Postseason is within reach for many teams

Aiken’s Sophie Nance went to the basket against the defense of South Aiken’s Kyasia Youmans during the year’s first meeting between the two schools. Tonight’s rematch could determine the final playoff spot out of Region 5-AAAA. Staff photo by By Mike Adams.

Get out your calculator, protractor, ruler and abacus. It's the final week of the South Carolina High School League basketball season, and determining the scenarios for region standings and playoff berth takes a mathematician.

To make it simple, or at least as simple as can be, all 20 area teams -10 boys and 10 girls - fall into three major categories. They're either locked in, need some help or are out of the picture. Here's a look at where all the teams stand.

Locked in

Aiken boys - Regardless of what happens tonight on the road against rival South Aiken, the Hornets, 15-8 overall and 5-4 in Region 5-AAAA, will enter the playoffs as the No. 3 seed out of the region. They'll have to go on the road for the opening round of the playoffs.

North Augusta girls - At 17-4 overall and 6-3 in Region 5-AAAA, the Yellow Jacket girls will be the No. 3 seed out of the region. They still host top-seeded Orangeburg-Wilkinson tonight, but the results of that contest won't matter in the standings. NAHS will open the postseason on the road.

Silver Bluff boys - The Bulldogs finished 13-9 overall and 9-1 in Region 5-AA action, clinching the region title. Their regular season is complete, and they'll find out this weekend who will be visiting Petticoat Junction in the opening round of the playoffs.

Ridge Spring-Monetta girls - The Trojans will be the No. 4 seed out of Region 4-A, regardless of what happens the rest of the way. They'll open the playoffs on the road.

Control their future

Silver Bluff girls - The Bulldogs finished the regular season 13-9 overall and 8-1 in Region 5-AA. They tied for the region title with Wade Hampton, after the two teams split the regular season series. They'll play a play-in game tonight at Barnwell High School to determine the region champion.

Need help

Aiken girls - If the Hornets (6-16, 2-7 Region 5-AAAA) win tonight, they're in a solid position. They're currently tied with White Knoll for the fourth position, but the Timberwolves play a very good Lexington team tonight. If Aiken wins and White Knoll loses, the Hornets go. If Aiken wins and White Knoll pulls off the upset, those two teams will play a play-in game on Friday.

If Aiken loses, though, the situation is much more complicated. That would put South Aiken in a tie with the Hornets. A two-way tie would be decided by a play-in game. A three-way tie - which would be the case if both South Aiken and White Knoll win tonight - would be decided by overall record. South Aiken would get the No. 4 seed in that scenario.

South Aiken girls - See above.

North Augusta boys - With one game remaining, the Yellow Jackets are tied with White Knoll for the final playoff spot out of Region 5-AAAA. Both teams are 3-6 in region play.

North Augusta faces a tough test, at home against Orangeburg-Wilkinson tonight. White Knoll's test is equally as difficult, taking on Lexington at home.

If one team wins and the other loses, the winner will get the final spot. If both win or both lose, a play-in game will determine the representative.

Midland Valley boys - The Mustangs (5-6 Region 5-AAA) have to win tonight at Dreher to have a chance. That would put those two teams in a tie for fourth, and a play-in game would determine which squad gets the final bid.

Strom Thurmond boys - The Rebels (14-9, 4-5 Region 3-AA) are in either way, but with a win tonight against Batesburg-Leesville, STHS could move up to the No. 3 seed. Either way, they'll open the playoffs on the road.

Williston-Elko girls - The Blue Devils are in the postseason as at least a No. 3 seed out of Region 4-A. They finished the year with a 13-3 region record and will have to wait to see how other region teams fare down the stretch.

Calhoun County is at the top at 13-2, and they'll clinch the top seed with a win at Hunter-Kindard-Tyler in the season finale. Denmark-Olar (12-3), which finishes at North, and Williston-Elko are both hoping for the H-K-T upset to create a three-way tie at the top. If not, they'll battle it out for the No. 2 seed out of the region.

Wagener-Salley boys - The War Eagles are 12-3 in Region 4-A and will end the season at Blackville-Hilda. Denmark-Olar (11-4) will be at North to end the year. They're fighting for the second seed out of the region, as Calhoun County has already locked up the top spot.

Ridge Spring-Monetta boys - The Trojans are still alive, but they need a lot of help to capture the fourth seed. It starts with winning out, and they also need another Hunter-Kinard-Tyler loss. That scenario, though, would only force a tiebreaker.

Out of the picture

South Aiken boys - At 8-14 overall and 1-8 in Region 5-AAAA, the Thoroughbreds will be playing only for pride tonight against Aiken.

Midland Valley girls - The Mustangs, 3-8 in Region 5-AAA, won't be able to make up the ground to see the postseason. They'll end the year at Dreher tonight.

Strom Thurmond girls - At just 1-7 in Region 3-AA, the Rebels have just one game remaining, today against Batesburg-Leesville.

Fox Creek girls - The Predators are 7-10 overall and 6-9 in Region 4-A, but that's not nearly enough in a very strong region.

Wagener-Salley girls - The War Eagles will have to stay home for the playoffs with a 4-18 overall mark and a 3-12 league record. They finish up tonight at Blackville-Hilda.

Fox Creek boys - The Predators are just 3-16 overall and 2-13 in Region 4-A. They'll have one more chance for a victory tonight against Ridge Spring-Monetta.

Williston-Elko boys - The Blue Devils won't be able to catch the top four in Region 4-A.

Tonight's schedule

* Orangeburg-Wilkinson at North Augusta

* Aiken at South Aiken

* Midland Valley at Dreher

* Batesburg-Leesville at Strom Thurmond

* Wagener-Salley at Blackville-Hilda

* Ridge Spring-Monetta at Fox Creek

All games doubleheaders with girls followed by boys.