SCHSL: Class 4A Semifinals Preview

As the 2021-22 season gets closer and closer to its closing number, four teams remain standing in one of South Carolina’s higher classes. March 1 is the date that fans of four teams now have circled on their calendars as the Upper State and Lower State 4A finals emanate from Bob Jones University at Greenville and the Florence Civic Center. Those four teams have eyes on the big prize – the 4A state championship which will be won that same week at the USC-Aiken Convocation Center. We at Prep Girls Hoops have provided an in-depth look at the last four standing prior to next week’s semifinal contests. Westside <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-359242" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/AB3D0837-B2EC-4420-A590-8EC053418287.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> January 19 was the last time the Rams ended up in the loss column – January 19 of 2021 that is. Ever since then, coach Jackie Roberts’ Westside bunch has compiled win after win after win – 36 consecutive as a matter of fact, including last season’s 4A state championship. The defending champs have played like defending champions all season long – including in the 4A tournament. Albeit, those margins of victory have become smaller and smaller from a lopsided win over Laurens to a double-digit point win to best South Pointe to only dispatching Westwood by three. Lander University signee [player_tooltip player_id="124094" first="Destiny" last="Middleton"] led Westside to the promised land last season and has continued to lead the charge for the Rams (averaging 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game). Westside’s roster also includes [player_tooltip player_id="268140" first="Ahri" last="Scott"] (averaging 11.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game), Anaiyah Harper (2022) (averaging 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game), [player_tooltip player_id="175339" first="Olivia" last="Randolph"] (averaging 8.6 rebounds, 7.7 points, 2.3 blocks, two steals per game), Branya Pruitt (2022) (averaging 7.5 points, 3.6 rebounds and two steals a game) and [player_tooltip player_id="253666" first="Aziyah" last="Bell"] (averaging 7.2 points, five rebounds, 4.6 steals and 2.3 assists a game). Westside playoff wins: First round – 82-37 vs. Laurens Second round – 64-50 vs. South Pointe Quarterfinals – 47-44 vs. Westwood Catawba Ridge <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-384657" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/02/IMG_7809-scaled-crop-2552x1676-1644048321-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /> One of the Palmetto State’s newest high schools, Catawba Ridge first opened its doors in 2019 – and its girls basketball program has already began a near-meteoric rise in terms of statewide prominence. Coach Sheridan Pressley is in her first season at the helm for the Copperheads and has experienced plenty of success. Catawba Ridge began the 2021-22 4A tournament with an emphatic victory over Irmo and followed it up with a double-digit victory to dispatch of Easley before earning a trip to Bob Jones University with a win over A.C. Flora. [player_tooltip player_id="195513" first="Skyla" last="Tuthill"], one of South Carolina’s premier freshman players and a talent who is already receiving Division I offers, leads the way for the Copperheads (averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and two steals a game). Catawba Ridge also features [player_tooltip player_id="235705" first="Makailah" last="Davis"] (averaging 13.9 points, 4.1 assists, four rebounds and 3.1 steals per game), [player_tooltip player_id="185027" first="Tatum" last="Postel"] (averages 8.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game) and [player_tooltip player_id="253651" first="Morgan" last="Davis"] (averages 6.2 points, five rebounds and 2.8 steals a game. Catawba Ridge playoff wins: First round – 64-31 vs. Irmo Second round – 68-54 vs. Easley Quarterfinals – 55-49 vs. A.C. Flora Upper State Finals: Westside vs. Catawba Ridge, March 1, 5:30 p.m., Bob Jones University in Greenville South Florence <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-297192" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/06/19E89B2B-517D-48CE-B4DB-72ACE085C67F.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> Bruins coach David Robinson is still relatively early in his tenure at the helm for South Florence. Last season, his first year, was hampered and cut short due to COVID issues. In 2021-22, South Florence has more than made up for lost time. Fresh off winning Region 6-AAAA, the Bruins have carried that momentum into the 4A tournament. South Florence began its run to the final four with a dominant win over May River, then another to eliminated Hilton Head Island. A single-digit win over Aiken sealed the Bruins’ spot in the Lower State final and given it will take place only 15 minutes away from the South Florence campus, it has the potential to turn into a virtual Bruins home game. [player_tooltip player_id="173097" first="Albany" last="Wilson"] would love to close out her high school career with a state championship. The star senior has averaged 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.2 steals per game. South Florence also has [player_tooltip player_id="172192" first="Jazmyne" last="Lyde"] (averaging 10.6 points, eight rebounds, 4.5 steals and 3.6 assists per game), [player_tooltip player_id="197346" first="Zayniah" last="Snow"] (averaging 6.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game), Katlyn Young-Coleman (2023) (averaging 5.7 points and 2.4 steals per game) and [player_tooltip player_id="297312" first="Krystal" last="Baker"] (averaging 4.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game). South Florence playoff wins: First round – 63-33 vs. May River Second round – 83-52 vs. Hilton Head Island Quarterfinals – 41-34 vs. Aiken North Augusta <img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-366449" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2021/12/3D6857E6-8039-4697-A3C3-78E70ED3126F.jpeg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /> When a team wins four consecutive state championships as the Yellow Jackets did from 2016-17 to 2019-20, anything less than that may become somewhat of a disappointment. After failing to be the last 4A team standing last season, coach Al Young’s North Augusta team is looking to recapture that glory. After a regular season that saw the Yellow Jackets win Region 5-AAAA by going a perfect 8-0, North Augusta began its postseason by defeating Myrtle Beach going away. The Yellow Jackets then managed a 31-point victory over Hartsville before a close win over North Myrtle Beach – last season’s 4A runner-up. [player_tooltip player_id="172178" first="Peris" last="Smith"] was part of two of those previous Yellow Jackets’ state championship wins – as an eighth grader and as a freshman. She has averaged 15.7 points, 11 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. Smith leads a roster that also includes [player_tooltip player_id="185422" first="Zuri" last="Goldsberry"] (averaging 11.5 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.5 steals per game), [player_tooltip player_id="350281" first="Celena" last="Grant"] (averaging 8.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game), Ansley Gartrell (averaging 5.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 steals per game) and [player_tooltip player_id="206611" first="Suniyah" last="Rollins"] (averaging 4.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.6 steals per game). North Augusta playoff wins: First round – 73-37 vs. Myrtle Beach Second round – 54-23 vs. Hartsville Quarterfinals – 35-32 vs. North Myrtle Beach Lower State Finals: South Florence vs. North Augusta, March 1, 5:30 p.m., Florence Civic Center