Playoff Preview: 3A Girls

By Jed Blackwell/The Spartanburg Sports Report

The South Carolina High School League basketball playoffs will begin tonight for area teams with 3A girls action as Woodruff hosts Columbia and Broome travels to Fairfield Central.

Woodruff, the No. 2 seed from Region III-3A, is led by Faith Williams, who averages 12 points and seven rebounds per game. The Lady Wolverines have gotten a big boost from Kaliyah Gilliam over the past two weeks, as she has poured in 16.5 points and six rebounds over the team’s last four games.

They will host a Columbia team that finished third in Region IV-3A. Woodruff coach Jeff Parks said the Lady Capitals would pose a challenge.

“Everything they do starts with their guard play,” he said. “Inside, their posts are physical. They don’t do anything fancy, but they’re really good at what they do.”

Columbia has a long tradition of excellence in girls’ basketball, and Parks said that was a consideration as well.

“We have the mentality here of ‘tradition never graduates’,” Parks said. “There’s a lot of that there, too. Sometimes they’re going to play well simply because Columbia girls basketball plays well. There’s a lot of pride and tradition there.”

In the other 3A matchup, Region III-3A No. 4 seed Broome will travel to Region IV-3A champion Fairfield Central.