Last Friday night, the girls and boys varsity basketball teams earned wins on Senior night!

The Raptor girls got the night started the right way, picking up a 54-45 victory over North Charleston in front of a great crowd. Magnet was led by senior Caroline Black who scored 16 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, while junior English Laserna added 12 points and freshman Ashley Bryan added 14 points of her own.  The Lady Raptors travel to Battery Creek on Tuesday night and then visit region rival Bishop England this Friday as they look to build off of a Senior Night victory.

Then, seniors Caroline Black, Rachel Biggs, Emily Aysse, Emily McGee, Lauren Medich, Ariel Dornisch, and Erica Hoskins were honored after the game by Coach Walpole.

After that, Coach Kelley honored the 5 seniors on the varsity boys team. He started with, who he called, “the best dressed person at Academic Magnet, none other than Keb “Doc” Mosley-Kellum. Then, the pride of Brazil himself, Eduardo “Jefe” daCosta, received an ovation and high praise from Coach Kelley. However, with the utmost respect for “Doc” and “Jefe”, the last 3 seniors, Coach Kelley said, “will always have a special place in [his] heart”. Ben “Zero” Redden, Jakob “Biscuit” Cumins, and Danny “Twig” Cunningham have played varsity basketball for all 4 years at Academic Magnet, and were little freshmen when Coach Kelley began coaching here at Magnet. Now, these 5 are playing in their final Friday home game as Raptors and were looking to end on a high note.

All 5 seniors started the game for Academic Magnet, but it was an unusual start for this experienced group. Mosley-Kellum opened the game with a three from the left wing to put the Raptors on top, but the score would remain at 3-0 for almost three and a half minutes. At the end of the first quarter the score was just 11-7, and there were a combined 22 fouls and 12 turnovers between the teams. An ugly game without any rhythm, and a lot of moans, groans, and plenty of missed shots resulted in just a 24-18 lead for the Raptors heading into the break.

But, senior Danny Cunningham came out in the second half and scored 7 points for Magnet and they had extended their lead to 40-26 after three quarters. The Raptors held on to a double digit lead throughout the final 8 minutes and cruised to a 55-38 victory over the Cougars in front of the Flock and the rest of the Magnet faithful.

Academic Magnet was led by Cunningham who scored 13 points, the only Raptor in double digits. However, it was the defense that was the key to the victory as North Charleston shot just 19% from the field, and committed 19 turnovers. That was a credit to a stifling diamond and one defense with a chaser. Guards Eduardo da Costa and Myles Myers face guarded Cougar standout Staten LaVine to perfection as they held the Cougar offense to just 38 points.

The Raptors, now 14-6 (6-1) face their biggest challenges yet as they travel to Battery Creek Tuesday night and then visit rival Bishop England on Friday.