Last season, the Sumter High boys basketball team saw their season come to an end at Dutch Fork with a 58-48 loss in the third round of the SCHSL 5A playoffs.

When the Silver Foxes returned for a first-round matchup this season, the Gamecocks were more than happy to return the favor.

Sumter High took an early lead and never looked back, rolling to a 71-37 rout as they advance to the second round against Goose Creek.

“We’re using this game as a booster off of last year,” Sumter High head coach Bryan Brown said. “We thought that we finish last season with an unfortunate situation. We used that momentum coming into this game and I think it’s going to boost us and give us another opportunity with another round this year.”

The Gamecocks needed a minute to solve the Dutch Fork defense after winning the opening tip, but once the scoring started, they didn’t slow down. The Silver Foxes struck first on a three from Corey Stagg, but that would be their only field goal of the opening frame.

Sumter punched right back with a mid-range jumper from BJ Brown. Caleb Jenkins followed with a quick steal and score at the mid-point of the quarter to take a 4-3 before Khalil Bledsoe buried a three that put the Gamecocks firmly in the driver’s seat.

After a Dutch Fork free throw, Jenkins was fouled on a three-point attempt and knocked down all three free throws to push the lead to 10-4. A bucket from Jordon Bradley in the post was quickly followed by an Antoine Bracey three that left the gym rocking.

Sumter High and Dutch Fork traded free throws before Jamie Tedder Jr. scored just before the buzzer to cap off an 18-3 Sumter run, which sent the Gamecocks into the second frame with an 18-6 lead.

“Our plan was to come out and play hard, play aggressive and leave it out there,” Coach Brown said of the opening quarter. “We wanted to trust our guys tonight and let them play, so we gave them some freedom to go out and play. They showed how good of a team they can really be.”

After trading baskets to open the second, Jenkins was fouled again on a three-point attempt. He knocked down the first two to push the Sumter lead to 22-8. Brown added two more free throws before Dutch Fork responded with one of their own.

A dunk by Bradley and a Bracey free throw extended the lead to 26-9 before Dutch Fork scored at the midway point. 30 seconds later, Marquis Lane was at the free throw line. He hit the first but missed the second. Zyeir Gamble was there to clean up the board before dishing back to Lane for another bucket.

Sumter then immediately got a steal to set up a basket from Bracey and Sumter was suddenly up by 19. The Gamecocks would get four more points on a pair of Tedder Jr. free throws and a basket by Darius Franklin to jump ahead 36-13 before Semajee Govan hit a three just before the buzzer to give the Silver Foxes their final points of the half.

Sumter went into the break with a comfortable 20-point lead.

The Gamecocks took their foot off the gas a little in the third quarter, but managed to keep a comfortable lead. Bledsoe and Brown both hit threes in the frame, while backup point guard Andre McBride added four points. Sumter went into the fourth with a 48-27 lead and kept rolling from there.

Things got a little heated late in the fourth, but the final quarter mostly became a scoring contest for the Gamecocks, which Franklin won easily. The sophomore forward scored 12 of his game-high 16 points in the frame, while Brown tallied another five to bring his total to 14 on the night.

Coach Brown appreciated that his young standouts were able to shine in their first playoff action.

“I think they were a little tight early but as they stayed out there, they started to loosen up,” Brown said. “I thought Darius had an explosive second half, he played the way we’ve wanted him to play all year. I think he figured some things out. I just hope they use that and carry it over into the next game.”

The Gamecocks continued to push their lead out to the final score to exact their revenge against the Silver Foxes.

Jenkins was excellent all night for the Gamecocks, finishing with nine points while orchestrating the offense with ease.

“We’ve been saying all year, where he goes, we go,” Brown said of his junior point guard. “He understands his role on this team and really pushes it. When he gives us that energy, he’s one of the best point guards in the state. He determines how good we are.”

A total of 10 Gamecocks scored in the win with Bracey scoring eight and Bledsoe adding six. Coach Brown loved having the chance to get so many players involved early in the postseason.

“I think it’s extremely important to get a lot of people going to propel us through the postseason,” Brown said. “If our guys continue to come to practice like they have the last few days, focused – we’ve had some of the best practices we’ve had all year – if we continue to do that and know that we deserve to win and deserve to play well, good things are going to happen.”

Elijah Thornton led Dutch Fork with seven points, while Stagg added six.

Sumter now has a quick turnaround as they prepare to hit the road to face Goose Creek on Saturday. The 22-4 Gators dismantled Stall 83-24 and will provide a tough task for the Gamecocks.

“We only get one day, but we’re going to study some film and come up with a good gameplan and practice. I think we’ll be ready,” Brown said. “I think they’re going to be a tough team. They haven’t lost a lot of games this year, so you know they’re going to be a strong team. I think we’re strong too and we’ll be able to go down there and fight.”