Lee Central's Holmes takes over on way to Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week

The last name Holmes is a staple of Lee Central basketball.

The Lady Stallions' head coach, Patrice Holmes, was a star player in her own right, guiding Lee Central to championship success as a player. Her brother, Michael, did the same on the boys' side, as both went on to play at the next level.

Now, it's My'Keriyah Holmes' turn.

The LCHS junior is taking her game to a new level. Last week, she helped guide the Lady Stallions to a perfect 12-0 record in Region II-1A with a pair of region victories to cap off the regular season. Holmes carried that success into the postseason, where she helped Lee Central break through to the third round of the playoffs with two more strong performances. The junior also added Hines Furniture Athlete of the Week honors to an already incredible season.

"It feels great," Holmes said of the support from Lee Central. "It feels great to make it past the second round because we've had a hard time making it to the third round."

Coach Holmes saw her niece step up down the stretch because she found the confidence to dominate.

"It comes with her just demanding the ball, wanting to be great, wanting the ball, wanting to work and wanting to be successful," Coach Holmes said. "I just feel like she wants to carve out her own name. She has her own identity and is her own person with her own style of play. She may be a mixture of myself, her father, but she's just trying to find her own way.

"For the past few years, she's been our missing piece as she's missed the postseason for a majority of her playing career. I just feel like she's our missing piece as we look to make this playoff run."

Lee Central finished off the regular season with a trio of wins last week, and Holmes was a star throughout. She averaged 15 points during wins over Cheraw, C.A. Johnson and Lamar to roll into the playoffs with some great momentum.

"I was playing some of my best basketball, being dominant," Holmes said. "I just had to lock in, and every time I stepped on the floor, I gave my all."

The C.A. Johnson game was Holmes' top performance, as she scored 17 points in a 61-42 victory to clinch the region title. Their first matchup, a 42-38 LCHS victory, was the Lady Stallions' closest region game, so they wanted to make a statement.

"The first time we played them, we weren't fully healthy. I was just coming back, and some other players were out," Holmes said. "It was the region championship, so I could not lose, especially not on our home court."

Those statement games carried into the playoffs as Lee Central absolutely demolished Thornwell 75-6 in the first round of the playoffs. The Lady Stallions pitched a shutout for the first three quarters, and Holmes added 11 points in the win.

"We wanted to make a statement and prove to everybody that we're the No. 1 team," Holmes said.

Defense is critical for the Lady Stallions, who allowed a combined 18 points against Lamar and Thornwell in back-to-back games before a 58-24 win over Ridge Spring-Moneta in the second round. Holmes takes great pride in their success on that side of the ball.

"It's our press and just being dominant on the defensive end," Holmes said.

That momentum carried into Thursday, when Lee Central took a 16-2 lead in the first quarter and never looked back in a dominant win. Holmes added eight points, all of which came before halftime as LCHS stormed out to an early lead.

"As soon as we got started, we were locked in, focused and ready to play," Holmes said. "We have grown so much over these past couple of years, and it's paying off."

Coach Holmes said when her niece is able to get rolling early in a game, they're ready to run away with things.

"Getting her started early really rallies the team," the LCHS coach said. "We start going inside-out and get those outside shots going. Defensively, she's really turning it up to another level, getting in the passing lane, getting steals, getting blocks and hitting the boards for us."

As Lee Central prepares for a third-round matchup with Hunter-Kinard-Tyler on Monday, Holmes and the Lady Stallions are focused.

"We've got to stay locked in," she said. "And be mentally tough."