South Carolina dunks its way to Carolinas Classic victory

Amare Anderson, a Presbyterian commit, had 14 points and six steals and was named MVP

Greer guard Amare Anderson dunks during the second quarter of a Class 4A state boys basketball playoff game in Greenville, S.C., Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. / Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In one second-quarter sequence, Lancaster’s Jordan Watford and Wilson’s Tristan Thompson set each other up for alley-oop slam dunks on consecutive possessions.

That was the general tenor of Saturday’s Carolinas Classic all-star game put on at Hoggard High School in Wilmington by the North Carolina Coaches Association and the South Carolina Athletic Coaches Association.

Defense wasn’t a priority as is typical in all-star games, with South Carolina cruising to a 125-112 victory.

South Carolina’s point total wasn’t a record in the Carolinas Classic, which dates to 1998. But it was close. The record of 134 points was set by North Carolina in 2017.

Saturday’s game was close in the first half.

South Carolina took the lead for good on a dunk by Keenan’s Brian Sumpter. And then Greer’s Amare Anderson got a dunk. Gray Collegiate’s Lamont Britt scored on a putback dunk to end the half.

The dunks kept on coming in the second half, with Wren’s Abijah Franklin hammering two of them to start the third quarter. That helped South Carolina push into a double-digit lead. The closest North Carolina got after that was eight points.

Franklin, a Furman commit, led South Carolina with 24 points, and Thompson, a Coastal Carolina commit, had 18 points. North August’s Da’Ron Dunbar scored 15 points. Anderson, a Presbyterian commit, had 14 points and six steals and was named MVP of the game. Byrnes’ Evan Enos and Thompson each had 12 points.

Southern Durham’s Jackson Keith, a Butler commit, led all scorers with 27 points. Trent Steinour, a 6-foot-10 Clemson commit, scored 22 points. Green Level’s Isaac Ericksen, an Illinois State commit, had 17 points. Weddington’s K.J. Younger, a UNC-Greensboro commit, scored 13 points, and Holly Springs’ Will James Jr., a Toledo commit, had 11 points.

North Carolina girls roll

North Carolina built a 15-point halftime lead and pulled away for a 93-68 win over South Carolina.

Seaforth’s Gabby White, a Virginia commit, scored 17 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and earned MVP honors. Apex’s Jasmine Nivar and Lake Norman's Samantha Shehan also scored 17 points. Ashanti Fox of Union Pines, an Elon commit, scored 13 points. Rolesville’s Caitlyn Jones, a Wake Forest commit, had 11 points.

Andrew Jackson’s Tamia Watkins, an Elon commit, led South Carolina with 14 points. Ridge Views’s Anasia Harvey, a Wingate commit, scored 11 points. Ashley Ridge’s Skyla Tuthill, a Rice commit; Lower Richland’s Chi’Nya Isaac, a Texas A&M International commit; and Summerville’s Molly Daugherty, an Abilene Christian commit, all scored nine points.

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