Crawford’s big night helps Irmo boys move back into top of region standings

Irmo is a different basketball team with Brandon Crawford in the lineup and it showed on Friday.

The senior scored 21 points and had nine blocks in helping the Yellow Jackets past AC Flora, 48-41 in a key region contest.

With the win, Irmo moves into a first-place tie with AC Flora and Ridge View in Region 5-4A. All three teams are 5-3 with a week left in the regular season.

“He certainly makes a difference especially on the defensive end of the floor,” Irmo coach Tim Whipple said of Crawford. “And he made some shots away from the basket that were big.”

Friday was Crawford’s third game back after missing almost three weeks with mononucleosis. Crawford said it was rough watching his teammates when he was sitting home. Irmo went 2-3 without Crawford and lost in his first game back on Jan. 27. But the Yellow Jackets have won two straight games and are back atop the region standings.

Crawford affected the game on offense and defense and came up big late in the fourth quarter. AC Flora was down, 44-41, but had a chance to cut the lead to one. Cooper Wiley looked to break free for a layup but Crawford came from the other side to block the shot with 12.8 seconds left. The Jackets put the game away from the line.

“It felt good being that defensive person and stopping that play,” Crawford said.

Te’Andre Summons added 14 for Irmo.

Other key results from Friday:

▪ Lexington boys won their first region title since 2019 by defeating White Knoll, 87-33.

▪ Westwood girls won their sixth straight region title by defeating Ridge View, 53-39. Campbell signee Jessica Woods led the way with 17 points.

▪ Camden’s Joyce Edwards, the No. 2 ranked player in Class of 2024, scored 41 points as the top-ranked Bulldogs defeated Marlboro County, 84-41, to clinch the Region 6-3A championship. It was Edwards’ second 40-point effort in the past six days.

Boys Scores

Irmo 48, AC Flora 41

ACF: Cooper Wiley 15, Timms 5, Willard 8, Parker 6, Higgins 7 I: Brandon Crawford 21, Te’Andre Summons 14, White 6, Madden Collins 4, Brand 3

Lexington 87, White Knoll 33

L: Jaxon Prunty 17, Jose Figueroa 15, Kaleb Evans 15, Cam Scott 11, Campbell 8, Bell 8, Franklin 3, Byrd 2, Burgess 2, Walker 2, Woolbright 1.

Ridge View 70, Westwood 66

W: Tavaris Bell 17, KJ Rowan 14, Arden Conyers 13. RV: Jayden Pretty 18, Adonis McDaniel 16, Joshua Smith 14, Perez 7, Corbett 4, Davis 4, Mack 3, Z. Smith 2, McClary 2.

Cardinal Newman 63, Ben Lippen 59

CN: Jordan Frazer 18, Elton Smith Jr. 16, Evan Carter 14, White 9, Peeples 5, Hart 1. BL: Ellis Jones 21, Braysen Stockman 15, Buzz Buxton 11, Van Horn 5, Stockman 3, Zetz 2, Little 2

Clover 74, Blythewood 62

C: Jaylon Hoover 30, JJ Mata 17, Alexander 9. B: TJ Lewis 15, Tre Williams 14

Chapin 58, Dutch Fork 50

C: Lucas Highberger 21, Cayman Collins 18

Lugoff-Elgin 50, Richland Northeast 42

LE: Jeremiah McCain 18, Damon Howey 15, Ian Goings 12. RNE: Marques Smith 14, Zackery Watkins 11.

Fox Creek 51, Batesburg-Leesville 43

Lower Richland 76, Swansea 26

LR: Shib Brown 18, Arturo Overton 16, Alex Atkinson 12

Brookland-Cayce 59, Gilbert 41

Gray Collegiate 91, Columbia 34

GC: Trai White 16, Avantae Parker 14, Ellis Graham 10

Marlboro County 64, Camden 52

C: Israel Macklin 25, Hunter 8, Dre Wilson 7, N. Stratford 5, Doby 5, Crim 2. MC: Adams 21, Braylin Barfield 16, Miles 9, Thomas 6, Monroe 3, Purvis 3, Barbour 2, Leach 2.

Orangeburg-Wilkinson 48, Dreher 35

Northside Christian 77, Orangeburg Prep 67

NC: Cade McNeill 22, Dane Sundell 18. OP: Austin Hall 27, Xavier Ravenell 17, Tilden Riley 15.

Richard Winn 71, Anderson Christian 48

RW: Lawson Wade 26, Miller Stuck 16, Wilson 9, Spired 8, Bonds 7, Caulder 3, Nicholson 2.

Hammond 42, Heathwood Hall 37

Andrew Jackson 76, North Central 43

Eau Claire 46, Fairfield Central 36

EC: Sean Quick-Streeter 10, Drake 9, Schofield 9, Hicks 5, Henry 5, Kinnon 3

Girls Scores

Westwood 53, Ridge View 39

W: Jessica Woods 17, Daniels 14, Johnson 8, Thompson 6, Omeire 4, Brown 1, Davis 3.

Dutch Fork 72, Chapin 28

DF: Christyonna Jackson 21, Aaliyah Lee 12, Hillary Offing 11, Cheeseboro 9, Monroe 7, Spratley 6, Anderson 4, McCree 2. C: Ella Kutsherenko 14, Haggard 8, Cornelison 4, Tisdale 2.

Blythewood 64, Clover 56

B: Chase Thomas 33, India Williams 17,Hayley Hightower 10, Brown 2, Young 2.

Spring Valley 64, Fort Mill 34

Lower Richland 56, Swansea 14

S: Williams 4, Jones 1, Butler 4, Dibble 5. LR: Isaac 8, Tyra Floyd 11, Jhnai Sumter 21, Foster 5. Curry 5, Weston 7

AC Flora 61, Irmo 30

ACF: Trinity Delaney 13, Jaclyn Wright-Thompson 12, Terriana Gray 11, Skylar McCray 10, Mickens 4, Curnell 3, Darby 3, Ta. Delaney 2, Sims 2. I: Livingston 4, Anderson 2, Andrea Collins 15, Howard 7.

Camden 84, Marlboro County 41

C: Joyce Edwards with 41, Braylin Mungo 10, Deanna Jeffcoat 10, Morgan Champion 10, Jefferson 5, Dais 3, Carter 3, Jackson 2. MC: Tysonia Lowe 31, Hairston 4, Isaac 4, Walters 2.

Lugoff-Elgin 47, Richland Northeast 32

Gray Collegiate 57, Columbia 31

GC: Jordan Mintz 14, Maliyiah Mason 10

Heathwood Hall 71, Hammond 53

Orangeburg-Wilkinson 51, Dreher 44

Gilbert 39, Brookland-Cayce 1

Ben Lippen 56, Cardinal Newman 38

BL: Eden Hester 21, Alexis Jacobs 13, Mary Anne Combs 10, Swan 4, Bailey 8. CN: Reyes 7, Diehl 6, Kinard 2, Wikinson 3, Erin Allert 10, Thompson 4