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South Effingham Girls Rally Late to Beat Effingham County
Kailyn Chapman’s 24 Points lead Mustangs Past Rebels
South Effingham Basketball
South Effingham’s Kailyn Chapman knocks down a deep 3-pointer during the third quarter of the Mustangs’ 47-33 win over Effingham County on Tuesday. Chapman scored a game-high 24 points. (Gilbert Miller / Effingham Herald)

SPRINGFIELD, Ga. — Two big runs staved off a potential upset for South Effingham’s girls Tuesday night against host Effingham County.

The Mustangs (11-2), who won the first meeting by 40 points, couldn’t break the game open this time until the final 10 minutes in a 47-33 victory.

“When you beat a team by so many points the first time, it’s hard to get kids to understand they have to play hard,” South Effingham coach Alexus Parker said. “I think we took a lot of plays off. We were lazy and flat, and we played at a level that was completely unacceptable to me.”

South Effingham was without high-scoring shooting guard Hayden Johanson, who did not play. Parker declined to give a reason, saying only, “We decided not to play her.”

Kailyn Chapman filled the scoring void with a game-high 24 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter as South pulled away.

South Effingham Basketball
South Effingham’s Adelyn White drives to the basket and scores over Effingham County’s Jada Praylo late in the third quarter as the Mustangs trailed 29-28 on Tuesday. South Effingham pulled away in the final minutes for a 47-33 victory. (Gilbert Miller / Effingham Herald)

Rebels Hang Tough

Freshman Jordynn Lee was a force in the paint, scoring a career-high 21 points for Effingham County.

The Mustangs, whose nine-game winning streak was snapped last Friday by Burke County, fell behind 15-6 in the second quarter.

The Rebels’ nine-point lead lasted less than a minute. DJ Lane hit two 3-pointers, Chapman added another, and Adelyn White finished a layup to spark a 17-0 run. South Effingham went into halftime leading 23-15.

Undaunted, Effingham County (1-9) opened the second half with six straight points and closed within 28-25 with 1:40 left in the third quarter.

It was a far cry from the first meeting, when South Effingham rolled to a 66-26 win just 10 days earlier after leading 29-5 midway through the second quarter.

“I think we’re getting better,” Rebels coach Kevin Furtado said. “We’ve improved in many areas, and this team is growing together.”

South Effingham Basketball
South Effingham’s Kyla Shuman drives past Effingham County’s Shaunici Calhoun and scores late in the second quarter. Shuman finished with 11 points. (Gilbert Miller / Effingham Herald)

South Closes Strong

Lee, who has seen increased playing time after forward Nakera Hawkins suffered a season-ending leg injury, continued her upward trajectory. She scored a previous career-high 13 points against Islands six days earlier.

Against the Mustangs, Lee accounted for 19 of the Rebels’ 22 points during a 19-minute stretch spanning the first through third quarters.

South Effingham responded with a decisive 15-2 run, holding Effingham County without a field goal for nearly nine minutes to regain control.

“Their guards were a little shaky with their ballhandling, so we tried to take advantage of that,” Parker said.

Kyla Shuman added 11 points and Lane scored eight for the Mustangs. Shaunici Calhoun had six points for the Rebels.