"I don’t think we deserved to win this game, but at the same time, I guess it’s a situation where it’s a lesson learned. We’ll see.” ”

Irmo boys' basketball coach Tim Whipple

A Class 4A playoff berth was earned Wednesday by Irmo boys’ basketball.

The 2nd ranked Yellow Jackets rallied in the 4th quarter to edge out host team Dreher 47-46.

Irmo trailed as many as 6 points in the final stanza. It scored the game’s final 5 points, capped by a free throw from Dylan Williams with 1:51 left, and held Dreher scoreless for most of the final 4 minutes. 

With the win, Irmo (11-5, 8-1) assured itself finishing no lower than 2nd place in Region 4-4A.

Only the top 2 teams in each region qualify for the playoffs this year in the SC High School League. It will now face top-ranked AC Flora for the region title Tuesday at Lugoff-Elgin High School. 

“We had a chance early to really take control of the game and we didn’t,” Irmo head coach Tim Whipple said. “Dreher’s got a lot of weapons. They’re a pretty solid offensive team and they do a lot of good things. I don’t think we deserved to win this game, but at the same time, I guess it’s a situation where it’s a lesson learned. We’ll see.” 

The Yellow Jackets jumped out to a 8-0 lead in the 1st quarter, led by Devin Binyard who finished with 17 points. They led as many as 10 points when the Blue Devils closed out the 2nd quarter with a 12-1 run to take a 23-22 halftime lead.

Ryan Lominach scored 8 of his 12 points in the 2nd quarter, including 2 of his 3, 3-pointers.

The 2 teams exchanged the lead 7 times in the 3rd quarter. Back-to-back 3-pointers gave Dreher at 40-35 lead headed into the 4th quarter.

Down 43-37 with 5 minutes left, the Yellow Jackets rallied to within a point when Landon Harrison hit a 3-pointer from the left corner to put Dreher up 46-42 with 3:53 left. 

A putback by Juice Kiett and layup by Binyard tied the game at 46-46 with 2:18 left. After Williams forced a turnover, he was fouled on the ensuing possession and made 1-2 free throws.

Dreher turned the ball over twice, but had another chance after rebounding a missed Williams free throw with 23 seconds left. Following a timeout, the Blue Devils worked the ball around to Joshua Elliott, who eluded an Irmo defender off the dribble and pulled up for a jumper from just inside the 3-point line.

To his teammates, coaches and home fans’ disappointment, his shot hit the back rim as time expired.

“The defensie just did an outstanding job there in the last 4 minutes of the game,” Whipple said. “Because we were forced to extend and we did a good job. We got out, we had good on-ball defense and then we helped well. They never got the rebound when they missed.”

Irmo now looks to win the ‘rubber match’ with the Falcons in the 2nd “1 versus 2” matchup in 8 days between the 2 teams.

TUESDAY’S GAMES

White Knoll 47, Chapin 35

Jasmine Jenkins had 16 points to lead a trio of double-figure scorers for the Lady Timberwolves, who travel to Lexington Tuesday for a 1st place showdown in Region 5-5A.

Karlee Phelps had 15 points and Adriana Henderson with 12 for White Knoll (4-3, 4-2). 

Chapin (3-8, 0-7). 

Camden 50, Irmo 47

Maliyiah Mason had 18 points and 13 rebounds and Andrea Collins had 11 in the loss for the Lady Yellow Jackets (12-5, 7-3).