Gray Collegiate debuts on-campus basketball facility, part of school-wide upgrade

The days of getting on a bus to play home games are over for the Gray Collegiate basketball team.

The War Eagle teams finally have a permanent place of their own in which to play, and Gray opened up its new 1,500-seat gymnasium by sweeping Fairfield Central on Friday night. The Gray girls won, 56-37, while the top-ranked boys won, 81-41.

A large crowd attended the opener, which had a packed student section called “The Infantry” and DJ Puff playing music throughout the night.

“It does feel good to play right here at the school, “ Gray boys coach Dion Bethea said. “You saw everyone that came out, the students, faculty and the staff. It was great and this place is going to be real special to us “

Gray’s gym is the first new high school basketball gym in the Midlands since Brookland-Cayce in 2019. There have been several new football stadiums built the past few years, including Ridge View and Richland Northeast.

The gym has been in the works the last four years, Gray principal Brian Newsome said. Groundbreaking for it happened a year ago.

Gray, which opened in 2014, had been playing most of its home games at Allen University in downtown Columbia. Playing off campus hasn’t affected the success of programs, especially boys basketball which has won four state championships since 2018. But the coaches and administration are glad for a permanent place.

There are still some kinks to work out, and the large scoreboard high above center court should be installed in the next few weeks.

The gym is part of several new additions at the school and part of the $14.2 million bond. There will be a new athletic complex which includes football/soccer stadium, softball/baseball fields and a 9,000 square foot academic wing featuring six new classrooms. The soccer field will be ready to play on in the spring, while baseball and softball will continue to play off campus for another year.

The football and baseball teams had been playing at Midlands Sports Complex.

“This is what we need for our coaches, players and fans. It finally has come to fruition,” Gray principal Brian Newsome said. “We have been successful using other people’s facilities. Our kids haven’t complained about it. Now, we have our own facilities so people can sew what Gray is all about. We want people in the community to come out and use it. We want volleyball tournaments, club volleyball and planning a basketball tournament next year. There are a lot of things we want to play on our own campus.”

Friday Scores

Boys

Gray Collegiate 81, Fairfield Central 41

GC: Montraivis White 21, Trey Maddox 20, Parker 5, Elliis Graham 15, McDuffie 6, Britt 2, Johnson 4, Pauling 8. FC: Daniel Kincade 13, Gladden 1, Woodard 6, Rivers 3, Feaster 5. Boyd 5, Yang 8.

Heathwood Hall 55, Orangeburg Prep 37

HH: Nichols 5, Claxton 3, JD Gardner 35, Hunter 2, Frick 6, Noble 2, Morris 2. OP: Tilden Riley 16, Gilliam 3, Hall 8, Plummer 6, Ravenwell 4.

Cardinal Newman 57, Augusta Christian 45

CN Josiah Peeples 18, Jordan Frazer 14, Evan Carter 13, Elton Smith JR. 5, Russ White 4, Dorian Hart 3. AC: DJ Shine 27, Khleel Pratt 13, Smith 5, Henderson 2

Richland Northeast 57, Lugoff-Elgin 50 (OT)

RNE: Marques Smith 17, Zack Watkins 10, Tillman 8, Grant 8, Johnson 4, Jones 2, Copeland 2, Haliburton 2, Islam 2, Wine 2

Ridge View 72, Westwood 59

RV: Jayden Pretty 16, Korrie Corbett 15, Yale Davis 14, Perez 8, Smith 8, McDaniel 6, T. Smith 1, McClary 4. W: Arden Conyers 29.

Keenan 65, Eau Claire 36

K: Jaylen Golston 16, Amarii King 14, Broderick Anderson 12, Sumpter 2, Elam 4, Oree 2, Robinson 2, McCullough 6, T. McNiel 2, N. McNiel 2, Crawford 1, A. King 2

Dutch Fork 74, White Knoll 49

DF: Bryson Taylor 15, Green 5, Sessions 8, Stagg 6, Jaden Toney 11, Elijah Thornton 10, Poore 3, Yarborough 5, Johnson 1, Thompson 8, Reilly 2. WK: Thomas 7, Funderburk 2, Sims 6, Newton 2, Bell 2, Geronomi 8, James Smith 20, Gordon 2

Orangeburg-Wilkinson 79, Swansea 11

OW: H Jaques 17, B Washington 11, M Gordon 10, Cunningham 8, J Jacques 8, Smith 7, Bell 4, Williams 4, Livingston 4, Ross 2, Jamison 1, McGraw 1. S: Goodwin 5, Tyler 3, Taylor 2, Fields 1

Dreher 57, Brookland-Cayce 43

D: Austin Glasscho 18, Jordan Barr 16, Will Lominack 11, Moss 8

Irmo 62, AC Flora 44

I: Madden Collins 21, Te’Andre Summons 16, Jonathan White 12, Foster 6, Mason Collins 5, Brand 2.

Hammond 46, Ben Lippen 45

H:: Mike Tyler 12, Amari Evans 12, Osborne 9, Saunders 6, Ross 5, Epps 2. BL: Ellis Jones 14, Braysen Stockman 10, Will Helmadollar 10, Stockman 7, Little 2, Buxton 2.

Blythewood 74, Nation Ford 57

B: Will Olden 18, Jaiden Haltiwanger 12, Lamont Jackson 11

Lower Richland 59, Gilbert 38

Lexington 71, River Bluff 52

L: Jaxon Prunty 25, Kaleb Evans contributed 19, Jose Figueroa 10. RB: Omari Caldwell 13.

Camden 60, Lake City 57

C: Izzy Macklin 23, Nyrell Stratford 18, Dre Wilson 13, Hunter 4, Lee 2. LC: Karon Brown 20, DJ Graham 13, Mykel Croker 11, Washington 9, Adams 2, Jones 2

Clover 69, Spring Valley 55

Newberry 76, Saluda 53

Silver Bluff 55, Batesburg-Leesville 52

Girls

Gray Collegiate 56, Fairfield Central 37

FC: Jazz McMillian 13, Pinkney 2, Adams 8, Kennedy 7,Yarborough, Feaster 2. GC: Tatum 6, Boland 2, Mintz 8, Thomas 3, Kadence Walker-Lee 17, Maliyah Mason 13, , Woodlock 5, Mayers 2,

Dutch Fork 81, White Knoll 34

DF: Kystian Spratley 19, Hillary Offing 20, Jackson 9, Cheeseboro 9, Lee 6, McCree 6, Anderson 6, Monroe 4 Crumlin 2, WK: Vanessa Borrero-Garcia 12, Anderson 9, Buckner 8, Lee 4.

Camden 67, Lake City 22

C: Joyce Edwards 22, Morgan Champion 18, Braylin Mungo 13, Jefferson 7, Jeffcoat 3, Carter 2, Harris 2

Lexington 63, River Bluff 33

L: Lindsay Garner 25. RB: Jaden Tucker 13.

Heathwood Hall 53, Orangeburg Prep 32

HH: Lauren Jacobs 20, Camillea Gore 14, Monsanto 9, Spriggs 4, Frick 2, Mullins 2, Bowers 2. OP: Holstad 12, Delaney 8, Lambrecht 5, Garrick 4, Exum 3

Keenan 87, Eau Claire 42

Saluda 64, Newberry 43

S: Pou 2, Brunson 3, Jessica Means 38, Nick 16, Daniels 3, Stevens 2. N: Williams 2, Cook 2, Daizee Williams 12, Wadsworth 4, Faith Grey 17, Dunbar 4, Lyles 2, Rutt 1

Nation Ford 55, Blythewood 48

Airport 54, South Aiken 52

Spring Valley 58, Clover 54

Hammond 61, Ben Lippen 33

H: Samira Khalil 28, Kayce Hyman 16, Stephens 3, Adams 5, Inman 3, Evans 4, Vincent 2. BL: Alexis Jacobs 11, Combs 8, Hester 3, Swan 4, Bailey 3, Alexander 4

AC Flora 67, Irmo 32

ACF: Terriana Gray 23, Hartry 8, Tamira Delaney 6, Trinity Delaney 6, Wright-Thompson 3, Curnell 4, Cuttino 1, Darby 2, McCray 8, McDonald-Craft 1, Mickens 5.

Westwood 53, Ridge View 28

W: Korletta Daniels 21, Jessica Woods 12, Johnson 9, Thompson 7, Brown 1, Miracle 1,Davis 2.

Lower Richland 76, Gilbert 33