Camden girls, Ridge View boys survive tough road tests, advance in SC basketball playoffs

The Camden girls basketball team found itself in a little uncharted territory Thursday night.

The top-ranked Bulldogs were playing on the road in the playoffs in front of their most raucous environment in the last three seasons. Camden also had to do it without one of its top players — Zyasia Carter.

But behind South Carolina signee Joyce Edwards and the rest of the veteran supporting cast, the Bulldogs left the Diamond Mine with a 47-28 win over Lower Richland in the third round of the Class 3A playoffs.

“The environment was crazy,” Edwards said. “Personally, I love playing in big environments like this. We just rose to the occasion and that is all that matters.”

It was Camden’s first true playoff road game since 2022 against Orangeburg-Wilkinson. The Bulldogs have won 47 straight games against in-state opponents.

Camden will face Region 6-3A foe Darlington at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the Class 3A Lower State championship at the Florence Center. It is the Bulldogs’ third straight semifinal appearance.

Camden was without Carter, the team’s starting point guard who suffered a knee injury in practice on Tuesday and is likely done for the season. She was on the bench with a leg brace and was encouraging her teammates throughout the game. It was the first time she wasn’t in the Camden lineup since the eighth grade.

“We were all brokenhearted taking the floor without Zy,” Camden coach Natalie Norris said. “... We felt like we had some good players and didn’t want to change a whole lot with how we played. But we had to ask people to do a little bit more than they were used to doing.”

Norris moved freshman Braylin Mungo to the point guard slot and moved freshman Shanaryah Wright in the starting lineup. Both played well in their new roles against the Diamond Hornets.

Edwards also helped out handling the ball at times and made shots in the second half. The South Carolina signee finished with 23 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks.

“She (Carter) told us to stand on business and that is what we did. We did it for her,” Edwards said.

The game was a rematch of last year’s Class 3A Upper State final won by Camden, which went on to win the state championship.

Lower Richland came in with a solid game plan, trying to slow it down and move the ball around the perimeter. The Diamond Hornets hit four 3-pointers in the first quarter, including one by Sydney Cunningham at the buzzer to take a 14-10 lead.

But the Diamond Hornets’ next points didn’t come until less than a minute left in the second quarter. By then, Camden built a 25-16 lead going into halftime.

Jhnai Sumter’s 3-pointer cut Camden’s lead to 26-22 with 56 seconds in the third. But the Bulldogs scored the final four points in the third and then Morgan Champion’s 3-pointer put them up, 35-32 with 4:56 left.

Ridge View boys earn spot in state semifinals

Korie Corbett and Jayden Pretty each scored 14 points as Ridge View defeated Wilson, 56-53, on the road in the third round of the Class 4A boys playoffs.

The Blazers will play James Island, which defeated Westwood 75-72 (OT), in the state semifinals at 8 p.m. on Wednesday in the Florence Center.

The Blazers trailed 45-41 with 4:46 left but went on an 8-2 run. Reggie Mack hit two free throws and put Ridge View up 49-47.

Ridge View’s lead was 53-50 and Wilson had a chance to tie but Tristan Thompson missed the game-tying 3-pointer. Thompson finished with 30 points.

Other playoff highlights

James Island 75, Westwood 72 (OT): The Islanders overcame a 14-point halftime deficit to defeat the Redhawks, who were looking for their first trip to the state semifinals.

Westwood led 50-42 going into the fourth quarter and were by two points late in the game. But JI’s RJ Simmons at the buzzer to tie it at 63.

Westwood led 70-68 in overtime but Simmons hit a four-point play to put the Islanders ahead 72-70 with 36.7 seconds left.

The Redhawks had a chance to tie it at the end of regulation but the Islanders stole the inbound pass to end it.

North 81, CA Johnson 66: North used a 15-5 run to start the fourth quarter to advance to the Class A semifinals.

North plays Christ Church at 4 p.m. on Monday at the Florence Center.

SCHSL playoff scores, schedule

Thursday

Class 4A Boys

Ridge View 58, Wilson 53

RV: Davis 6, Smith 9, Cooper 8, Mack 7, Korie Corbett 14, Jayden Pretty 14.. W: Tristan Thompson 30, Small Jr. 4, Bruce 5, Josh Leonard 12, Douglas 2.

James Island, 75, Westwood 72 (OT)

Class A Boys

North 81, CA Johnson 66

Class 3A Girls

Camden 47 Lower Richland 28

C: Joyce Edwards 21, Morgan Champion 10, Mungo 8, Jeffcoat 4, Wright 2, Jefferson 2LR: Chi’nya Isaac 13, Jhnai Sumter 7, T. Isaac 5, Cunningham 3

Friday

5A Boys Lower State Championship

Lexington vs. Summerville at Florence Center, 8 p.m.

Saturday

2A Girls Upper State Championship

Gray Collegiate vs. Landrum at Florence Center, 2 p.m.

2A Boys Upper State Championship

Gray Collegiate vs. Keenan at Florence Center, 4 p.m.

Tuesday

3A Girls Lower State championship

Camden vs. Darlington at Florence Center, 6 p.m.

3A Boys Lower State championship

Lower Richland vs. Darlington at Florence Center, 8 p.m.

Wednesday

4A Girls Lower State championship

Ridge View vs. AC Flora at Florence Center, 6 p.m.

4A Boys Lower State championship

Ridge View vs. James Island at Florence Center, 8 p.m.

SCISA boys playoff scores, schedule

Class 4A

Friday

Cardinal Newman vs. Augusta Christian at Sumter Civic Center, 7:30 p.m.

SCISA girls playoff scores, schedule

Class 4A

Friday

Northwood vs. Heathwood Hall at Sumter Civic Center, 6 p.m.