Andrew Jackson goes back-to-back! Volunteers win second straight SC girls’ basketball title
Andrew Jackson won another girls’ basketball state championship in dominant fashion Saturday.
The high school in Lancaster County routed Eau Claire, 89-36, in the South Carolina Class 2A title game at the Florence Center.
This win marks back-to-back state titles for the Volunteers, who recorded a school-record 29 victories as their high-powered offense averaged nearly 80 points per game.
Senior forward Tamia Watkins, who will continue her career at Elon University, and junior guard Ni’Yonna Asbelle combined for nearly two-thirds of the scoring as they posted double-doubles for Andrew Jackson (29-2), which built its big lead early.
“We made history,” Asbelle, who set a career high with 30 points making 13 of 15 shots from the field, said as the Volunteers celebrated with their fans on the far side of the arena. “It’s a big accomplishment that we’ve made more history for our school, for our state, and we’re gonna go back home and celebrate.
“Being together and having a bond with our teammates is everything — we share the ball and can get the ball up the court to each other. It comes from everybody, and not just one person. We continue to play together throughout the years, things will be all right.”
Watkins finished with 31 points and 15 rebounds, while Asbelle also grabbed 11 boards. The two know each other well and have a variety of plays they run for each other, and their connection was evident throughout this year’s championship game.
“Ni’yonna (Asbelle) and I have a really good connection,” Watkins said. “We read each other and know what each other do. It came from over the years of playing together — we’ve been playing together since she was in seventh grade, I was in eighth grade.”
Notable
▪ Asbelle scored 20 of Andrew Jackson’s 39 points in the first half. The Volunteers held their opponent to just four points during the second quarter and nine points throughout the fourth.
▪ Andrew Jackson ended its season on a 12-game win streak. Its only losses came against South Pointe, which finished 29-1, and Mount Paran Christian of Georgia. While the Volunteers dropped a 62-36 game to Ashley Ridge on Nov. 30, the high school in Summerville forfeited its victories after an SCHSL ruling.
▪ Eau Claire (18-9), the high school in Columbia, made its first state championship game appearance in 27 years. The Shamrocks got hot during the postseason after finishing second in their Region 3 2A finals to Clinton and knocked off Ninety Six, Blacksburg, Mid-Carolina and the Red Devils to reach Florence.
They said it
“It’s a little bit of everybody,” Volunteers head coach Steven Fair said. “The community, the school, the entire Lancaster County School District — of course, my place of employment — Kershaw Elementary, everybody supports us. I’m not just saying that to be saying it: We have a tremendous amount of support from a very small town.”
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This story was originally published March 8, 2025 at 2:24 PM.
