It was an eventful week of basketball in Lexington County with many athletes taking their homecourt for the final time. 

Two teams captured wins to clinch their region titles. Others fought on their floor for the last time this season, looking to send their seniors off on a high note. 

Lexington’s boys and Northside Christian boys teams won their region with another week left to go in the season. Lexington enters this week 22-2 and 7-0 in 5A Region 4 play. Northside enters 16-4 and 5-0 in 3A Region 4 play of SCISA. 

The Wildcats defeated River Bluff 74-59 last Tuesday to officially clinch first place. The team followed that with a 70-57 win over White Knoll to remain perfect against conference foes. 

This marks the second region title in a row for the Wildcats. The team continues to see major performances from the usual stars. Cam Scott scored 27 in the win over River Bluff, and against White Knoll, Scott and Jaxon Prunty dropped 24 points apiece. 

The Crusaders earned their second consecutive and total region basketball title last week after winning two games last week against a conference opponent. 

Last week, Northside Christian won all three of its games. The team beat Orangeburg Prep 65-58, Horse Creek Academy 63-36 and Thomas Sumter Academy 69-33.

Triton Railey exploded out of nowhere in the game against Thomas Sumter. The senior had a quiet year, scoring just 32 points all season entering the contest. He scored 28 points on 29 shots in his final game on the Crusader’s court. 

Railey and his fellow seniors were not the only players around the county playing in their final home games. Other teams had their senior night and played in their gym for the final time this season. 

Like the boys, the Northside girls beat Thomas Sumter in their senior night game. This marked the final home game for seniors Natalie Walke and Victoria Thomas. 

The Dutch Fork girls moved a step closer to clinching the region title after winning in their final home game against Chapin Friday night. The boys team lost to Chapin but captured a win on their home court earlier in the week against White Knoll. 

Airport’s boys team dropped its final home game against North Augusta last week, which also marked the team’s final game of the regular season. 

The team fell behind early in the contest when its defense gave up 32 points in the first quarter, while the offense scored only 12. 

North Augusta expanded its lead in the second and third quarters, despite easing up on the offensive side of the ball. Airport struggled to match buckets, scoring just eight points in each quarter. 

Airport was down 38 points entering the final quarter but made it seem less lopsided with some garbage time buckets. The final was 74-51, dropping the team’s 2023-24 record to 7-17.

On a more positive side, the Brookland-Cayce girls team defeated Dreher at home to earn their second region win this season. 

For the first time since the 2018-19 season, Brookland-Cayce has multiple region wins. The Bearcats were 1-36 the previous four seasons against conference foes. 

Both wins this season came against Dreher. The first was on Jan. 25 and snapped a 33-game region losing streak that spanned multiple reclassification periods. 

The game last week was down to the wire and could have gone either way in the end. The two teams traded the lead multiple times in the game's final minutes, and it came down to who made the most of their opportunities. 

Brookland-Cayce hit more late-game free throws when both teams got physical at the end. The Bearcats also hit two clutch layups in the final minute to seal the contest. 

There is just one week left of games in the regular season. Many region titles and playoff spots are still on the line, setting up an exciting and potentially monumental week of basketball. 

Five big performances 

1. Triton Railey recorded 28 points and nine rebounds for Northside Christian against Thomas Sumter Academy.

2. A.J. Edwards dropped 23 points in Brookland-Cayce’s win over Gilbert. 

3. Braylhan Thomas had a big performance for Gray Collegiate, scoring 22 points. 

4. Antoine Chesebro led Dutch Fork to a win with 18 points, four rebounds, four assists and four steals.

5. Ja'sia Booth helped Airport secure the win with 16 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Full area scores and schedule

Chapin: Boys (6-14), Girls (10-9) 

Boys last week - Dutch Fork (61-58, W)

Girls last week - Dutch Fork (69-26, L)

This week - at White Knoll (2/6), at River Bluff (2/8)

Dutch Fork: Boys (9-14), Girls (20-3) 

Boys last week - White Knoll (40-34, W), Chapin (61-58, L)

Girls last week - White Knoll (80-31, W), Chapin (69-26, W)

This week - at River Bluff (2/6), at Lexington (2/8)

Lexington: Boys (22-2), Girls (12-8)

Boys last week - River Bluff (74-59, W), White Knoll (70-57, W)

Girls last week - River Bluff (64-26, W), White Knoll (57-32, W)

This week - vs. Dutch Fork (2/8)

River Bluff: Boys (15-8), Girls (7-15)

Boys last week - Lexington (74-59, L), Aiken (63-53, W)

Girls last week - Lexington (64-26, L), Aiken (36-17, L)

This week - vs. Dutch Fork (2/6), vs. Chapin (2/8)

White Knoll: Boys (11-14), Girls (5-20)

Boys last week - Dutch Fork (40-34, L), Lexington (70-57, L)

Girls last week - Dutch Fork (80-31, L), Lexington (57-32, L)

This week - vs. Chapin (2/6)

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

Boys last week - South Aiken (65-56, L), North Augusta (74-51, L)

Girls last week - South Aiken (46-43, W), North Augusta (54-14, L)

This week - None

Irmo: Boys (5-18), Girls (9-10)

Boys last week - Ridge View (72-52, L), A.C. Flora (69-46, L)

Girls last week - Ridge View (54-35, L), A.C. Flora (64-41, L)

This week - vs. Westwood (2/6), vs. Lugoff-Elgin (2/9)

Brookland-Cayce: Boys (11-11), Girls (5-13)

Boys last week - Dreher (69-47, L), Gilbert (62-58, W)

Girls last week - Dreher (35-29, W), Gilbert (58-17, L)

This week - vs. Swansea (2/6), at Orangeburg-Wilkinson (2/8)

Gilbert: Boys (6-16), Girls (14-9)

Boys last week - Lower Richland (47-30, L), Brookland Cayce (62-58, L)

Girls last week - Lower Richland (52-10, L), Brookland Cayce (58-17, W)

This week - at Dreher (2/6), vs. Swansea (2/8)

Swansea: Boys (0-21), Girls (6-12)

Boys last week - Orangeburg-Wilkinson (95-25, L), Lower Richland (90-22, L)

Girls last week - Orangeburg-Wilkinson (48-21, L), Lower Richland (45-10, L)

This week - at Brookland-Cayce (2/6), at Gilbert (2/8)

Batesburg-Leesville: Boys (8-11), Girls (2-17)

Boys last week - Silver Bluff (59-54, L), Fox Creek (68-49, L)

Girls last week - Silver Bluff (65-23, L), Fox Creek (50-36, L)

This week - at Pelion (2/6)

Pelion: Boys (5-13), Girls (4-14)

Boys last week - Fox Creek (58-54, L), Strom Thurmond (57-43, L)

Girls last week - Fox Creek (28-20, L), Strom Thurmond (58-15, L)

This week - vs. Batesburg-Leesville (2/6), vs. Silver Bluff (2/8)

Gray Collegiate: Boys (25-6), Girls (16-9)

Boys last week - Columbia (forfeit W), Columbia (forfeit W), Andrew Jackson (53-41, L), Potter’s House Christian (60-52, W)

Girls last week - Columbia (forfeit W), Columbia (forfeit W), Asheville School (68-47, L), Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (66-30, L)

This week - vs. Legacy Early College (girls 2/6), vs. Cardinal Newman (2/9)

Northside Christian Academy: Boys (16-4), Girls (13-7)

Boys last week - Orangeburg Prep (65-58, W), Horse Creek Academy (63-36, W), Thomas Sumter Academy (69-33, W)

Girls last week - Orangeburg Prep (60-14, L), Horse Creek Academy (50-26, W), Thomas Sumter Academy (62-33, W)

This week - at Palmetto Christian Academy (2/6), at Oakbrook Prep (2/9)