HINESVILLE – While the Bradwell Institute girls basketball program annually produces winning teams, count coach Faye Baker among those who didn’t expect a 20-0 start.
Not after losing four seniors from the 2024-25 squad that went 26-4 and became Baker’s second team in the Bradwell legend’s 31 years as head coach to reach the state tournament semifinals.
“I am just pleasantly surprised because our team last year was really highly touted,” Baker said Friday night after the Tigers defeated visiting South Effingham 51-32 to improve to 20-0, 4-0 in Region 1-5A.
While nearly all of the wins have been by large margins, the closest call was a 38-34 overtime win at home against Glynn Academy on Jan. 6. Bradwell Institute is No. 5 in the state Class 5A rankings for Week 10, according to sandysspiel.com.
“Definitely this has been a surprise for us,” Baker said of being undefeated. “I saw it during the summer. This team really, really plays well together. We can have at any time, any four to five kids (score) in double figures. They’re a really, really balanced team.”
Bradwell Institute showed balance and depth on Friday against the Mustangs (12-8, 1-3 region), who lost their sixth straight game after a stellar start to the season. The Tigers played without starting point guard Janiyah Blevins and starting forward Kaydence Kern. Baker said Blevins injured her rotator cuff and Kern sustained a concussion on Tuesday in a 56-24 home win over Statesboro.
Senior guard Jamia Ousley helped the Tigers avoid a slow start against the Mustangs while adjusting to the new lineup. She scored 12 points in the first quarter as Bradwell forged a 14-7 lead.
Ousley finished with a game-high 18 points, and Destini McLemore also reached double figures with 10.
“I was really pleased with the way (the team) performed without those two starters out there tonight because I knew we were going to be out of sync, sort of,” Baker said. “Our other (players) stepped up big for us and kind of took over the game for us.”
Baker, being a coach, of course, saw room for improvement. On Friday night, it was the defense.
“Normally, they play really solid defense,” Baker said. “We didn’t play as well tonight because you almost drive a semi (truck) through the lane a couple of times. Normally, with our starters and our subs that come in, they usually do a very good job defensively.”
The Mustangs were able to hang around early, primarily due to the sharp shooting of senior Hayden Johanson, who drilled four 3-pointers in scoring 16 points – half of her team’s points.
Junior point guard Kailyn Chapman added eight points in the game for the Mustangs, who trailed 22-17 at halftime and only 22-20 after Johanson drained a 3-pointer from the right baseline in the first minute of the third quarter.
Bradwell senior guard Ja’Nya Bush said after the game that the players talked at halftime about what was on the line and that even though they led, it wasn’t good enough.
“We realized it was either we lose our streak or we all come together and put forth effort,” Bush said. “Everybody started clicking.”
The Tigers closed out the third quarter on a 14-3 run for a 36-23 lead. McLemore made a layup to start the run. Junior forward Mikayla Oliveira (nine game points) then put back an offensive rebound. Ousley scored on a fast break, and McLemore made one of two free throws before Johanson struck again with a deep 3-pointer.
Bush responded by driving the lane for a layup before Ousley scored two buckets in the last minute of the quarter.
“(Ousley) is definitely a penetrator, a slasher,” Baker said. “She can fill the holes really well. I’m glad her shot was really on tonight.”
Bradwell Institute outscored South Effingham 14-6 in the third quarter and 15-9 in the fourth to lead by as many as 21 points in the victory.
Bush described the team as “one big family” that bonds on and off the court. That closeness begins with their connection with Baker, 62, a 1981 Bradwell graduate. Bush said players can talk with their coach about anything.
“I could say a lot about Coach Baker,” Bush said. “When you put trust in her and you execute, you’re going to come out victorious a lot. Coach Baker trusts us a lot. If she sees something that we don’t see, she’s going to call it out. And if we see something that she doesn’t see, we’re going to call it out. She’s going to work with us.”
Baker’s teams are unselfish, passing the ball for a better shot, emphasizing that who scores doesn’t matter as long as the team wins. Asked if this season’s squad has the makings of another run to the state semifinals or beyond, Baker didn’t know – yet.
“At this point, I never would have thought we’d be 20-0,” Baker said. “We’re not very big at all, but they play big. They usually come up well in big games. I don’t know. They’ve pleasantly surprised me so far, so I hope they continue to do that.”
Bradwell Institute 51, South Effingham 32
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
| SEHS | 7 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 32 |
| BI | 14 | 8 | 14 | 15 | 51 |
South Effingham (32)
France 3, Chapman 8, Lewis 3, Shuman 2, Hayden Johanson 16.
Bradwell Institute (51)
Garner 4, Jamia Ousley 18, Oliveira 9, Destini McLemore 10, Garrett 2, Bush 8.
Records—SEHS 12-8, 1-3 Region 1-5A; Bradwell Institute 20-0, 4-0 region.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Bradwell Institute 89, South Effingham 54
The host Tigers’ 24-5 run to end the second quarter helped turn a close game into a decisive victory as they remained unbeaten in Region 1-5A.
Zi’on Thomas, a junior who earlier this month recorded his 1,000th career point, scored a game-high 22 for Bradwell Institute (14-4, 4-0 region). Senior forward Christopher Perry, also in the 1,000-point club and a signee with the University of North Florida, contributed 14 points. Teammates Jaylin Sweat had 19 points – including some rim-rattling dunks – and Jah’Barri Felix had 10.
The game was tied early in the second quarter, and the Mustangs trailed 25-22 with just under seven minutes remaining before falling 22 points back, 49-27, at halftime. The Tigers took advantage of turnovers created by a pressing defense to increase their advantage to more than 30 points in the fourth quarter before both teams rested their starters.
Landyn White led South Effingham (8-11, 0-3) with 14 points, Warren Roundtree added 12, and Michael Hall 11.
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
| SEHS | 17 | 10 | 19 | 8 | 54 |
| BI | 20 | 29 | 20 | 20 | 89 |
South Effingham (54)
Campbell 2, Michael Hall 11, Ha. Lloyd 1, Warren Roundtree 12, Ho. Lloyd 2, McClure 2, Landyn White 14, Williams 3, Crofts 7.
Bradwell Institute (89)
Raby 2, Grant 2, Jah’Barri Felix 10, Cavewynter 2, Zi’on Thomas 22, Arnold 2, Hicks 9, Christopher Perry 14, Gregg 2, Hale 5, Jaylin Sweat 19.
Records—SEHS 8-11, 0-3 Region 1-5A; Bradwell Institute 14-4, 4-0 region.
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Photo credit: Courtesy Liberty County Sports Photo page, via Facebook
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