Inside the Race for South Carolina Girls Basketball State Titles; Bye, Revenge and Playoff Matchups

A full listing of the playoff brackets for the S.C. High School League girls basketball playoffs.

The Blythewood girls basketball team after winning the Class 5A Division I title last year. / Blythewood High School

For 16 playoff-bound South Carolina High School League (SCHL) girls’ basketball teams in Class 5A, Monday is not just a break for classes.

First-Round Byes Set the Championship Path

In the last year of the classification having two separate brackets, those selected teams have a first-round bye.

Dorman Rolls in as Upper State Favorite

In Division I, Dorman is the Upper State’s top overall seed. The Lady Cavaliers (20-4) enter the post-season winners of eight straight and just completing a 14-0 showing in Region 2-5A.

Region runner-up Gaffney earned a second seed in Division II behind Greenville. The Lady Red Raiders placed second in Region 1-5A to Mauldin, which is the second seed.

Dutch Fork’s Turning Point Sparks Title Push

The Lady Silver Foxes are seeking their first state title since 2016. Winners of seven straight, head coach and region Coach of the Year Candace Bush points to the “lost weekend” where it dropped games on consecutive days to region rival Lexington and Camden as a turning point.

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"We look like a totally different team."
- Dutch Fork Coach Candace Bush

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“We look like a totally different team and I’m glad for that,” Bush said. “So maybe the losses were what we needed to pick it back up and realize we’ve got to get out here and play every game with intensity the same way no matter who my opponent is.”

Rivalries Could Decide the Lower State

Lexington and Chapin also received a second-round bye after finishing second and third, respectively. A potential third-meeting with archrival River Bluff on Friday looms for the second-seeded Lady Wildcats in the Lower State should the Lady Gators defeat Fort Dorchester Monday.

Chapin’s New Era Under Terence Jones

Meanwhile, the Lady Eagles are enjoying their best season in a decade. It’s the first season under head coach Terence Jones, whose previous success includes leading Denmark-Olar to three straight Class A final appearances.

“Very thankful for the opportunity to lead the Chapin girls’ basketball program,” Jones posted on social media. “We are headed in the right direction and are doing everything it takes to become a top tier program in the state.”

Chapin awaits the St. James/Lugoff-Elgin winner Friday in Division II Lower State. Goose Creek is the top seed in the Division II Lower State after going 23-2 overall and 10-0 in Region 7-5A.

North Myrtle Beach and Berkeley are seeded third and fourth, respectively, in Division II Lower State.

Defending Champ Blythewood Faces New Pressure

Rounding out the four Division I Upper State seeds is defending champion Blythewood. The Lady Bengals saw their 13-game winning streak snapped by rival Ridge View 49-48 this past Friday.

This marked the second straight year the Lady Blazers ended Blythewood’s season with defeat. They earned a first-round home game Monday against J.L. Mann.

Ashley Ridge Seeks a Different Ending

For the second straight year, Ashley Ridge is the Division I top-seed in the Lower State. A year ago, the Lady Swampcats forfeited a 4-overtime win over Ridge View in the Lower State semifinals after it was found to have used an ineligible player.

Carolina Forest and Summerville round out the Division I Lower State top seeds.

In Class 5A Division II, Greenwood and Eastside are the final two top seeds.

SCHSL 5A Girls Basketball Playoff Matchups

Class 5A

(Division I)

(Monday’s Game)

Spartanburg at Rock Hill

Spring Valley at Clover

Boiling Springs at J.F. Byrnes

J.L. Mann at Ridge View

James Island at Sumter

Stall at Wando

Cane Bay at West Ashley

Fort Dorchester at River Bluff

(Dorman, Mauldin, Dutch Fork, Blythewood, Ashley Ridge, Lexington, Carolina Forest and Summerville have first-round byes)

(Division II)

(Tuesday’s Games)

Catawba Ridge at Riverside

Northwestern at Fort Mill

Hillcrest at Nation Ford

Woodmont at T.L. Hanna

Myrtle Beach at Irmo

Socastee at Lucy Beckham

Lugoff-Elgin at St. James

Conway at Westwood

(Greenville, Gaffney, Greenwood, Eastside, Goose Creek, North Myrtle Beach, Berkeley and Chapin have first-round byes)

Class 4A

(Monday’s Games)

Bluffton at Westside

Fountain Inn at Travelers Rest

Richland Northeast at Blue Ridge

Seneca at Camden

Pickens at Wren

Lancaster at South Pointe

Laurens at A.C. Flora

Berea at Daniel

Gilbert at North Augusta

Lower Richland at Darlington

Colleton County at Wilson

Brookland-Cayce at Gray Collegiate

May River at Bishop England

Crestwood at Beaufort

South Aiken at Midland Valley

Aiken at South Florence

Class 3A

(Tuesday’s Games)

Mountain View Prep at St. Joseph’s Catholic

Crescent at Broome

Powdersville at Woodruff

Greer Middle College at West-Oak

Union County at Southside Christian

Carolina at Walhalla

Christ Church at South Christian

Belton-Honea Path at Chapman

Loris at Oceanside Collegiate Academy

Newberry at Waccamaw

Battery Creek at Fox Creek

North Charleston at Dillon

Silver Bluff at Orangeburg-Wilkinson

Georgetown at Hanahan

Swansea at Aynor

Marlboro County at W.J. Keenan

Class 2A

(Tuesday’s Game)

Cheraw at Blacksburg

Batesburg-Leesville at Columbia

Brashier at Andrew Jackson

Greenville Tech at Chester

Liberty at Clinton

Eau Claire at Ninety-Six

Central at Saluda

Strom Thurmond at Landrum

East Clarendon at Lake Marion

Burke at Buford

American Leadership (Manning) at Atlantic Collegiate

Hampton County at Phillip Simmons

Lake City at Chesterfield

Marion at Whale Branch

Barnwell at Timberland

Woodland at Kingstree

Class A

(Monday’s Game)

C.A. Johnson at McCormick

Thornwell at Hunter-Kinard-Tyler

Green-Upstate at Lee Central

Williston-Elko at Ware Shoals

McBee at North

Blackville-Hilda at Abbeville

Dixie at Great Falls

Lewisville at Ridge Spring-Monetta

Johnsonville at Military Magnet

Baptist Hill at Bamberg-Ehrhardt

Hannah-Pamplico at Bethune-Bowman

St. John’s at Carvers Bay

Ridgeland at Latta

Lake View at Allendale-Fairfax

Cross at Denmark-Olar

Scott’s Branch at Green Sea-Floyds