SUMTER - Jimmy Lisenby had problems selecting a starting five all season long.

And he never did end up nailing down a set lineup to start basketball games - all the way through to the state championship game.

In fact, the first-year Wardlaw varsity girls' basketball coach didn't even use the term "starting five" the entire year.

That's because he never felt the situation existed for the Lady Patriots.

Lisenby always felt he had seven starters (at least).

"It was tough because you put five out there and then you turn around and look on the bench and there are some really good players there too," he said.

All seven Lady Patriot "starters" ended up scoring more than 100 points this season - a new school record.

But that wasn't even the most interesting number to come out of Saturday's action at the Sumter County Exhibition Center.

The Lady Patriots finished the season unbeaten at 23-0 in capturing the team's second straight S.C. Independent Schools Association Class A state championship with a dominating 45-26 win over James Island Christian School. Wardlaw jumped out by a 19-point margin early over the young Lady Lions, who were participating in the team's first-ever state tournament in girls basketball, and never trailed.

James Island Christian fought back to get within nine points twice in the third quarter, but Peyton Baynham - one of the team's two transfers from Strom Thurmond - came right back down the court to score critical baskets to put Wardlaw back up by double digits. Up by 12 points at 36-24 with less than 5:00 to play, senior Briggs Belcher contributed the dagger with a big three-pointer for a 15-point margin.

All of Baynham's big baskets came in the second half of play.

"That was a big shot," Lisenby said of Belcher's trey. "But that's what we've been able to do all season. We push the ball early and run and then fall back on our defense. We get the ball inside to Gina (Easler) and that opens things up on the outside. Peyton is our leading scorer (at around 11 points per game) and that's why she comes off of the bench, to give us a little scoring punch. She has a lot of speed, runs the floor well and is a big spark for us. She really did her job tonight. There was a lot of pressure. With the team winning (a title) last year and then adding players like Gina and Peyton, someone told me a while back that if we couldn't win with this group we didn't have any business being in the game. But the way these girls played made the job a whole lot easier."

Belcher said she was more surprised than anything when her shot splashed through the hoop.

"I thought, wow, I haven't been on all night and that goes in," she said. "It was a big transition this year, but we stepped up. This is exhilarating."

Freshman guard Katelyn Rearden led the Lady Patriots with 11 points in the game.

Easler, who had 29 points and 27 rebounds in the semifinal game against Lowcountry Day, finished with eight points and 13 boards.

"It's been everything I thought it would be and more," said Easler, another Thurmond transfer.

Sophomores Kara Beck and Baynham had six points each. Senior players Belcher and Anna Yarborough, playing in their final games as Lady Patriots, each chipped in with 5 points in the game.

Yarborough said this year's team really meshed and gelled together as a unit.

"This year (Briggs and I) were more leaders (than scorers)," she said. "We were scoring more at the beginning of the season, but as it went on we didn't need to score."

Rearden said that aspect of the team - balanced scoring - was key to the team's success, as opponents could never really key on certain players.

"It relieves a lot of pressure knowing that if you are having an off night that someone is going to pick you up," she said. "It also puts pressure on the other team because they don't know who to guard."

James Island Christian finishes the season with a record of 22-5 overall. The Lady Lions were led in the game by Katelyn Gochnauer's 8 points.

"We had too many unforced turnovers," said JICS head coach Bethany Smith. "And none of our girls have ever even been to the state tournament before so it was kind of a David and Goliath situation against a team like Wardlaw. We had no seniors, so we feel like we have laid the groundwork to be able to get back here next year."

Meanwhile, the Lady Patriots - who have now won 51 straight games - will also be looking to make it back to Sumter next season as they chase the SCISA consecutive games record of 65.

Lisenby and assistant coach Jody Addy will return a "starting" five of at least Rearden and Kinsey Parrish (freshmen), Easler (junior) and sophs Beck and Baynham.

But how many "starters" the team will boast by the beginning of next season remains anyone's guess.

"I can't wait until next season," Easler added. "I don't want (this season) to be over."