Guard Shamaria Myers returned to the court Friday and led the Ashley Ridge Girls Basketball team to a 40-37 win over West Ashley.
Myers had been benched all season while she recovered from a bone fracture. When the doctors finally gave her the green light to return to action she stomped on the gas and set the tone for the Swamp Foxes in their home game with the Wildcats, a team that defeated Ashley Ridge back in December.
“She was so excited to hear that she could play,” Ashley Ridge coach Tron Grant said. “We have battled all year, but just having her back energized the whole team. She is a special kid. Her demeanor and leadership and all the things she brings to the table that don’t even show in the scorebook mean so much to us. We are hoping this is the start of a good run that will lead to a strong finish in the region.”
Myers finished with a team-high 10 points. Obiny Drayton added 8 points for the Swamp Foxes while Taighlor Solomon and Delaney Hood both added 7 points and Ashanti Caldwell added 6.
Breauna Robinson provided the spark for West Ashley and finished with a game-high 19 points. The Wildcats had their opportunities, but Ashley Ridge battled to prevent West Ashley from pulling away.
West Ashley took a 30-25 lead into the final quarter, but then the Swamp Foxes went on a 7-1 run to take a one-point lead halfway through the fourth. Ashley Ridge scored off some turnovers and hit some key free throws to sustain the lead.
However, West Ashley gained a little momentum and pulled within a point on a pair of free throws with 49 seconds remaining. Grant felt his team needed to remain aggressive so on the ensuing inbound pass the Swamp Foxes went deep. The pass sailed over the heads of the Wildcat defenders and Myers was on the other end of the court to receive it and drive in for a wide-open layup and a 38-35 Ashley Ridge lead.
“We worked on that for the last three weeks hoping we would get the chance to use it,” Grant said. “A lot of times teams don’t pressure everybody so when we saw everybody up we kind of knew it would work. Shamaria wanted it and who better to give it to. They executed it well and it helped us win.”
The Wildcats answered the bucket, but Myers then hit a pair of free throws with less than two seconds remaining to seal the victory. West Ashley had been playing good basketball and was comfortably in the third slot for the region, but now the spot isn’t as secure.
Ashley Ridge improved to 10-7 with a 5-5 mark in Region 7-AAAAA, making it now a contender for the No. 3 seed.
Ashley Ridge was without its second-leading scorer and another player for the West Ashley game. Grant is hoping all of his players can stay healthy and ready for action as the Swamp Foxes head down the home stretch of their schedule.
“We wanted to test ourselves and kind of see what kind of team we have and the girls responded,” he said. “We were still shorthanded. We have not yet played one game this year with a full squad, but we somehow find ways to figure it out.”
Ashley Ridge travels to James Island Feb. 3. It hosts Wando at 6 p.m. Feb. 7 and closes out its schedule with a game at Fort Dorchester at 7 p.m. Feb. 10.
