South Carolina boys basketball state playoffs: Ridge View opens in impressive fashion

SBLive Sports breaks down the opening round of the SCHSL boys basketball state tournament; SCHSL boys basketball recaps, scores and brackets

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.

South Carolina high school boys basketball playoff brackets: 2024 SCHSL district matchups, game times

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