All Six Defending Champs March On in SCHSL Girls Basketball State Playoffs

Blythewood survives thriller as Lexington, Wando set up SCHSL semifinal showdown; Complete list of third-round scores.

Class 5A Division I champion Blythewood / Blythewood High School

After three rounds of the South Carolina High School League (SCHSL) girls basketball state playoffs, the list of remaining defending champions remains intact.

Reigning Title Holders Each Move One Step Closer

Miliary Magnet Academy (Class A), Andrew Jackson (Class 2A), Walhalla (Class 3A), North Augusta (Class 4A), Berkeley (Class 5A – Division II) and Blythewood (Class 5A – Division I) will all play in Upper or Lower State finals this weekend.

Blythewood wins Co-POY Battle in an Instant Classic

After winning the program’s first-ever title last year, the Lady Bengals are once again in the hunt. On Monday, it earned a return trip to the state semifinals following a tough 54-52 road win over Dorman in the third round of the Upper State.

The matchup pitted the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association Class 5A co-players of the year. Chase Thomas of Blythewood and Morgan White of Dorman shared the honor, but only one could advance to the Upper State final.

Blythewood led 47-37 through three quarters. Chase led the way with 22 points and fellow All-State forward India Williams finished with 13 points.

The Lady Cavaliers outscored the Lady Bengals 15-7 in the fourth quarter to get within striking distance. They had an opportunity to take the lead, only to commit a late turnover.

Blythewood will face Mauldin Saturday for a berth in the state final. The Lady Mavericks held off Dutch Fork 54-51 on Monday as senior guard Zara Leamon had 25 points and forward Imani McIver added 10 points.

Lower State loaded: Wando’s Dominance Meets Lexington’s Balance

The winner will face either Wando or Lexington out of the Lower State.

Both teams are coming off convincing third-round victories on Monday.

Lexington versus Carolina Forest / Thomas Grant Jr.

Wando rolled past Ashley Ridge 71-39 on the road. Senior All-State forward Ava Rush scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds, Mckenna Reynolds finished with 16 points and freshman guard Bella Mckevitt had 16 points and six steals.

The Lady Warriors’ opponent has a more recent history in the Lower State final. It was 2019 when the Olivia Thompson-led Lady Wildcats lost to Goose Creek as they sought their first state title game appearance since winning a second state title in 1979.

This year, Lexington is back following a 69-33 win over Carolina Forest. It was déjà vu for the Lady Wildcats, who routed the Lady Panthers 80-40 in the season-opener on Nov. 28, 2025.

Having leading scorer center Miracle McLean available for the rematch this time did little to affect the outcome. Lexington opened the game with 14 unanswered points and led 23-3 after the first quarter.

Lexington’s Depth Becomes Its Superpower

The Lady Wildcats went up as many as 40 points and five players scored in double figures. Guard Cassidy Harry outscored the entire Lady Panthers’ team in the first quarter with 11 of her game-high 19 points.

Senior guard Jaleya Lytes, All-State senior center Sydni Anderson and junior guard Keira Bobseine all had 11 points and senior guard Kyrin Lavington had 10 points.

Such scoring balance is the biggest difference between this year’s Lexington team and the 2019 squad, according to their head coach Molly Goodrich.

“(The 2019 team) really relied heavily on Olivia Thompson and she had big things on her shoulders, and she had to carry us a lot,” she said. “Where this team, everybody just goes to work, and our defense is so tenacious. If we can get after it on defense and rebounding, we definitely want to run and push the ball. But we don’t really have a superstar who we have to get the ball to and they have to score 25 points a game to win.”

SCHSL Girls Basketball 3rd Round State Playoff Results

Berkeley 58, North Myrtle Beach 52

Blythewood 54, Dorman 52

Goose Creek 59, Chapin 34

South Pointe 77, Daniel 52

Lee Central 37, Hunter-Kinard-Tyler 29

Latta 33, Denmark-Olar 32

Great Falls 55, North 48

Blythewood 54, Dorman 52

Mauldin 54, Dutch Fork 51

Lexington 69, Carolina Forest 33

South Florence 47, Beaufort 36

Westside 67, Camden 64

Wando 71, Ashley Ridge 39

Military Magnet Academy 69, Bethune-Bowman 39

Landrum 63, Clinton 37

W.J. Keenan 43, Dillon 35

Wallhalla 56, Chapman 44

Andrew Jackson 52, Blacksburg 36

Gaffney 57, Greenwood 53

Oceanside Collegiate Academy 43, Fox Creek 28

Atlantic Collegiate Academy 55, Lalke Marion 25

St. Joseph’s Catholic 59, Woodruff 8

Greenville 75, Eastside 28

North Augusta 62, Gray Collegiate 28