For the 1st time in 5 years, the Irmo girls' basketball team are headed to the S.C. High School League semifinals.
It secured a trip to Greenville Monday with a 51-36 win over 3rd ranked T.L. Hanna at the Legion of Doom.
In securing a 14th consecutive victory and prevailing in the "Battle of the Lady Yellow Jackets", Irmo (24-3) was once again led by its "Big 3". All-State guard Ehrial Wagstaff had 16 points, freshman Maliyiah Mason scored 11 despite foul trouble and senior Jayla Lovett finished with 10.
"I think it hit me that we can actually go to the Upper State," Irmo head coach Monica Williams said. "That we're not going to lose in the 2nd or 3rd round. That we're actually making it that far." 
The Lady Yellow Jackets of Irmo jumped out to a 12-0 lead in the 1st quarter. Their lead grew as high as 12 points before T.L. Hanna (25-3) rallied late in the 3rd quarter to cut the lead to 33-30.
S.C. Basketball Coaches Association Class 5A Player of the Year Maleia Bracone sparked the comeback with a team-high 16 points. The host team Lady Yellow Jackets also, in Williams' words, "discombulated" as they played without starting point guard for the 2nd straight game Jay'Lah Smith (concussion). 
After Mason left the game with her 4th personal foul, Lovett and Johnson combined for 8 straight points to put Irmo up 42-33 with 3:38 left. The lead would grow as high as 15 points and by the time Bracone fouled out with 39.6 seconds left, T.J. Hanna would not score again.
For the 2nd straight game, Irmo dominated the 4th quarter in outscoring the visiting Lady Yellow Jackets 18-6. 
"We just kind of got out of sync, but thank God we got it back together," said Williams, who picked up her 409th career victory. 
Standing in the way of a 1st state final appearance since 2004 for Irmo is top-ranked Clover. The Lady Blue Eagles defeated J.F. Byrnes 63-55 on Monday.
"We played Clover this summer and they've got a talented guard (All-State selection Aylesha Wade) and a very good coach (Sherer Hopkins) that I'm actually coaching with at the (Carolinas Classic All-Star Basketball Game March 28 in Wilmington, NC.). So that should be fun."
The winner will face Wando or defending Class 5A champion Goose Creek in the March 6 final at Colonial Life Arena. 
Tip-off for Saturday's Upper State final at Bon Secours Arena is 5 pm. The game can be streamed for a fee online at https://www.nfhsnetwork.com/ .

Goose Creek 61, River Bluff 26
The historic 2019-20 season for the visiting River Bluff basketball game came to an end Monday in the 3rd round of the Class 5A Lower State playoffs.
"The Battle of the Lady Gators" in The Swamp was dominated by the host team and defending Class 5A champions. They outscored River Bluff 16-0 in the 1st quarter and held it to just 1 field goal in jumping out to a 24-6 halftime lead.
Aniyah Oliver scored 16 points and Janise Shaw had 14 the 2 Goose Creek combined to score the entire River Bluff roster. The host team Lady Gators (25-3) will face Wando in the Lower State final Saturday at the Florence Civic Center. 
Japonica Wilson was the lone player in double figures with 13 points. 
River Bluff finished with a school-record 17 victories and 2 playoff wins for the 1st time. It started the regular season with a 40-game losing streak and 45-game skid in region play and placed 2nd in Region 5-5A. 

S.C. HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE PLAYOFF SCHEDULE
Tuesday's games (All 7 pm starts)
Wade Hampton at Irmo
Christ Church vs. Gray Collegiate (at Allen University) 
Dutch Fork at Fort Dorchester