South Carolina boys basketball state playoffs: Ridge View opens in impressive fashion
Ridge View opened the 4-A state playoffs by rolling over Easley, 73-42. Yale Davis led the nationally ranked Blazers with 17 points while Jayden Pretty had 15 and Malachi Cooper 12.
The Blazers (23-2) recently dropped out of the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Boys Basketball Power 25 national rankings.
That was one of numerous first-round playoff games contested across the state on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Here are the highlights and scores:
5-A
· Blythewood raced past J.L. Mann, 95-48, as Will Oden scored 25 points. Three others placed in double figures, with Tyler Stephens scoring 12 points, T.J. Lewis scoring 11 points and Austin Coker adding 10 points.
· Yasir Cromer poured in 31 points as River Bluff avoided a major upset by rallying past Gaffney 71-68. Dax Avery had 11 points. Markell Hollins led Gaffney with 24 points.
· St. James dispatched Stratford 68-53 behind 26 points from Junior Young. Carter Bobbitt had 14 points.
· Texas commit Cam Scott scored 31 points and Jaxon Prunty had 21 in Lexington’s 64-38 romp over Goose Creek, last year’s state champions.
Other scores
Upper State
Mauldin 63, Spring Valley 55
Dorman 53, White Knoll 38
Nation Ford 77, Spartanburg 55
T.L. Hanna 62, Clover 60
Byrnes 93, Rock Hill 46
Fort Mill 59, Woodmont 51
Lower State
West Ashley 52, Conway 46
Cane Bay 53, Chapin 39
Sumter 63, Fort Dorchester 55
Summerville 78, Dutch Fork 63
Wando 52, Socastee 40
Berkeley 46, Ashley Ridge 43
4-A
· Tristan Thompson scored 16 points and Josh Leonard had 12 as third-ranked Wilson turned back Irmo’s upset bid, 53-42. Irmo was the reigning state champion but had few returning players and won just five games.
· Quh’Mareon Webb scored 19 points, Lance Barnes had 18 and Zyan Hager 17 in Catawba Ridge’s 81-38 rout of Wade Hampton. The Copperheads improved to 23-3.
Other scores
Upper State
Riverside 70, South Pointe 56
Westside 74, Midland Valley 51
Greenwood 61, Aiken 50
Greer 47, Indian Land 45
Greenville 78, South Aiken 43
Lancaster 51, Eastside 49
North Augusta 76, Berea 41
Lower State
A.C. Flora 63, Colleton County 49
Lucy Beckham 53, North Myrtle Beach 41
South Florence 61, May River 32
Westwood 65, Northwestern 52
Richland Northeast 58, Myrtle Beach 48
James Island 77, West Florence 56
3-A
· Alex Atkinson scored 20 points as Lower Richland beat Camden 69-62. Izzy Macklin led Camden with 19 points.
· Caden Kreger scored 19 points in Powdersville’s 73-40 rout of Union County. Jaleel McGee had 11 points and Eric Gray added 10.
Other scores
Upper State
Daniel 75, Chapman 53
Travelers Rest 59, Walhalla 50
Fountain Inn 61, Woodruff 59
Emerald 88, Wren 57
Seneca 71, Broome 49
Southside 49, Clinton 46
Blue Ridge 65, Pendleton 55
Lower State
Loris 63, Battery Creek 57
Darlington 46, Dreher 43
North Charleston 74, Manning 46
Orangeburg-Wilkinson 51, Marlboro County 48
Philip Simmons 69, Georgetown 40
Crestwood 51, Brookland-Cayce 38
Dillon 73, Beaufort 40
2-A
· Gray Collegiate got off to a rousing start in defense of its state championship by routing Chesnee 91-39. Jaden Gerald and Braylhan Thomas each had 14 points as six War Eagles placed in double figures. Treyvon Maddox scored 12 points while Lamont Britt had 11. Hunter McGraw and Darius Carr each had 10 points.
· Kobe Sims scored 16 points while Chorsheak White and Connor Cannon each had 14 in Fox Creek’s 73-48 rout of Columbia.
Other scores
Upper State
Greer Middle College 73, Saluda 31
Newberry 72, Batesburg-Leesville 57
Keenan 81, Blacksburg 41
Landrum 86, Mid-Carolina 49
Abbeville 89, Silver Bluff 79
Lower State
Andrew Jackson 87, Barnwell 28
Bishop England 60, Kingstree 46
Hampton County 97, Lake Marion 59
Mullins 91, North Central 51
Oceanside Collegiate 76, Andrews 40
York Prep 59, Ridgeland-Hardeeville 49
Marion 63, Central 37
Woodland 52, Timberland 34
1-A
· Defending state champion Christ Church overwhelmed Hunter-Kinard-Tyler 88-38 to open the playoffs.
· Anthony Brooks scored 19 points as C.A. Johnson walloped Ware Shoals 91-66. Jayce Medlin scored 28 points to lead the Hornets. Jasir Farhan, Jace Stewart and Isiah Wardlaw all had 10 points.
Other scores
Upper State
McBee 54, Calhoun Falls 49
McCormick 37, Great Falls 34
Denmark-Olar 58, St. Joseph’s 50
High Point 59, Calhoun County 45
North 67, Southside Christian 51
Dixie 63, Lewisville 49
Lower State
Carvers Bay 61, Military Magnet 55
Bridges Prep 74, Latta 46
Bamberg-Ehrhardt 61, Lake View 51
Cross 49, East Clarendon 45
Bethune-Bowman 76, Green Sea Floyds 44
Scott’s Branch 53, Baptist Hill 51
Burke 77, Johnsonville 57
Whale Branch 67, Lamar 31
