With region title clinched, No. 1 Lexington sets sights on bigger things

The Lexington boys basketball team scratched off one of its goals for the season.

The Wildcats, the No. 1 ranked team in Class 5A, defeated rival River Bluff, 74-59, on Tuesday. The win and White Knoll’s loss to Dutch Fork gives the Wildcats the outright Region 4-5A championship with two games left in the regular season.

By winning the region championship, Lexington is guaranteed to have the first three rounds of the playoffs at home.

“Having three games at home, you are able to function a little bit more normally the first three rounds. That’s huge for us,” Lexington coach Elliott Pope said. “... But we got a lot to clean up and keep working on ourselves. We got to keep the focus inward on us as opposed to outward whatever might come in the playoffs.”

Pope said his biggest areas of concern are being consistent offensively with crisp ball movement instead of being stagnant, and playing solid defense for a full game. Those are the things they hope to work on with two regular season games left and almost two weeks before the playoffs start.

Lexington will be the favorite headed into the playoffs as they look to win first state championship since 2000. The Wildcats lost in the state semifinals last year.

University of Texas signee Cam Scott led the way for Lexington with 27 points and hit five of the team’s 10 3-pointers. Senior Jaxon Prunty added 19 and Kaleb Evans scored 17.

“This is a big step for us but it is a baby step,” Scott said of the region title. “We got a bigger goal in mind but this is one of the things we have to get out of the way. This is one of the first things we needed checked off and we did it. I’m proud of the guys.”

The Wildcats led 42-33 at halftime and put the game away with a 9-0 run to start the third quarter.

Luke Chapman led River Bluff with 18 points and Garrett Wilson had 14.

Tuesday’s top performers

Joyce Edwards, Camden: South Carolina signee had 28 points, 12 rebounds and six steals in Camden girls’ 90-25 win over Lake City.

Izzy Macklin, Camden: Senior had 40 points in Bulldogs’ 82-66 win over Lake City.

Cam Scott, Lexington: Senior hit five 3-pointers and scored 27 points in Wildcats’ win over River Bluff.

Yale Davis and Josh Smith, Ridge View: Duo combined for 41 points and nine 3-pointers in 72-52 win over Irmo.

TJ Bell, Westwood: Senior had 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and five steals in win over Lugoff-Elgin.

Tuesday’s scores

Girls

Lexington 64, River Bluff 26

RB: Winegardner 5, Baker 3, Tucker 4, Tifre 6, Bell 2, Bonaparte 2, Bleakley 2, Johnson 2.L: Cuttino 2, Bobseine 3, Evie Godfrey 10, Lytes 9, Sundell 2, Harry 2, Sydni Anderson 16, Barnes 2, Izzy Saville 13, Mills 4, Dennis 1.

Camden 90, Lake City 25

C: Joyce Edwards 28, Zyasia Carter 23, Braylin Mungo 20, Jeffcoat 9, Jefferson 5, Jackson 3, Wright 2. LC: Nashira Starks 12.

Newberry 46, Saluda 36

S: Pou 3, Brunson 2, Hill 7, Daniels 7, Ceddrianna Springs 20, N: Daizee Williams 12, Robinson 8, Faith Grey 17, Ruff 9.

Hammond 57, Laurence Manning 32

Heathwood Hall 84, Ben Lippen 33

Westwood 69, Lugoff-Elgin 50

W: Makiah Thompson 25, Si’Niya Curry 15, Destiny Omeire 15, Cummings 8, Britt 2.

Dutch Fork 80, White Knoll 31

Ridge View 54, Irmo 35

RV: Simone Johnson 10, Anasia Harvey 10, Drakeford 9

Lower Richland 52, Gilbert 10

Brookland-Cayce 35, Dreher 29

BC: Kamryn Etheredge 13, Aniya Alicea 10, Luchie 7, Enoch 2, Cobb 2, Whipple 1. D: Diamond Berry 10, Aquil 6, Glover 4, Murphy 4, Eaddy 3, Robinson 1, Dingle 1

AC Flora 64, Richland Northeast 42

Terriana Gray 20, Jazmine McDonald-Craft 11, Emory Curnell 10, McCray 8, Mason 8, Delaney 7.

Boys

Lexington 74, River Bluff 59

RB: Etheredge 9, Yasir Cromer 11, Robbins 4, Luke Chapman 18, Wilson 14, Pitts 3. L: Cam Scott 27, Jaxon Prunty 19, Kaleb Evans 17, Bell 6, Campbell 5, Burgess 4.

Hammond 78, Laurence Manning 48

D. Haltiwanger 8, Smith-Brown 7, Jamison 6, Saunders 6, Jaiden Haltiwanger 16, Goddard 7, Lundy 3, Jackson Ross 16, Tyler 9.

Camden 82, Lake City 66

C: Izzy Macklin 40, Howey 9, Stratford 8, McLoud 8, Hunter 5, Moore 4, Simon 3, T. Macklin 3 Greene 2. LC: Bryson Rose 15

First Baptist 55, Cardinal Newman 39

CN: Evan Carter 10, Josiah Peeples 10,King 8, Rogers Jr 3, Echevarria 3, Smith Jr 3, Harrington 2. FB: Cooper Kawalski 21, Damion Junior 13, Robinson 9, Pojani 8.

Ridge View 72, Irmo 52

Yale Davis 21, Josh Smith 20, Malachi Cooper 12, Pretty 6, Z. Smith 3, Dunn 2, Van Kallen 2, Wiley 2, McCleary 2, T. Smith 2

AC Flora 57, Richland Northeast 37

ACF: Cooper Wiley 12, RyNeek Maxwell-Timms 11, Will Willard 12, West 9

Dutch Fork 40, White Knoll 34

Heathwood Hall 72, Ben Lippen 61

HH: Nic Nichols 18, Chip Ravenell 14, Deuce Claxton 12, Kamauri Hunter 10. BL: Stephen Nichols 28, Maddox Stockman 14, Braysen Stockman 10

Silver Bluff 59, Batesburg-Leesville 54

Westwood 65, Lugoff-Elgin 45

W: TJ Bell 17, TK Roberts 14, Dontae Walters 11, D’Marcus Thomas 10

Richard Winn 50, Hawthorne Christian 25

RW: Drew Spires 18, Miller Stuck 11, C. Bonds 6, Nicholson 5, E. Steward 4, J. Tyndall 4, J. Autry 2

Dreher 69, Brookland-Cayce 47

D: Martaz Owens 13, Jeremiah Hollins 13, Glasscho 9, Moss 8, Barr 8, Baker 6, Singleton 5, Merrill 3, Brown 3. BC: Nate Hughes 28, Edwards 6, Weeks 5, Young 5, Oree 2, Jones 1

Lower Richland 47, Gilbert 30

Nation Ford 66, Blythewood 57