Heathwood Hall’s Joseph James flies between Pinewood Prep’s Bruce Haynes and Cameron Fisher. Heathwood Hall head coach Jeff Whalen put Mac Whalen and Corey Littlejohn on Pinewood Prep’s 3–point gunners Steve Chase and Jerome Haynes. It worked for one half. Whalen and Littlejohn held the duo to one heavily contested 3–pointer with 10 seconds remaining in the second quarter. However, the Highlanders had no answer for Bruce Haynes who scored a game–high 22 points for the Panthers who pulled away in the fourth quarter and beat Heathwood 58–41 to earn their fifth straight SCISA 3A championship at Sumter Saturday.

If not for Haynes, Heathwood may have dominated the first quarter. Five different Highlanders scored led by Littlejohn’s seven points. Morgan Whalen drained a three–pointer, and brother Mac’s steal and subsequent fast break layup gave Heathwood an 11–8 lead with 3:40 to play in the first. Haynes tied it up after he was fouled on a successful drive to the basket and layup. Four straight points from Heathwood built the lead to 15–11, but Haynes’s 3–pointer with 38 seconds closed the gap to 15–14.

Heathwood Hall’s Corey Littlejohn prepares to shoot against Pinewood Prep’s Drew Williams and Brett Alexander. The Highlanders built three point leads twice in the second quarter off four points from Joseph English, but another Haynes 3–pointer tied the score at 21–21 with one minute to go until halftime. Then with 10 seconds remaining, Chase hit a 3–pointer with Mac Whalen in his face. Whalen was able to get 1–of–2 free throws with 0.2 seconds on the clock to trim the Pinewood lead to 24–22.

Jerome Haynes started to heat up in the third quarter. Multiple screens finally allowed him to shake free of the Heathwood pressure. He hit a 3–pointer at the 5:25 mark, then another at the 2:25 mark, and finally got a conventional 3–point play with a driving right–handed hook with 1:37 left in the third. Bruce Haynes added a 3–pointer and floating left handed shot in the lane.

Heathwood Hall’s Mac Whalen and Corey Littlejohn were selected to the SCISA 3A All–Tournament team. Still, the Highlanders hung tough with four points from Morgan Whalen, a 3–pointer from Mac Whalen, and a basket from Littlejohn. Pinewood led 38–31 going into the final quarter.

Two free throws from Littlejohn cut the Pinewood lead to 38–33 to start the fourth, but the wheels came off for Heathwood after that. The Panthers outscored the Highlanders 20–8 in the final 5:21.

Littlejohn led Heathwood with 17 points. Morgan Whalen added seven, and Mac Whalen and Joseph English each finished with six points.

Jerome Haynes scored 17 points for Pinewood. Chase added nine.
Heathwood Hall’s Morgan Whalen drains a 3–pointer against Pinewood Prep.