It was "Spoiler Saturday" in Lexington County. 
Both White Knoll basketball teams headed on the road needing victories to keep alive their post-season hopes.
Host teams River Bluff girls and Chapin boys had other ideas. Each got inspired efforts to earn wins which helped finalize the Region 5-5A playoff berths. 
GIRLS BASKETBALL
River Bluff 43,
White Knoll 40
The Lady Gators' playoff hopes ended with Dutch Fork's win over Chapin a night earlier. 
They also had to play its home finale without top scorer Samira Khalil (concussion). 
Getting motivation from both head coach Candice Cobb and finding support from some Dutch Fork fans, River Bluff held off the Lady Timberwolves to finish in a 2nd place tie with the Lady Silver Foxes. 
The head-to-head advantage gave Dutch Fork the 2nd playoff seed out of Region 5-5A. Nevertheless, Cobb saw the victory as a "turning point" for the program.
"It's been an up and down season for us and knowing that there wasn't a shot at us, but I really wanted to finish with that win," she said. "The girls started out a little slow, but they picked it up and they showed me they wanted to win." 
The 2 teams played to a 30-30 tie through 3 quarters. Niya Perry opened the 4th quarter with a 3-pointer for River Bluff, but White Knoll rallied back to take a 35-34 lead. 
The Lady Gators responded with 7 unanswered points, including a baseline jumper by  senior Bri Smith. 
Missed free throws by River Bluff enabled White Knoll to remain close. A layup by Jasmine Jenkins, who finished with a game-high 17 points, brought the Lady Timberwolves to within 3 points with less than 2 minutes left.
A pair of missed free throws by Kennedy Marren set up a game-tying opportunity with 18 seconds left for White Knoll. As time expired, Jenkins' 3-pointer bounced off the front rim and was corralled by 2 players on both teams to run out the clock.
"To finish where we are, I told the girls that this is the turning point," Cobb said. "River Bluff will be a household name in the next several years and I plan to make that a point." 

BOYS BASKETBALL
Chapin 47
White Knoll 35
The Timberwolves found themselves in an 11-0 hole early they were never able to escape out of against the Eagles. 
Chapin led as many as 15 points in the 1st half held White Knoll without a field goal through the first 10 1/2 minutes of the game. 
Kenya Jones hit 2 of his 3, 3-pointers in the 2nd quarter as he finished with 10 points. 
White Knoll got as close out 9 in the 4th quarter led by Kenny Anderson with 11 points and Devin Stone and Deandre Rogers with 8 points each. 
Henry Haigler carried the Chapin offense in the 4th quarter. He scored 8 of his game-high 12 points in the final minutes to seal the victory. 
The Timberwolves' loss assured River Bluff of a playoff berth in Region 5-5A along with 1st place Dutch Fork. The Silver Foxes still need to win 1 of its final 2 scheduled games to clinch the region title and play host to White Knoll Monday. 

Swansea 63, Gilbert 45
The Tigers advanced to the semifinals of the Region 5-3A tournament and will travel Monday to face top-seed Orangeburg-Wilkinson. The game can be seen on the OW athletics website (https://owhsbruins.com/) . 
The winner earns a playoff berth and advances to the region final Wednesday to face either 2nd seed Brookland-Cayce or Fox Creek. The Bearcats/Predators' game is at 7 pm in West Columbia and can be heard online at The Dove (1620 AM). and at www.mixlr.com/bearcatsports .