The Cherokee Lady Braves celebrate their victory over Bishop McGuinness in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 1A state basketball playoffs in a game played at SW Guilford High School in High Point, N.C. on Friday, March 8. (BROOKLYN BROWN/One Feather photos)
By BROOKLYN BROWN
One Feather Reporter
HIGH POINT, N.C. – The Cherokee High School Lady Braves ended the two-year reign of the Bishop McGuinness Lady Villains on the evening of Friday, March 8, at Southwest Guilford High School in the fourth round of the NCHSAA 1A state basketball playoffs. The (#3) Lady Braves will face (#1) Mountain Heritage Lady Cougars on Monday, March 11 in Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem for the Western Regional Championship. The winner of the regional championship will advance to the NCHSAA 1A State Championship game.
Cherokee Senior (#3) Loshi Ward shuts down Bishop McGuinness’ lead scorer Adelaide Jernigan in the fourth quarter.
The Bishop McGuinness Lady Villains won the NCHSAA 1A State Championship in 2021-22 and 2022-23. The Lady Braves lost to Bishop McGuinness in the fourth round of playoffs in 2022-23 with a final score of 56-42. The Lady Braves victory on Friday not only toppled the reigning championships, but secured redemption from a tough loss the previous year.
And redemption was sweet. Lady Braves fans filled five of the six sections of the stands in the uncomfortably warm gymnasium. Their cheers and chants reverberated off the walls. Lady Braves fans made that gym their own. Even though the Lady Braves were on the road, it felt as though they had home field advantage. Cherokee packed the gym with parents, families, children, teachers, friends, the Braves basketball team, other coaches like Lady Braves volleyball coach Pam Sumner Bryant, and for those who couldn’t be there in person, the community tuned in online in enormous fashion.
The game was a battle, but the Lady Braves were unrelenting. Junior (#32) Whitney Rogers was the leading scorer with 25 points, followed by sophomore (#4) Dvdaya Swimmer with 18 points. Junior (#2) Kyla Moore came off the bench in a big way with 4 points and dominant defense, taking a series of charges and forcing three turnovers.
Senior (#12) Loshi Ward shut down the Lady Villains’ leading scorer Adelaide Jernigan, who tallied 25 points, but was held scoreless in the fourth quarter. Freshman (#13) Joscelyn Stamper dominated the boards with 8 rebounds, making a huge rebound in the last seconds of the ball game to help secure Cherokee’s lead. Rogers, Swimmer, and Senior (#23) Creedon Arch excelled under pressure, making their foul shots as the clock ticked down. The Lady Braves as a team won with determination, composure, and an unwillingness to lose.
Fans were not allowed to rush the court, so they waited right at the edge of the court for hugs and crying and laughter. As fans bustled out of the side of the gym and felt cool air again, smiles could be seen throughout the parking lot—not just for the cool air, but for the unwavering feeling of pride for the Lady Braves.
The Lady Braves will travel to Winston-Salem on Monday for a chance at advancing to the state championship, and they will have their community right behind them.
Lady Braves fans beam with pride as the clock ticks down and the Lady Braves victory solidifies.
