Undefeated Byrnes chases a South Carolina boys basketball state championship

The Rebels are 20-0 with five players averaging in double figures
Dorman played Byrnes in boys' high school basketball at Dorman High School on Jan. 16, 2024. Byrnes' Colt Fowler (1) at the basket.
Dorman played Byrnes in boys' high school basketball at Dorman High School on Jan. 16, 2024. Byrnes' Colt Fowler (1) at the basket. / ALEX HICKS JR./SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Byrnes Rebels made a run to the South Carolina Class AAAAA state boys basketball championship game last March, where they fell to Lexington.

They haven’t lost since then.

Everything is going right for them. The Rebels have put together a 20-0 record with five players averaging in double figures for coach Lane Fowler. They are currently ranked No. 2 in the Class AAAAA Division 1 poll by the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association.

Leading the way is 5-foot-10 sophomore point guard Colt Fowler, the coach’s son. Fowler is averaging 18.8 points, 11.9 assists and 5.2 rebounds. He’s a dynamic playmaker who can shoot the 3-pointer, finish at the rim and distribute the ball.

Junior guard/forward Sukhi Singh is averaging 14 points. Evan Enos, a 6-foot-8 senior forward, gives the Rebels a strong inside presence with 12.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Fabian McClintock averages 11.9 points and 6.3 rebounds while senior guard Jamari Cullen averages 11.7 points.

Balance like that makes it difficult for opposing teams to focus on any one player.

The Rebels survived a recent showdown with Riverside, prevailing 85-81 in double overtime. Fowler scored 33 points and 11 assists. That was just enough to offset Sebi Boyoguneo, who had 33 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.

The Rebels also won a 72-71 thriller over Dorman on Jan. 14, rallying from a 10-point deficit. Fowler hit the game-winning 3-pointer with less than 10 seconds remaining.

Byrnes leads Region 2-AAAAA with an 8-0 mark. They lead Riverside and Dorman by two games in the loss column.

The Rebels and Dorman play again on Feb. 7 in the regular season finale. Byrnes and Riverside tangle again in the regular season finale on Feb. 14.


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Mike Duprez
MIKE DUPREZ

Mike Duprez became a freelance sports journalist for Scorebooklive.com several months after retiring from the newspaper business. A native of Oakland, California, Duprez moved around as a child due to his father’s service in the United States Marine Corps. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981. Duprez, who lives in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had 30 years of experience in newspapers as well as other endeavors before retiring at the end of 2021. He covers stories in both North Carolina and South Carolina for Scorebooklive.com.