An experienced freshman leads the way, and unbeaten South Pointe is winning with its youth
Kaleigh Lucas fell in love with basketball at age 5.
It was the physicality of the game, along with the number of different ways athletes can be aggressive and show their skills on the court. She grew up playing AAU against girls who were two years older than her and always relished shooting around in pickup scrimmages.
Lucas is a key starter for South Pointe, which ranks No. 1 in The Rock Hill Herald’s latest Power 5 rankings and is the highest-ranked undefeated girls’ basketball team in the state.
A true freshman who gained significant varsity experience in middle school, Lucas is leading the South Carolina power in points, assists, steals and free throws.
“We’re getting better every day,” Lucas said. “At South Pointe, it’s like a family. Everybody’s got each other’s back.”
‘Those young kids really gave me a second verse’
Currently the Palmetto State’s second-ranked team according to MaxPreps, the Stallions (16-0) are behind only North Augusta, which dropped an out-of-state contest against Butler High of Georgia.
Lucas isn’t even head coach Stephanie Butler-Graham’s youngest consistent player.
Eighth-grader Kemoni Hardy has been giving the Stallions good minutes. The Class of 2029 standout has recorded nearly 40 steals this season, which trails only Lucas.
“I’m at the down-stretch of my coaching career, and those young kids really gave me a second verse,” Butler-Graham said. “Finding kids who match my intensity, type of work ethic, seeing the work they put in — they play year-round while doing other sports — it was a renewed sense of ‘let’s go.’
“For us to be in the gym before school. Even if it gets me out of my bed at 5 o’clock in the morning. They’ve given all of us coaches a bit more energy.”
A star senior is among South Pointe’s 1,000-point scorers
The Stallions put up nearly 70 points per game, and their scoring comes from a variety of players.
Sophomore Ja’Nyia Cunningham, who leads the Stallions in blocks and rebounds, reached the 1,000th points of her career earlier this season. She was joined by senior Serenity Woods, who knocked down a free throw late in South Pointe’s win earlier this week to hit the milestone.
Believe it or not, Lucas is already well on her way.
The standout freshman is on pace to reach the 1,000-point mark by the end of January. She averaged double figures on South Pointe’s varsity squad throughout seventh and eighth grade and is currently the Stallions’ leading scorer with 20.6 points per game.
“(Lucas) spends a lot of time in the gym working on that shot,” Butler-Graham said. “I still don’t think she’s really hit the top gear yet. She has a whole lot left in her tank. Even this season — and we’re challenging her — there are some things, offensively, that I still need to see that she can do.
“Get her assists up. I want her to be a little bit more aggressive, even within the offense. Kaleigh Lucas, she puts the work in. She does. This team allows us to coach them pretty hard, and they just keep showing up.”
After falling short, South Pointe is poised for a state title run
South Pointe fell by two points in the third round of last year’s Class 4A playoffs.
Its 63-61 loss to Riverside in the state quarterfinals snapped a 24-game win streak. But the game was marred by what the Stallions felt were some questionable calls, and they haven’t forgotten about them.
The team is taking it day-by-day, just trying to continue its winning ways.
And there’s nothing Lucas — who’s at the YMCA every day at 5 a.m., practicing after school and working out again at night — wants more.
“We’re trying to go and win the state,” Lucas said. “It would mean a lot, especially because we have a lot of seniors on the team. Last year we lost in the third round to a terrible call by a ref. We could’ve won that game.”
