SCISA AAA, AA boys and girls, Class A boys semifinals Thursday in Sumter

       Sumter – The semifinal games for AAA and AA boys and girls and the Class A boys in the SCISA state basketball tournaments will be played on Thursday in Sumter.

           The AAA games will be played at Sumter County Civic Center. A new state champion will be crowned for both boys and girls.

           The first game will have the Florence Christian School girls taking on Hilton Head Prep beginning at 3:30 p.m. That will be followed by a boys contest between Florence Christian and Greenwood Christian School slated to start at 5.

           The second girls semifinal will pit Orangeburg Prep against St. John’s Christian Academy at 6:30. The other boys semifinal will have Calhoun Academy meeting Spartanburg Christian Academy.

           The AA semis as well as the Class A boys semis will both be played at Wilson Hall’s Nash Student Center with both of its gymnasiums being utilized.

           The girls contests will have Dorchester Academy taking on Lee Academy at 5:30 p.m., and defending state champion Cross Schools meeting the team it beat for the title, Laurens Academy at 6 p.m. The boys showdowns will have Bethesda Academy facing Charleston Collegiate at 7 p.m. and 2-time defending champ Cathedral Academy meeting Laurens Academy at 7:30 p.m.

           The Class A boys semifinals will open play at Wilson Hall. Defending champion Ragin Prep will take on Marlboro Academy at 4 p.m., while Newberry Academy and Ridge Christian will tip off at 4:30 p.m.

           One of the championship matchups has been set – the Class A girls, which will have Wardlaw Academy taking on Richard Winn Academy on Friday at 4 p.m. at the civic center.

           Wardlaw, which lost to Curtis Baptist in the title game a year ago, got a measure of revenge on Tuesday with a 42-27 triumph in the semis. RWA advanced with a 50-42 win over Holly Hill Academy.

TUESDAY ROUNDUP

Florence Christian 59

St. John’s Christian 57

Sumter -- Taylor Greene drained a deep 3-point shot with 3.5 seconds remaining in the game to lift Florence Christian to a 59-57 victory over St. John’s Christian in the quarterfinals of the AAA boys tournament on Tuesday at the civic center.

FCS improved to 21-4 on the season. SJCA finished with a 20-10 mark.

The game was tight throughout as the Cavaliers led 18-13 after one quarter before Florence Christian took a 30-27 lead into the locker room. The contest was tied at 46-46 entering the final stanza.

           Greene paced the Eagles with 21 points with 12 of them coming off of four 3-pointers. Riley Minton added 17 and Brayden Berry had 10. Hayes Hamilton added four.

           Tradd Law led the Cavaliers with 15 points. Dor Reichley finished with 13, Aiden McCoy had eight, and Jacob Glover, Isaiah Antley and Thomas Hester had six apiece.

           Calhoun Academy 48

           Williamsburg 45

           Sumter – Calhoun Academy outscored Williamsburg Academy 18-12 in the fourth quarter to pick up a 48-45 win in the AAA boys quarterfinals at the civic center.

           CA improved to 23-5 while the Stallions finished 12-12.

           Nick Lindsey led the Cavaliers in scoring with 19. Crews Felder added 10, Colt Layton had nine, and Dayton Birkland and Hatcher Thornburg had four apiece.

           Charlie Caulder led the way for WA with 13 points. Ethan Jones added 12, Rylan Berry had eight, Micah Balder had six, and Marlin Morris had four.

           Laurens Academy 49

           Faith Christian 45

           Sumter – Laurens Academy rallied from an early 10-2 deficit to beat Faith Christian 49-45 in the AA boys quarterfinals at Nash Student Center.

           The Crusaders improved to 17-11 while the Knights finished 4-19.

           Garrison Vaughan led LA with 17 points. Caleb Hardy added nine, Braydon Burke and Chesney Watkins both had eight, and Micah Strait finished with seven.

           Bryce Coleman led Faith with a game high 20. Daniel McClary had 18.

           Greenwood Christian 44

           Colleton Prep 42

           Sumter – Greenwood Christian advanced to the AAA boys semifinals with a 44-42 quarterfinal win over Colleton Prep Academy at the civic center.

           GCA, which improved to 15-10, was led by Ty Kennedy with 23 points. Leland Reed had eight, Scott Palacios added seven, and Bryson Dixon had six.

           Mateo Castillo led 19-6 CPA with 15 points. Collin Hiers had 11, Perry Corbett eight and Charlie Walker six.

           Richard Winn 50

           Holly Hill 42

           Columbia – Richard Winn advanced to the Class A girls championship game with a 50-42 win over Holly Hill Academy at the Cardinal Newman gymnasium.

           The Eagles will take a 12-7 record into the title gme. HHA finished 8-13.

           Abby Lewis and Ada Bass led a balanced RWA scoring attack with 10 apiece. Kate Baker had seven, Charlotte Lewis six, Mary Swearingen and Haley Autry five apiece and Kalia McLean four.

           Milly Kate Prescott led the Raiders with 19 points. Essie Wolpert added nine, while Kaley Bell and Caitlyn Crisp had five apiece.

           Ragin Prep 85

Richard Winn 52

           Sumter – Ragin Prep raced out to a 46-18 halftime lead on the way to an 85-52 triumph over Richard Winn in a Class A boys quarterfinal at Nash Student Center.

           The Rams improved to 16-12 while the Eagles finished 11-11.

           Kden Shannon led Ragin Prep with 32 points. Kavontay Rose had 22, Kayshaun Rutherford added 15, and Zymir Robinson had 10.

           Bennett Nicholson led RWA with 15. Flynn Berry added nine, Walker Blackwelder and Grayson Young both had six, and Eli Smith and Sevy Swearingen both had four.

Thursday’s Tournament Schedule

AAA Semifinals

At Sumter County Civic Center

3:30 p.m. – Florence Christian vs. Hilton Head Prep (Girls)

5 p.m. Florence Christian vs. Greenwood Christian (Boys)

6:30 p.m. – Orangeburg Prep vs. St. John’s Christian (Girls)

8 p.m. – Calhoun Academy vs. Spartanburg Christian (Boys)

AA Semifinals

At Wilson Hall (Sumter)

Nash Student Center

Gym A

5:30 p.m. – Dorchester Academy vs. Lee Academy (Girls)

7 p.m. – Bethesda Academy vs. Charleston Collegiate (Boys)

Gym B

6 p.m. – Laurens Academy vs. Cross Schools (Girls)

7:30 p.m. – Cathedral Academy vs. Laurens Academy (Boys)

Class A Boys Semifinals

At Wilson Hall (Sumter)

Nash Student Center

Gym A

4 p.m. – Ragin Prep vs. Marlboro Academy

Gym B

4:30 p.m. – Newberry Academy vs. Ridge Christian

SCISA STATE TOURNAMENT BRACKETS

AAAA

Boys

Semifinals

Wednesday, February 25

Game 9 – Heathwood Hall 52, Laurence Manning 39

Game 10 – Pinewood Prep 80, First Baptist 45

State Championship

Friday, February 27

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Heathwood Hall vs. Pinewood Prep, 7:30 p.m.

Girls

Semifinals

Wednesday, February 25

Game 9 – Northwood Academy 57, John Paul II 37

Game 10 – First Baptist 70, Ben Lippen 47

State Championship

Friday, February 27

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Northwood Academy vs. First Baptist, 6 p.m.

AAA

Boys

Tuesday, February 24

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 5 – (Upper 1) Calhoun Academy 53, (Upper 5) Williamsburg 45

Game 6 – (Upper 3) Spartanburg Christian 52, (Upper 2) Christian Academy 51

Game 7 – (Lower 4) Greenwood Christian 44, (Lower 1) Colleton Prep 42

Game 8 – (Lower 3) Florence Christian 59, (Lower 2) St. John’s Christian 57

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 9 – Calhoun Academy vs. Spartanburg Christian, 8 p.m.

Game 10 – Greenwood Christian vs. Florence Christian, 5 p.m.

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 6:30 p.m.

Girls

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

At Sumter County Civic Center

Game 9 – Orangeburg Prep vs. St. John’s Christian, 6:30 p.m.

Game 10 – Florence Christian vs. Hilton Head Prep, 3:30 p.m.

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 5 p.m.

AA

Boys

Quarterfinals

Tuesday, February 24

Game 6 – (Upper 1) Cathedral Academy 56, (Upper 2) Andrew Jackson 44

Game 7 – (Upper 1) Laurens Academy 49, (Upper 3) Faith Christian 45

Game 8 – (Lower 1) Bethesda Academy 69, (Lower 2) Dorchester Academy 55

Game 9 – (Lower 2) Charleston Collegiate 58, (Lower 1) Carolina Academy 36

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

At Wilson Hall (Sumter)

Gym B

Game 10 – Cathedral Academy vs. Laurens Academy, 7:30 p.m.

Gym A

Game 11 – Bethesda Academy vs. Charleston Collegiate, 7 p.m.

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 12 – Game 10 winner vs. Game 11 winner, 2:30 p.m.

Girls

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

At Wilson Hall (Sumter)

Gym A

Game 9 – Dorchester Academy vs. Lee Academy, 5:30 p.m.

Gym B

Game 10 – Laurens Academy vs. Cross Schools, 6 p.m.

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 11 – Game 9 winner vs. Game 10 winner, 1 p.m.

Class A

Boys

Quarterfinals

Game 4 – (Upper 1) Ragin Prep 85, (Upper 5) Richard Winn 52

Game 5 – (Upper 3) Marlboro Academy 54, (Upper 2) Cambridge Academy 34

Game 6 – (Lower 4) Ridge Christian 82, (Lower 1) Curtis Baptist 63

Game 7– (Lower 3) Newberry Academy 47, (Lower 2) Mead Hall 21

Semifinals

Thursday, February 26

At Wilson Hall (Sumter)

Nash Student Center

Gym A

Game 8 – Ragin Prep vs. Marlboro Academy, 4 p.m.

Gym B

Game 9 – Ridge Christian vs. Newberrt Academy, 4:30 p.m.

State Championship

Saturday, February 28

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 10 – Game 8 winner vs. Game 9 winner, 11 a.m.

Girls

Semifinals

Tuesday, February 24

Game 3 – (Upper 1) Richard Winn 50.(Upper 2) Holly Hill Academy 42

Game 4 – (Lower 2) Wardlaw Academy (Lower 1) Curtis Baptist 27

State Championship

Friday, February 27

at Sumter County Civic Center

Game 5 – Richard Winn vs. Wardlaw Academy, 4 p.m.