High school basketball roundup: players of the month and playoff brackets

January players of the month

Girls

Rikoya Anderson, Rock Hill - the junior small forward might be the most consistent girls’ basketball player in the area. She averaged 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.6 steals in the Bearcats’ January games, while also shooting 86 percent from the foul line and making 14 3-pointers. Her efforts helped Rock Hill wrap up an unbeaten Region 4-5A slate and earn a No. 1 seed in the state playoffs.

Jamia Blake, South Pointe - it’s been a rough season for South Pointe girls’ basketball, but freshman guard Jamia Blake was an unquestionable bright spot in January. Blake averaged 17.2 points per game in the month, adding nine rebounds, 3.6 steals and 2.4 assists. She had five double-doubles and three games with 20-plus points.

Boys

Tracus Chisholm, York Prep - Patriots senior guard had a huge month, averaging 32.2 points per game, grabbing 4.7 rebounds and doling out 3.1 assists per contest, while shooting 60 percent. Chisholm, who received recruiting interest from VMI, Fairmont State and Loyola (Ill.) last month, also scored his 2,000th career point.

Mikail Fourney, Lewisville - Fourney, a long and athletic junior wing, averaged 18.3 points, seven rebounds, three steals and three assists during January games for the Lions. Lewisville went 7-1 during the month, clinching a No. 1 seed in the 1A state playoffs and a first round bye.

Playoff brackets set

High school basketball playoffs begin this week.

Rock Hill’s girls, state semifinalists last season, open postseason play Tuesday at home against Boiling Springs. Just like football season, Region 4-5A is matched up with Region 3-5A in the first round, so Fort Mill will head to Dorman and Nation Ford will venture to Gaffney, while Clover hosts Byrnes in the Upper State portion of the tournament.

Fort Mill’s boys won a very tight Region 4-5A and will host Byrnes in the first round of the 5A state tournament Wednesday night. Clover grabbed the No. 2 seed and a home contest with Spartanburg, while Nation Ford (No. 3) also heads to Gaffney, like its girls’ team, and Northwestern takes on juggernaut Dorman in Spartanburg.

Action in 4A boys basketball gets underway Wednesday night with third-seeded South Pointe on the road at No. 2 Greenville.

Lancaster’s girls finished fourth in Region 3-4A and will take on Greenville Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. (every other game mentioned here begins at 7 p.m.) in the Upper State portion of the 4A bracket.

Indian Land’s girls, the No. 2 seed in the 3A Upper State bracket, is the first local team in action this postseason, hosting Mid-Carolina in first round action Monday night.

In 3A boys basketball, Chester won Region 4-3A and earned a No. 1 seed and first round home game Tuesday night against Broome. Indian Land grabbed the fourth seed from that region and makes a first round trip to Clinton in the Upper State half of the bracket.

Lewisville’s boys traversed their region schedule unbeaten, earning a first round bye in the 1A state tournament. Michael McCray’s Lions will face the winner of Ware Shoals-Estill on Friday in Richburg.

All-Region teams trickling in

All-Region teams are beginning to trickle into The Herald sports department’s email in-box. Here are the award winners from several local leagues:

Region 4-5A girls

Coach of the year: Kenny Orr, Rock Hill

Newcomer of the year: Aylesha Wade, Clover

Player of the year: Rikoya Anderson, Rock Hill

Rikoya Anderson, Rock Hill; Meredith Christopher, Fort Mill; Aylesha Wade, Clover; Makenna Thompson, Rock Hill; Renee Carter; Sami Tuipulotu, Nation Ford; Kelci Adams, Nation Ford; Tee Ballard, Rock Hill; Lilly Wallace, Clover; Abriana Green, Rock Hill; Kimber Haley, Fort Mill; Jabree McMullin, Northwestern.

Region 3-4A girls

Player of the year: Armanii Grice, Ridge View

Coach of the year: Terrance Gibson, Ridge View

Armanii Grice, Ridge View; Unique Drake, Westwood; Dashia Jackson, Richland Northeast; Erica Tisdale, Ridge View; Mya Belton, Westwood; Sharita Godfrey, Richland Northeast; Zaria Woods, Lancaster; Jamia Blake, South Pointe; Maliyah Lockett, Westwood; Laura Ajukwa, Ridge View.

Region 3-4A boys

Kaiden Rice, Ridge View, Waylon Napper, Ridge View; Tre High, Ridge View; Cameron Womack, Westwood; Russell Jones, Westwood; Maliek Wilcox, South Pointe; B.J. Davis, South Pointe; James Fuller Davis, Richland Northeast; Malcolm Kennedy, York; Nehemiah McGriff, Lancaster.

This story was originally published February 13, 2017 at 1:12 PM with the headline "High school basketball roundup: players of the month and playoff brackets."