Ridgeland-Hardeeville’s girls advanced to the Lower State semifinals for the third time in four years with a 48-44 win over visiting Strom Thurmond in the second round of the Class 3A playoffs Thursday.
The Jaguars are the last local team standing in the SCHSL girls playoffs, as Battery Creek lost 57-46 at Swansea in its second-round matchup.
All-State guard Quanajia Drayton scored 20 points and sophomore forward Marlaysia Westbrook added 12 points to lead the Jaguars, who overcame a sluggish start to hold off the Rebels.
The Jaguars trailed 9-7 after the first quarter but pulled ahead 21-20 at halftime and stretched the lead to six early in the fourth quarter.
The Rebels closed within 46-44 and had a chance to take the lead with three free throws with 16.5 seconds left, but they missed all three and Drayton sealed the win with two foul shots, the Jasper County Sun-Times reported.
The Jaguars (16-3) will host Bishop England in the Lower State semifinals at 7 p.m. Monday. It will be a rematch of last year’s Lower State final, which the Bishops won 60-45.
Video submitted by Carlo Perruzza