The high school basketball regular season has concluded, and teams from around Lexington County are gearing up for the playoffs with hopes of winning a state title. 

25 Chronicle Country teams are set to gear up for at least one win-or-go-home game this week with SCHSL games scheduled to begin Tuesday and SCISA games on Friday. 

The final week of the regular season saw a lot on the line for multiple teams, but the marquee matchup was last Thursday between the Dutch Fork girls and Lexington. 

The game was the final contest of the season for both teams and a rematch from January.  With the region title on the line, the Silver Foxes entered Lexington’s gym on senior night 7-0 in the region, while the Wildcats sat at 6-1, losing only that first meeting. 

Dutch Fork took the lead from the jump and never looked back, outscoring Lexington in all four quarters. The Silver Foxes led by nine after the opening period, by 11 at halftime and entered the fourth up 20.

The Silver Foxes went on to win the game 64-43 and ended Lexington’s five-year streak atop the conference. By claiming the region championship, Bush and Dutch Fork fulfilled a goal they set before the season began. 

“It means a lot for the team because this was the seniors’ goals when we first came in, win the region,” Bush said. “They had never won the region since they've been playing. Some of them were playing since seventh and eighth grade, so it feels good and gives us a boost for the playoffs and home court for three rounds if we continue to play.”

Michaela Fairwell led the Silver Foxes in scoring. She began the night with 999 career points and made a two-point shot in the first quarter to surpass the 1,000-point mark. Farewell added 18 more points after that, with 10 coming in the third period. 

“That's always good when you have a player that reaches a milestone like that,” Bush said. “We are trying to look into the other records for the school with steals because I know she's got a lot of steals this year too, so we're going to look into that. I'm sure she's probably close to breaking the record for that too.”

Dutch Fork now enters the playoffs having gone undefeated, 8-0, in region contests and 22-3 overall. The team has won 13 of its last 14 games and was scheduled to host Cane Bay Tuesday night. 

Three other Lexington County teams earned a top seed in the playoffs. The Lexington boys and both Gray Collegiate teams will have home-court advantage through the tournaments. 

The Gray Collegiate boys were scheduled to host Chesnee Tuesday night. The War Eagles are 26-6 this season and undefeated in their region after their opponents opted to forfeit. 

Chesnee went 14-12 in the regular season and 5-5 in SCHSL 2A Region 1, finishing in fourth place. 

High-scoring seniors lead both teams. Brady Poole averages 20 points per contest for Chesnee and has over 2,000 career points with the program. 

Gray Collegiate’s Braylhan Thomas averages 17 points per game and has recorded multiple 20-plus point performances this season. 

Lexington and Gray’s girls were scheduled for Wednesday with both teams also posting undefeated region records. Lexington will face Goose Creek, and Gray’s girls were also matched with Chesnee. 

All five 5A teams in Lexington County qualified for the playoffs after Dutch Fork, the team that finished last in the region, earned an at-large bid. 

The second round of the SCHSL playoffs begin Friday and runs through Saturday. The championship contests are set to be played on March 1 and 2. 

Five big performances 

1. Michaela Fairwell scored 22 and 20 points in Dutch Fork’s two games to cross the 1,000 career point mark last week.

2. Braylhan Thomas scored 22 points for Gray Collegiate against Hebron Christian.

3. Bryson Taylor scored 21 in Dutch Fork's must-win game against River Bluff last week.

4. Hilton Dessausure helped lead Northside Christian to its first undefeated region season after filling the stat sheet with 20 points, seven rebounds, five assists, two steals and a block against Palmetto Christian.

5. Avery Campbell had a double-double against Dreher, recording 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Full area scores and schedule

Chapin: Boys (6-16), Girls (12-9) 

Boys last week - White Knoll (63-45, L), River Bluff (58-43, L)

Girls last week - White Knoll (37-33, W), River Bluff (50-38, W)

This week - at Byrnes (girls 2/13), at Cane Bay (boys 2/14)

Dutch Fork: Boys (10-15), Girls (22-3) 

Boys last week - River Bluff (58-54, W), Lexington (64-56, L)

Girls last week - River Bluff (71-26, W), Lexington (64-43, W)

This week - vs. Cane Bay (girls 2/13), at Summerville (boys 2/14)

Lexington: Boys (23-2), Girls (12-9)

Boys last week - Dutch Fork (64-56, W)

Girls last week - Dutch Fork (64-43, L)

This week - vs. Dorman (girls 2/13), vs. Goose Creek (boys 2/14)

River Bluff: Boys (16-9), Girls (7-18)

Boys last week - Dutch Fork (58-54, L), Chapin (58-43, W)

Girls last week - Dutch Fork (71-26, L), Chapin (50-38, L), White Knoll (32-31, L)

This week - vs. Gaffney (boys 2/14)

White Knoll: Boys (12-14), Girls (6-21)

Boys last week - Chapin (63-45, W)

Girls last week - Chapin (37-33, L), River Bluff (32-31, W)

This week - at Goose Creek (girls 2/13), at Dorman (boys 2/14)

Airport: Boys (7-17), Girls (15-9)

Boys last week - None

Girls last week - None

This week - at Westside (girls 2/13)

Irmo: Boys (5-20), Girls (9-10)

Boys last week - Westwood (54-48, L), Lugoff-Elgin (52-47, L)

Girls last week - Westwood (54-33, L), Lugoff-Elgin (57-26, L)

This week - at North Myrtle Beach (girls 2/13), at Wilson (boys 2/14)

Brookland-Cayce: Boys (12-12), Girls (5-15)

Boys last week - Swansea (79-24, W), at Orangeburg-Wilkinson (42-40, L)

Girls last week - Swansea (36-27, L), Orangeburg-Wilkinson (64-19, L)

This week - at Crestwood (boys 2/13)

Gilbert: Boys (7-17), Girls (16-9)

Boys last week - Dreher (70-49, L), Swansea (51-37, W)

Girls last week -  Dreher (65-35, W), Swansea (58-31, W)

This week - at Crestwood (girls 2/14)

Swansea: Boys (0-23), Girls (7-13)

Boys last week - Brookland-Cayce (79-24, L), Gilbert (51-37, L)

Girls last week - Brookland-Cayce (36-27, W), Gilbert (58-31, L)

This week - at Camden (girls 2/14)

Batesburg-Leesville: Boys (9-11), Girls (2-18)

Boys last week - Pelion (50-41, W)

Girls last week - Pelion (36-33, L)

This week - at Newberry (boys 2/13), at Saluda (girls 2/14)

Pelion: Boys (5-15), Girls (5-15)

Boys last week - Batesburg-Leesville (50-41, L), Silver Bluff (56-39, L)

Girls last week - Batesburg-Leesville (36-33, W), Silver Bluff (55-17, L)

This week - None

Gray Collegiate: Boys (26-6), Girls (17-11)

Boys last week - Cardinal Newman (59-37, W)

Girls last week - Legacy Early College (56-18, L), Cardinal Newman (58-14, W)

This week - vs. Chesnee (boys 2/13), vs. Chesnee (girls 2/14)

Northside Christian Academy: Boys (17-5), Girls (14-8)

Boys last week - Palmetto Christian Academy (73-41, W), Oakbrook Prep (60-39, L)

Girls last week - Palmetto Christian Academy (60-38, L), Oakbrook Prep (38-27, W)

This week - TBD