By Thomas Grant Jr.
After a slow start, the Irmo boys basketball team closed out 2024 by winning seven of eight games.
The Yellow Jackets pulled off non-region wins over Spring Valley, Aiken, Columbia and Dreher to improve to 7-3 on the season. The 51-50 road win over the Blue Devils on Dec. 20 saw Matthew Hopkins convert a 3-point play on a driving layup with 4.1 seconds left.
Kaleb Copeland led Irmo with 11 points and Jaden Rivers added 10 in the win.
Irmo opened play in the Bennie Bennett Memorial Holiday Classic at Newberry High School with a 60-40 win over Union County. Antwoine Pierce led the Yellow Jackets with 17 points and Copeland added 10 points.
In the 48-39 semifinal win over Clover, Copeland led Irmo with 13 points. This advanced the Yellow Jackets to the final where their seven-game winning streak ended with a loss 54-41 to Riverside at Rock Hill Sports Complex.
The Irmo girls also advanced to the tournament final Monday against Gaffney. The Lady Yellow Jackets opened the Classic with a 42-21 win over Mid-Carolina. They then routed Newberry 75-11 in the semifinal behind 32 points from All-Tournament selection Abby Livingston and 20 from Lailah Singletary.
Irmo was defeated by Gaffney 68-36 in the final. Singletary scored 14 points and Livingston added 13 points.
DUTCH FORK
The Silver Foxes went 2-1 at the Bennie Bennett Memorial Holiday Classic.
After a 50-41 loss to Riverside in the opening game, they won their next two games over Strom Thurmond (62-38) and Abbeville (66-56).
Justus Bell had 20 points against the Rebels and 17 against the Panthers. Bryson Taylor had 21 points and seven assists against Abbeville.
Prior to the Christmas break, the Lady Silver Foxes suffered their first loss of the season. They were defeated by North Augusta 49-31 in the Gold Division of the Christmas Classic at Lexington High School.
Photo by Irmo athletics
