SAINT SIMON’S ISLAND – After a pair of strong wins against the Valwood Valiants and the Tiftarea Panthers earned the Southland Raiders a third-place finish in the region 3AAA tournament, Southland’s boys basketball team traveled to St. Simon’s Island on Feb. 26 for the first round of the GISA AAA state tournament. Facing the Frederica Academy Knights on their home court, the Raiders suffered a 27-48 defeat in the match, closing out the team’s 2014-15 season with a 14-11 record.

The Knights came out fighting in the match while the Raiders got off to a rocky start. Frederica took a 12-5 lead into the second frame. By half-time, the Knights had built a 23-9 cushion.

The Frederica boys continued their relentless barrage in the second half, outscoring the Raiders 18-10 in both teams’ most productive quarter. The Raiders made up some slight ground in the final stanza, posting eight points and holding the Knights to seven.

Southland’s shooters had a tough time on the floor, landing only 11 of 58 of their attempted shots.

Jamaal Rice and Jamarcus Scott each scored seven points for the Raiders in the game. Rice brought down nine rebounds while Keyon Stone grabbed eight.

Raider head coach Rundy Foster spoke with the Times Recorder after the match, stating “This has been a great year for the Raiders. Everyone on the team has improved this season. We have been starting two freshman and a sophomore this season who have helped take us to a third-place finish with a 14-10 record in a very tough region. This is a great accomplishment for our players.”

Asked about what Raider fans can expect next season, Foster stated “We only lose one senior this year, but he has been a very big one. Keyon [Stone] has been an instrumental part of what we’re doing. He averages 24 points per game and has been consistently leading us this year. Still, we only lose one player, and we have a lot of talented guys coming back, so the future looks good for the Raiders. I am looking forward to seeing what our team will accomplish next year.”