High school basketball gameday: A look ahead at the big SCHSL postseason games
The Fort Mill boys’ basketball team swept both regular-season games from Indian Land. And the South Pointe girls won their two regular-season games against Lancaster.
But those games are merely footnotes in the schedule.
Those teams square off again Wednesday — this time, in the Elite 8 round of the S.C. High School League state playoffs. At stake: a berth in the regional finals in Florence.
On Wednesday night, the Lancaster girls travel to undefeated South Pointe, and there’s a 5A/Division 2 battle in Fort Mill between the Yellow Jackets and Indian Land.
Two other Rock Hill-area teams remain alive in the hunt for a state championship.
The Andrew Jackson girls punched their ticket to the 2A Lower State Regional finals in Florence by trouncing Atlantic Collegiate on Tuesday night. The Volunteers’ boys’ team plays Wednesday in the 2A quarterfinals.
Here is a preview of what to expect in these big games:
Wednesday
BOYS
Indian Land (24-3) at Fort Mill (25-2), 5A/Division 2 quarterfinal, 6:30 p.m. — Fort Mill beat the Warriors 53-52 at Indian Land and then won 52-44 on Feb. 11. Fort Mill committed 18 turnovers in the second game but won because it shot the ball better than the Warriors — 50 percent to 42 percent from the floor. In that second meeting between the teams, Indian Land’s Jayden Williams grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, and another performance like that Wednesday could help Indian Land get over the hump. The Warriors, by the way, have set a school record for victories in a season. The winner of this game faces the Greenville-Riverside winner in the Upper State final on March 5.
Andrew Jackson (19-5) at Hampton County (20-5), 2A quarterfinal, 7 p.m. — The host Hurricanes hit a funk around Christmas, losing three in a row. Otherwise, they’ve been a powerhouse team that earned the top seed in the 2A Lower State. They are powered by junior guard Darius Brooks (18.2 ppg). The Volunteers travel to the Lowcountry on a 17-game winning streak, with Damias Seegars averaging 18 points a game in the playoffs. The winner will be home against the Atlantic Collegiate-Mullins victor in the Lower State final next Tuesday.
GIRLS
Lancaster (14-13) at South Pointe (28-0), 4A quarterfinal, 6 p.m. — On paper, this is a mismatch. South Pointe crushed Lancaster 68-34 on Jan. 14 and 66-22 on Feb. 7. Fans might expect the same to happen this time. But something has clicked with the Bruins. They have won three in a row, and the 12th-seeded team has looked good in beating fifth seed Fountain Inn and No. 4 Blue Ridge. Freshman Kaylyn Hollenbeck and seventh-grader India Adams seem to be coming into their own. Of course, South Pointe has freshman Kaleigh Lucas (20.5 ppg) and sophomore JaNyia Cunningham (19.3 ppg) ready to take over a game. The winner faces either Daniel or Westside in the Upper State final next Monday.
CLASS 5A/DIVISION 1
Saturday’s regional finals
(at Florence Center)
Upper State
Blythewood (22-5) vs. Dorman (24-4), 5:30 p.m.
Lower State
James Island (19-8) vs. Ridge View (21-7), 2:30 p.m.
CLASS 5A / DIVISION 2
Wednesday’s quarterfinals
Upper State
Riverside (20-7) at Greenville (25-2)
Indian Land (24-7) at Fort Mill (25-2)
Lower State
Westwood (18-8) at Berkeley (19-6)
Myrtle Beach (13-8) at Goose Creek (23-3)
CLASS 4A
Tuesday’s quarterfinals
Upper State
Lancaster 66, South Pointe 59
Wren 79, Greer 59
Lower State
North Augusta 66, Gray Collegiate 56 (OT)
Wilson 63, Crestwood 55
Monday’s regional finals
(at Florence Center)
Upper State
Lancaster (25-1) vs. Wren (25-4), 7:30 p.m.
Lower State
North Augusta (25-1) vs. Wilson (21-8), 4:30 p.m.
CLASS 3A
Friday’s regional finals
(at Florence Center)
Upper State
Christ Church Episcopal (20-5) vs, Powdersville (18-9), 7:30 p.m.
Lower State
Keenan (20-8) vs. Loris (18-7), 4:30 p.m.
CLASS 2A
Wednesday’s quarterfinals
Upper State
Batesburg-Leesville (17-7) at High Point Academy (25-3)
Pageland Central (18-10) at Liberty (12-15)
Lower State
Andrew Jackson (19-5) at Hampton County (20-5)
Mullins (19-5) at Atlantic Collegiate (21-3)
CLASS 1A
Thursday’s regional finals
(at Florence Center)
Upper State
C.A. Johnson (19-10) vs. Abbeville (22-1), 7:30 p.m.
Lower State
Denmark-Olar (18-5) at Bethune-Bowman (20-7), 4:30 p.m.
Girls’ playoff scores, schedule
CLASS 5A / DIVISION 1
Saturday’s regional finals
(at Florence Center)
Upper State
J.L. Mann (20-6) vs. Blythewood (26-2), 6 p.m.
Lower State
Summerville (24-3) vs. Ashley Ridge (26-1), 3 p.m.
CLASS 5A / DIVISION 2
Tuesday’s quarterfinals
Upper State
Greenville 63, Gaffney 55
Greenwood 59, Riverside 53
Lower State
Berkeley 53, Goose Creek 36
North Myrtle Beach 53, Westwood 42
Next Wednesday’s regional finals
(at Florence Center)
Upper State
Greenville (16-12) vs. Greenwood (17-9), 6 p.m.
Lower State
Berkeley (22-4) vs. North Myrtle Beach (21-2), 3 p.m.
CLASS 4A
Wednesday’s quarterfinals
Upper State
Lancaster (14-13) at South Pointe (28-0)
Daniel (24-4) at Westside (22-2)
Lower State
Gray Collegiate (17-6) at North Augusta (26-1)
Bishop England (23-3) at Lower Richland (24-1)
CLASS 3A
Friday’s regional finals
(at Florence Center)
Upper State
St. Joseph Catholic (14-8) vs. Walhalla (24-3), 6 p.m.
Lower State
Oceanside Collegiate (21-5) vs. Dillon (21-3), 3 p.m.
CLASS 2A
Tuesday’s quarterfinals
Upper State
Mid-Carolina (9-15) at Eau Claire (15-8)
Clinton 40, Fairfield Central 30
Lower State
Andrew Jackson 99, Atlantic Collegiate 45
Lake City 42, Kingstree 38
Tuesday’s regional finals
(at Florence Center)
Upper State
Mid-Carolina/Eau Claire winner vs. Clinton (22-5), 6 p.m.
Andrew Jackson (25-3) vs. Lake City (16-7), 3 p.m.
CLASS 1A
Thursday’s regional finals
(at Florence Center)
Upper State
Lee Central (20-4) vs. North (17-8), 6 p.m.
Lower State
Military Magnet (23-5) vs. Denmark-Olar (22-4), 3 p.m.
This story was originally published February 25, 2025 at 5:30 AM.