The Pinewood girls’ basketball team didn’t repeat as state champion, but there’s no reason for the Lady Panthers to hang their heads down.
The Panthers’ dream of earning a second consecutive state title was shattered by a 37-46 loss to Northwood Academy in the semifinals of the SCISA AAA playoffs. However, Pinewood coach Nancy Beatty says her team should be proud of its accomplishments this year.
“It was a great season,” she said. “We got better every game. We beat Northwood earlier in the year, played Hilton Head Prep close both times we saw them and won over a No. 1 seed in the quarterfinals.”
Pinewood finished its season with a 19-6 record after dropping games to Irmo, Ridgeview and Hilton Head Prep early on. It’s losses later in the season came to Hilton Head, which claimed the 2010 title, and Northwood.
“We were a fast-paced team and our defense was more intense than it was last season,” Beatty said. “We improved overall and really developed a scoring threat on the outside because of the work of Kelsey Orvin, Megan Fish and Jasmine Simmons. Monet Scott went from being our sixth or seventh player to being a dominant player on the inside who people had to plan for.”
Not that long ago many teams didn’t view the Lady Panthers as a threat. Since Beatty took the reigns of the team eight seasons ago that has changed. This year marks the sixth straight season the team has finished with a winning record and with the majority of its losses coming by single-digit margins.
“The kids are dedicated and I don’t think teams treat a game against us as a scrimmage any more,” Beatty said. “Our group of juniors is hungry and already talking about next year. I feel good about our chances.”
The team losses two starters, Simmons and Scott, to graduation. However, the Panthers stand to return a promising group of guards that includes Orvin, Fish and fellow juniors Hannah Runion and Alexis Simmons. Freshman point guard Maria Corella, who Beatty says was good enough to start this season, should also return.
Post/utility players expected to return are junior Noelle Clower, sophomores Marisa Patton and Savannah Lax, and freshman Madison Every-Andrews.

Contact Roger Lee @ 873-9424 ext. 213 or rlee@journalscene.com.