Around The State: Lex-Rich District 5, Richland County SCISA

In the build-up to what is sure to be another thrilling season of high school girls basketball coverage across the Palmetto State, we at Prep Girls Hoops have been virtually touring every county in South Carolina to spotlight its many players and teams.    Here, we keep our focus in the Midlands as we have in a number of previous articles. This time, we place our lens on schools in the Lexington-Richland District 5. In addition, we also take a look at the SCISA schools in Richland County.    All of those SCISA schools are in the 4A classification. Here is a look at those and the Lex-Rich 5 schools.   Ben Lippen (10-17, 1-7)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/12/IMG_6329.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-823813" style="width:435px;height:auto" /></figure>   SCISA schools underwent their own realignment two years ago which saw the introduction of a 4A classification. The schools in Richland County – including Ben Lippen – all moved up to 4A.    While 2022-23 may have been the first season for the Falcons in 4A, this past season was the first for Cassie Sundell as the program's head coach. And while Ben Lippen did qualify for the SCISA 4A playoffs, the Falcons ran into the juggernaut that is First Baptist and it was a forgettable contest for the green and gold.    Ben Lippen's lone region win of last season occurred on Jan. 24 vs. Cardinal Newman. If the Falcons are to improve on its 2023-24 showing, that is step one.   Talented sophomores such as MeiLynn Bailey, [player_tooltip player_id='429821' first='Anna' last='Kate Moore'] and [player_tooltip player_id='759610' first='Elaina' last='Whalen'] should give Falcons fans hope for a bright future the next few seasons.   Cardinal Newman (7-16, 2-5)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/eZy-Watermark_17-02-2024_05-51-34-9860AM.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-856306" style="width:433px;height:auto" /></figure>   Consider 2023-24 as the beginning of the Cardinals' re-emergence into the chat.    In the second season of the new SCISA 4A classification, Cardinal Newman was not only victorious in six games – but advanced into the quarterfinals of the 4A tournament. The Cardinals eked out a victory in the first round over Wilson Hall before running into the buzzsaw that is Northwood Academy.    The 2024-25 season is the first season that Barry Kesler is at the helm for Cardinal Newman. Kesler previously coached at Newberry Academy and his team defeated Patrick Henry to win its first SCISA 1A championship three years ago. Improving on the road has to be a priority for the Cardinals – they went only 2-10 away from Cardinal Newman last season.   One of the names to look out for in this rendition of the Cardinals is Kristin Moye – a 5-foot-7 junior. Another is freshman big [player_tooltip player_id='429820' first='Zaria' last='Thompson']. She averaged 9.6 rebounds, 7.6 points, 3.4 blocks and a steal in 2023-24.    Chapin (12-10, 4-4)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0505-2.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1067515" style="width:423px;height:auto" /></figure>   Prior to last season, the last time 5A Chapin had compiled double-digit victories was the 2015-16 season. A 12-win season in 2023-24 plus a 5A tournament berth changed that.    The Eagles' season did meet an uncharacteristic end at the hands of Byrnes in the first round of last season's tournament, but there is reason for optimism up in Chapin. That optimism can really be proven if the Eagles manage to improve on the 5-7 road showing they had last season.    Chapin coach Chad Boland is in the fifth year of what is his second tour of duty with the Eagles.    [player_tooltip player_id='408753' first='Reagan' last='Haggard'] is entering her junior season at Chapin. Last season, she averaged a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds along with 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals a contest. [player_tooltip player_id='589679' first='Brooke' last='Holmes'] is another one of the Eagles' featured stars. In the 19 games she competed in last season, she averaged 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 1.2 blocks a game. Mary Ann Woods is a freshman to watch out for and Avery Belton adds backcourt depth.   Dutch Fork (23-4, 8-0)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/04/IMG_0203.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1060378" style="width:429px;height:auto" /></figure>   If there was a “missing rings” documentary series about great Palmetto State high school girls basketball teams that did not come away with a state championship, one of the episodes would be about the 2023-24 rendition of 5A Dutch Fork.    Last season's Silver Foxes had that 95-0 victory over Lamar at last season's She Got Next tournament that made national news. Also, prior to the tournament, only two in-state teams put Dutch Fork in the loss column – A.C. Flora and Aiken (both 4A teams).    After thrashing Cane Bay in the first round of the 5A tourney, coach Candace Bush's team ran into Summerville where the Silver Foxes encountered a 45-42 defeat at the hands of the Green Wave. That loss has had to have stuck with that program all offseason long after what was a banner regular season.    [player_tooltip player_id='339069' first='Michaela' last='Fairwell'] recently committed to UC-San Diego. One can see why the Tritons wanted her to make the cross-country move. Fairwell averaged 17.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 6.6 steals and 3.1 assists in 23 games last season. Dutch Fork also landed an important transfer as junior center [player_tooltip player_id='610469' first='Claire' last='Howard'] made the move to the Silver Foxes from another 5A school in Irmo. She averaged 11 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game last season with the Yellow Jackets. [player_tooltip player_id='562067' first='Aaliyah' last='Lee'] is another important piece to the winning puzzle with Dutch Fork. She averaged 6.3 points and 2.3 steals a game in 24 matchups last season. Frontcourt depth is provided by [player_tooltip player_id='1047751' first='Taylor' last='Monroe'] and [player_tooltip player_id='404248' first='Trinity' last='Crumlin']. [player_tooltip player_id='903744' first='Ryleigh' last='McCree'] gives the Silver Foxes an edge in the backcourt.   Hammond (15-6, 5-2)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/11/IMG_0838-crop-1833x1204-1732717335.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1090669" style="width:414px;height:auto" /></figure>   Instead of the red and blue Skyhawk, one can make a case that the logo for the 2024-25 version of Hammond ought to be a question mark – or a series of them.    After graduating a pair of star seniors from last season's 15-win squad it is up in the air as to what the Skyhawks will resemble in 2024-25. Who will assume the roles left behind by those two graduates?    That is a question that has surely been on the brain of head coach Roshan Myers. Last year's Hammond team qualified for the 4A tournament only for its season to come to a close at the hands of Northwood Academy.   Could senior guard Hailey Inman assume that leadership role for the Skyhawks this season?   Heathwood Hall (20-3, 8-0)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/02/eZy-Watermark_20-02-2024_07-01-14-5850AM.jpeg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-857854" style="width:407px;height:auto" /></figure>   Heathwood Hall. The juggernaut of SCISA juggernauts.    If any SCISA 4A foe has been looking to claim supremacy in that classification they had to go through coach Brionna Zimmerman and the Highlanders. Last season, Northwood Academy nearly accomplished that feat but the Highlanders still pulled off the hard-fought 58-56 victory at the Sumter County Civic Center.    What made Heathwood Hall's run last season even more remarkable was that the Highlanders only dropped one game to a South Carolina opponent. That Palmetto State adversary was Camden – the former 3A (now 4A) juggernaut that won back-to-back state championships. That defeat to the Bulldogs occurred at last year's She Got Next tournament at White Knoll.   This will be the final season for the Highlanders' senior core four. [player_tooltip player_id='185040' first='Lauren' last='Jacobs'] averaged 31.5 points, seven rebounds and 4.2 steals last season. Following this season, she will take her talents to coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin and Ole Miss. Another one who committed was [player_tooltip player_id='216959' first='Sabreya' last='Monsanto']. The East Tennessee State Buccaneer-to-be posted numbers of 15 points, 10.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists, four steals and 1.1 blocks per game in 2023-24. As for [player_tooltip player_id='185041' first='Camillea' last='Gore'], she took part in 21 games last season while averaging 8.7 points, six rebounds 1.1 steals a contest in 2023-24. [player_tooltip player_id='452092' first='Shamarie' last='Hayes'] has been a reliable x-factor for Heathwood Hall and that was the case once again last season. She averaged 8.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, three assists and 2.2 steals last season.   Irmo (10-12, 4-6)   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2023/11/IMG_5597.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-812534" style="width:448px;height:auto" /></figure>   After four seasons where the Yellow Jackets spent time as a 4A school, Irmo returns to the 5A landscape.    Things began in promising fashion for coach Trina Wagstaff's team. Wagstaff is beginning her fourth season at the helm for the Yellow Jackets. Irmo did earn some impressive wins over Gilbert, River Bluff, Chapin and St. Joseph's Catholic but region play ultimately did the Yellow Jackets in.    Irmo's season came to a close at the hands of North Myrtle Beach in the first round of last season's 4A tournament. The move for the Yellow Jackets from 4A to 5A also coincides with a move to an Upper State region.    The focal point of all things Irmo is [player_tooltip player_id='404246' first='Abby' last='Livingston'], a sophomore point guard. [player_tooltip player_id='622398' first='Jayla' last='Anderson'] (senior), [player_tooltip player_id='844792' first='JaNiyah' last='Stokes'] (sophomore) and [player_tooltip player_id='975649' first='Kaya' last='Brunson'] (freshman) all give the Yellow Jackets options inside the arc.

In the build-up to what is sure to be another thrilling season of high school girls basketball coverage across the Palmetto State, we at Prep Girls Hoops have been virtually touring every county in South Carolina to spotlight its many players and teams.