7.4 assists, 6.1 steals and 3.2 rebounds per game this season. As for Jenkins, who overcame a rare blood disorder as a freshman to continue playing basketball, she averaged 9.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, two assists and a block coming off the bench.

The 6-9, 190-pound Buckner guided the Red Raiders (18-5) to within a game of their first Class A title game since 1982. He averaged 15.6 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks per game for B-E and has been heavily recruited by Benedict College and other junior colleges.

The girls' game is set for noon, followed by the men at 2:30 p.m. This year's North/South All-Star Game will take place before the annual Carolinas All-Star Classic, which pits South Carolina against North Carolina's All Stars, set for April 5 at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena.

T&D Senior Sports Writer Thomas Grant Jr. can be reached by e-mail at tgrant@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5547. Discuss this and other stories on-line at TheTandD.com.

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