Seven Midlands basketball teams advance to SCHSL, SCISA semifinals
The American Leadership Academy boys basketball team’s historic season continued Monday night.
The second-year program started fast and rolled to a 80-56 win over Clinton in the third round of the Class 2A Upper State playoffs.
The Patriots will play top-ranked High Point Academy in the Upper State championship Friday at a site to be determined. It is the first state semifinal appearance for the Lexington public charter school that started in 2025.
“These kids are just unbelievable,” ALA coach Tyson Bouknight said. “I don’t have to ask much out of these kids. They work more than I do. I tell them something and from then on, they just do what I ask them to do. They are a special group.”
Bouknight has some experience playing deep in the playoffs as a player at Lexington in the mid-1990s and was on the Wildcats’ 1996 state title team and two other state semifinal squads. With a mix of transfers and players from last year’s inaugural team that went 7-18 , the veteran Patriots (20-8) squad are a win away from a state final appearance.
“It has been very special to me. It has been 30 years since I won my own state championship,” Bouknight said. “We got 20 wins tonight and if we win two more, we will have 22 which is my high school number. It is kind of like God’s plan coming all together.”
ALA has 13 seniors on its 14-man roster and had key additions this season including Justin Richburg, who came over from Gray Collegiate. The senior guard/forward is the team’s leading scorer and poured in 25 points against the Red Devils.
Richburg hit three of his four 3-pointers in the first half as the Patriots jumped out to a 37-17 lead and weren’t threatened the rest of the way.
“It has been a long journey,” Richburg said. “I wasn’t getting that much playing time at Gray and coach Tyson gave me an opportunity to come over here, and it has been working out.”
Braxton Redding and Brice Newton each added 13 for ALA, which won its 10th straight game.
Nyterian Smith led Clinton with 24 points.
Defending champ Blythewood girls advance
The Blythewood girls are headed to their second straight state semifinal with a 54-52 over Dorman in the Class 5A Division I third round. The Bengals will play Mauldin in the Upper State final on Friday at a site to be determined.
Chase Thomas led Blythewood with 22 points and India Williams added 13 for the Bengals, who led 47-37 in the second half.
The Cavaliers cut it to 54-52 and had the ball on the final possession but turned it over.
Lexington girls roll into semifinals
The Lexington girls basketball team jumped out to a 23-3 after one quarter on its way to a 69-33 win over Carolina Forest in the third round of the Class 5A Division I playoffs.
The Wildcats will play Wando in the 5A Division I Lower State championship on Saturday at 5 p.m. at the Florence Center. It is Lexington’s first state semifinal since 2019 and just third since 1979.
Cassidy Harry led five Lexington players in double figures. Jaleya Lytes added 12 points followed by Sydni Anderson (11), Keira Bobseine (11) and Kyrin Lavington (10).
Westwood boys headed to Lower State final
Westwood boys punched their tickets to their first state semifinal with a 57-53 win on the road at St. James.
The Redhawks will face Goose Creek at 8 p.m. on Friday in the Class 5A Division II Lower State championship at Florence Center.
D’Marcus Thomas led Westwood with 21 points and five assists. Dayton Cockfield added 12 points, four rebounds and Cylan McLeod had 10 points. Jayden Crews scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Keenan gets another shot at Fox Creek
Antoine Caughman scored 22 points as the Keenan boys defeated Orangeburg-Wilkinson, 52-43, in the third round of the Class 3A playoffs.
The Raiders will play Fox Creek at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in the 3A Lower State championship at the Florence Center. It will be the fourth matchup of the season between the two teams with Fox Creek winning two of three, including 65-49, on Feb. 13 in the region tiebreaker game.
Isaiah Jacques added 12 points for Keenan.
SCHSL Playoffs
Class 5A Division II Boys
(1) Goose Creek 71, (5) Irmo 66 (OT): The Yellow Jackets rallied from a 17-point second-half deficit to force overtime with a free throw in the final seconds. But Goose Creek grouped in OT and moved on in the 5A Division II playoffs.
Christian Brown led Irmo with 25 points. Oshon Browman added 16 points and Kaleb Copeland had 14.
Class 5A Division I Girls
(2) Mauldin 54, (3) Dutch Fork 51: The Silver Foxes couldn’t hold a fourth-quarter lead in the loss to Mavericks in the 5A Division I playoffs
Dutch Fork led 49-47 but were outscored 7-2 down the stretch.
Class 4A Girls
(1) Westside 67, (4) Camden 64: The Rams scored the last four points in the final 51.4 seconds to knock off the Bulldogs in the 4A playoffs.
Westside will play South Pointe in the 4A Upper State championship at a site to be determined.
Camden led 64-61, but Westside had a pair of steals late for the comeback win. LA Alexander had 28 points and Harmony Jefferson 16 to lead Camden.
(1) North Augusta 62, (4) Gray Collegiate 28: The Yellow Jackets defeated the War Eagles for third time this season and advanced to the 4A Lower State championship game on Friday in Florence
SCISA 4A Boys
Heathwood Hall 65, John Paul II 46: The Highlanders used a 17-2 run in the second quarter to advance to the SCISA 4A semifinals. Heathwood will play Laurence Manning at 8 p.m. on Wednesday at the Sumter Civic Center.
Laurence Manning 50, Hammond 38: The Skyhawks’ season ended in the second round of the SCISA playoffs.
First Baptist 69, Ben Lippen 51: The Falcons lost in the second round of the SCISA 4A playoffs. Braysen Stockman led Ben Lippen with 36 points.
SCISA 4A Girls
Ben Lippen 67, Northside Christian 11: Ariel Summons scored 18 points as the Falcons advanced to the SCISA 4A semifinals.
Ben Lippen will play First Baptist at 3:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Sumter Civic Center. Laney McEntire added 13 points for BL. Riley McEntire added 12 points and Ny’Lasia Gipson had 10.
John Paul II 49, Hammond 30: The Warriors outscored the Skyhawks 38-17 in the second half to advance to the SCISA 4A semifinals. Evelyn Melnick led JP II with 19 points.
First Baptist 80, Heathwood Hall 47: The Highlanders’ season ended against First Baptist.
This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 11:19 PM.
