By Thomas Grant Jr.
The final week of the regular season finds the Dutch Fork girls’ basketball team facing two prospects.
The Lady Silver Foxes moved a step closer to the Region 4-5A title with a 71-26 rout of River Bluff. Michaela Fairwell had a game-high 22 points and Aliyah Lee and Trinity Crumlin each had 10 in the win.
Dutch Fork (21-3, 7-) can clinch its first region title since 2014 with a win Thursday at Lexington. The Lady Silver Foxes won the first meeting 48-33 after outscoring the Lady Wildcats 18-8 in the fourth quarter.
Should Lexington win, a one-game playoff would take place at 1 pm Saturday at River Bluff High School to decide the top seed for the playoffs. The Lady Wildcats have won their last four region titles.
Lexington head coach Molly Goodrich enters Thursday’s game having won her last six “revenge” games. A win on Thursday and possibly Saturday would give her 150 career victories with the Lady Wildcats, the second most in school history.
David Long is the career leader in wins for Lexington girls basketball with 156.
The top-ranked Lexington boys have already clinched the region title. Second place is still up for grabs between White Knoll and River Bluff.
The Gators moved within a half game of second place following the 58-54 win over Dutch Fork. Yasir Cromer had 23 points and Alex Robbins added 12 for River Bluff (16-8, 4-3), while Bryson Taylor led the Silver Foxes with 21 points and Justus Bell and Jake Bogan each had 10.
River Bluff closes out the regular season Thursday against Chapin in The Swamp. White Knoll (12-14, 4-4) finished the regular season with a 63-45 win over the Eagles.
In Class 4A, defending state champion Irmo is fighting for the final playoff spot out of Region 5-4A. It trails Richland Northeast by one game entering Friday’s regular-season finale against Ridge View, which reclaimed the top spot in the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association Class 4A poll.
The Cavaliers close out the season against second-ranked Westwood. Should Irmo upset the Blazers and Richland Northeast defeats Westwood, it would clinch fourth place placed on the head-to-head margin of victory tiebreaker.
It’s the opposite scenario in the girls’ standings. Irmo is a game ahead of Richland Northeast entering Friday’s regular season finale, but holds the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage.
S.C. Basketball Coaches Association Top 10 poll
BOYS
(Class 5A)
1. Lexington
2. Summerville
3. Byrnes
4. St. James
5. Dorman
6. Blythewood
7. West Ashley
8. Gaffney
9. Cane Bay
10. River Bluff
(Class 4A)
1. Ridge View
2. Catawba Ridge
3. Westwood
4. Wilson
5. Riverside
6. Greer
7. North Augusta
8. AC Flora
9. Lancaster
10. Greenville
(Class 2A)
1. Gray Collegiate
2. Oceanside Collegiate
3. Andrew Jackson
4. Hampton County
5. Landrum
6. Mullins
7. Marion
8. Fox Creek
9. Woodland
10. Greer Middle College
GIRLS
(Class 5A)
1. Sumter
2. Mauldin
3. Rock Hill
4. Dutch Fork
5. Byrnes
6. Ashley Ridge
7. J.L. Mann
8. Summerville
9. Gaffney
10. Berkeley
(Class 4A)
1. South Pointe
2. North Augusta
3. Bluffton
4. Westside
5. Ridge View
6. Riverside
7. A.C.Flora
8. Hartsville
9. Pickens
10. Wilson
(Class 2A)
1. Andrew Jackson
2. Silver Bluff
3. Gray Collegiate
4. Keenan
5. Bishop England
6. Blacksburg
7. Landrum
8. Lee Central
9. Fairfield Central
10. Oceanside Collegiate
Photo courtesy of GoFlashwin.com
