COLUMBIA -- Neither the opponents nor the setting was new Wednesday for the Hunter-Kinard-Tyler girls' and Calhoun County boys' basketball teams.

Both the Lady Trojans (22-5) and the defending two-time state champion Saints (28-0) were in attendance for the South Carolina High School League's Media Day along with their respective opponents -- the C.E. Murray girls (29-1) and Hemingway boys (27-2) -- in Saturday's championship games at the Colonial Center. Along with answering questions from various media from around the Palmetto State, each team had players who displayed some of the swagger and confidence which made them state finalists for the third time in the past four years.

This clearly came across from H-K-T junior point guard Shalika Smalls when asked about challenging Ivory Latta's state championship scoring record of 47 points. In four playoff games, Smalls is averaging 34.5 points per game including a 46-point performance against Great Falls.

"I guarantee you I'm going to step up and I'm going to try to score 47 points," Smalls said. "I going for at least 47. But the rest of the team has to contribute."

Senior All-State guard Schwanna Dunmore, who was a freshman when Smalls, then an eighth grader, helped H-K-T defeat C.E. Murray in the 2005 title game, was quick to counter.

"I'm excited about the game," said Dunmore, who's averaging 21 points per game. "I'm waiting on it to come. The way they're talking down there like they're going to run us out, it's not going to be like that."

C.E. Murray head coach Darren Mazyck admitted it will be difficult to contain Smalls, but believes the War Eagles' experience in defending South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association Class A Player of the Year RubyLee Wright of Latta in the playoffs will help them on Saturday.

"We can't stop her," he said. "All we can do is try to slow her down and stop everybody else from doing that they're going to do. But, from hearing everyone else talk, she can shoot and I'll give her credit for that. Anyone that can shoot, they can shoot. I'll give her credit for that."

H-K-T first-year head coach Jarvis Davis, who won a state title playing football at Spartanburg High School, was equally concerned about how to keep Dunbar and her teammates at bay.

"They're a great team," he said. "Any team that makes it this far is a great team and I know they're real athletic and I know that my girls have to come out and play hard and that's what they've been doing all year. If they come and play hard, I think it's going to be a good game."

For all the attention Smalls and Dunmore expect to receive, both the players and head coaches acknowledge the supporting cast will also have to step up their game.

"I just have to get everybody involved," Smalls said. "The points are going to come regardless...if the rest of the players step up."

"I think it's going to be very important since they know that Shalika is a great player and they're going to try to stop her and we're going to have to step up and do what we have to do try to score more," H-K-T forward Shelia Jamison said.

"The fact the both of us have played over 25 games, so the role players definitely know their role and if everybody plays the way they're expected, we know the game can't end in a tie," Mazyck said. "So we'll look for fun and excitement and let the girls enjoy themselves."

Like the Lady Trojans, the Saints also find themselves in a championship game rematch. Two years ago, Calhoun County defeated Hemingway 80-65 for its fifth state title and 21st consecutive victory.

On Saturday, the Saints look to complete a second straight perfect season while adding to its state-record winning streak of 77 straight games. While history in the form of an unprecedented seventh state championship awaits head coach Zam Fredrick, his main focus is getting his players to "finish the job."

"We've had a magical season so far and accomplished quite a bit with the streak and everything else and to a man, we feel like the season would be a disappointment if we don't finish the season right and the only way to finish this year off right is to win on Saturday. Right now, we're just trying to prep ourselves and stay focused like we've always been and make sure we're ready to go Saturday."

Fredrick called winning the Orangeburg County Sweet 16 Basketball Invitational, in which the Saints defeated Edisto, Lake Marion, Lower Richland and Scott's Branch on consecutive nights, the "turning point" of the season.

"The tournament proved a lot to us," Fredrick said. "I thought the competition level was outstanding and it was a turning point during the season. We felt going into the tournament if we could get through that with the competition being what it was, we had a good chance of running the table.

"Of course, we had the two games down in (Jacksonville) Florida which were very difficult games under the circumstances where we had to drive down there and play the same night and come back and play the next night against the third-ranked team in the state of Florida (Andrew Jackson). I think the tournament along with those two games demonstrated how good the team can be if we continued to work hard."

While this is the ninth state title game in 13 years for the Saints, it's the sixth overall for Hemingway and third in the last four years under head coach Barry McFadden, a South Carolina State alumnus. He said the Tigers must avoid a repeat of the second-half malaise of missing free throws and committing turnovers from their last meeting against Calhoun County.

Along with avoiding turnovers facing the Saints' fullcourt defense, McFadden said his team must keep pace offensively. Hemingway has averaged 80 points per game this season, but face a Calhoun County team which has held all but two teams under 60 points this season and is holding opponents to 49 points per game in the postseason.

"Scoring and defense does play a vital part in the thing, but you've got to make sure you've got to score some points to win, you've got to make sure you hold your opponent down," he said. "It always at the end, who has the most points will win. If it's 75-74 or 81-80, if it's 49-48, whatever the scenario is, you just what to make sure that you come out on the winning end."

The Tigers are led by Tashan Fredrick who's averaging 23.3 points per game followed by Quinton Brown at 13.8 points per game. Calhoun County counters with SCBCA Class A Player of the Year Alshon Jeffery whose versatility helps ignite the team's dominating play on both sides of the court.

"Alshon is an all-around type of guy," Fredrick said. "He's the type that's team-oriented. He would rather pass the ball than shoot it, and he brings so much versatility and leadership to the floor."

Tip-off for the Class A girls' title game is 11:30 a.m., followed by the boys' game at 1:30 p.m.

State title games

available on the web

For the first time, high school basketball fans will be able to watch the S.C. High School League championship games over the internet.

All eight title games will be made available for $5.95 each by visiting www.schsltv.com or www.pennatlantictv.com. However, those fans who live in the zip codes of the participating finalist will not be able to access the games. In order words, the H-K-T/C.E. Murray girls' final will be unavailable in Neeses, Norway, Springfield and Greeleyville and the Calhoun County/Hemingway game in St. Matthews and Hemingway.

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