Orangeburg Prep falls short of ultimate goal

Orangeburg Prep’s fourth quarter rally fell short as Pee Dee Academy defeated the Lady Indians 37-34 to claim the SCISA Class 3A Girls state championship Saturday in Sumter.

“Sometimes its just not your night,” OPS head coach Jan Stoudenmire said. “We missed shots we normally make, didn’t make plays on defense and turned the ball over.”

Both teams struggled offensively with Pee Dee Academy managing a 12-7 halftime lead. Stoudenmire credited the Golden Eagles for being ready to meet OP’s challenge.

“You can’t score seven points in a half and expect to win,” Stoudenmire said. “But (Pee Dee) played a heck of a defense…they were everywhere. They came out ready to play, made shots, and that’s what good teams do.”

Orangeburg Prep’s Jane Walker Yonce was limited after picking up two fouls early in the first quarter. She missed the majority of the first half but sparked a bit of a rally in the third quarter before picking up her fourth foul.

“We’re so blessed to have (Yonce),” Stoudenmire said. “You see what she meant (to our team) when she got back on the court. She didn’t try to foul, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

Yonce finished the game with six points and five rebounds while being named to the Class 3A Girls All-Tournament team. Hannah Lambrecht led the Lady Indians with 10 points and eight steals and named to the all-tournament team while Izzy Exum added nine points.

“(The losses) don’t get any easier,” Stoudenmire said. “They wanted to win so bad and I wanted to win so bad for them. They worked so hard, but we’ve had a great season. It’s hard to look back now, but the seniors we’ve had this year were the best leaders ever and we’re going to miss them, but they will leave a piece of us with them.”

Orangeburg Prep finishes the season with a record of 26-2. It’s the second runner-up finish in the last four years (2022).

“OP hasn’t won a state championship since 1991,” Stoudenmire said. “We have a good group coming back next season, our junior varsity had a successful season and they know what it takes to get here. I promise you we’ll be back and I’m going to get one before I’m gone.”