FLORENCE, SC – In a clash of titans, the Greenville Red Raiders emerged victorious, defeating the Fort Mill Yellow Jackets 46-44 in a nail-biting 5A-D2 Upper State Championship game at the Florence Civic Center. The win sends Greenville to the state championship game this Saturday.
Fort Mill started strong, with Wallace Campbell putting the Yellow Jackets on the board first. Nas Berry extended the lead, and a Logan Parker three-pointer pushed Fort Mill to a 7-2 advantage. Campbell’s impressive over-the-shoulder layup forced Greenville to call an early timeout, trailing 9-2. Fort Mill maintained a 13-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Greenville roared back in the second quarter, tying the game at 15. They briefly took the lead, but Campbell responded to even the score at 17. Fort Mill struggled with ball control, allowing Greenville to stay in the game. Berry’s three-pointer briefly gave Fort Mill some breathing room, but Greenville answered, tying the game at 20. Fort Mill entered halftime with a narrow 24-20 lead.
The Yellow Jackets came out firing in the third quarter, quickly extending their lead to 30-22. Greenville remained competitive, staying within striking distance. A timeout was called with Fort Mill leading 32-28. At the end of the third, Fort Mill held a 38-34 advantage, setting the stage for a dramatic fourth quarter.
The tension mounted as Greenville tied the game at 44 with 2:51 remaining. Both teams struggled to capitalize on their offensive possessions, with strong defense and crucial rebounds preventing either team from taking control.
With the clock winding down and the score still tied, Greenville held the ball for a final shot. With 18 seconds remaining, they took a two-point lead. Fort Mill called a timeout with 13 seconds left to strategize.
Fort Mill’s final attempts fell short, and Jermier Nelson’s three-point attempt went long. Time expired, but a jump ball with 0.8 seconds remaining gave Fort Mill one last chance. However, they were unable to convert, and Greenville secured a hard-fought 46-44 victory.
Greenville’s resilience and clutch plays in the final minutes proved to be the difference, sending them to the state championship game.
