Pictured are members of SC Jewels who finished in second place at a Greenville girls basketball tournament last month. Bottom row holding the trophy is Mariana Eison; second row from left, Dana Brannon, Dee Thomas, Shoulda Stevens, Sara Simmons; Third row from left, coach Marion Eison Jr., Kristen Giles, Jailyn McDowell, Erica Waters, Ivey Gilmore, Cierra Mitchell, Maryana Moore, coach Larry Stevens, head coach Melvin Allen; back row from left, McKale Hardy, coach Sam Moore, coach Will Sims.
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A local girls basketball travel team earned second place honors at a Greenville tournament last month.
The SC Jewels — which consists of Union County players ages 17 and under — are made up primarily of eighth graders but youth did not deter them from placing in the Crusaders YBOA Tournament in Greenville during the weekend of April 8-10.
Jewels coach Melvin Allen is familiar with many of the players because Allen is an assistant coach for Union County High School’s girls varsity basketball team. He brings more than 30 years of travel ball coaching experience to Union and this marks his third year coaching a Union County travel team.
“He knows the ropes and we are very blessed to have him come to Union and establish a travel team,” parent Sheila Eison said of Allen.
“The purpose of the SC Athletic Upstate Association is to initiate, stimulate, and improve opportunity for the youth through basketball. We promote and develop leadership, sportsmanship, educational opportunity, and athletic excellence. With the increase of gang violence, teen pregnancy, alcohol, drug abuse, and obesity amongst our youth we offer a positive alternative to juvenile delinquent problems. This is a positive goal that they have set for girls and it helps them to stay on track with school and outside of school,” Allen said.
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