Lowcountry Showcase: Saturday’s Results
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Following last season’s Lowcountry Showcase that saw a grand total of 12 teams take part, this year’s event returned to the North Charleston Athletic Center with even more teams taking to the court. Sixteen teams were part of the festivities…
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Continue ReadingFollowing last season’s Lowcountry Showcase that saw a grand total of 12 teams take part, this year’s event returned to the North Charleston Athletic Center with even more teams taking to the court.
Sixteen teams were part of the festivities in the Lowcountry this team. Following the four girls games that made up the first half of the schedule, it was time for the boys teams to have their turn on the court.
We at Prep Hoops were once again on hand for the proceedings – as was the case last season. Without further adieu, here is a recap of this year’s four boys’ contests in North Charleston.
North Charleston vs. West Ashley
Three schools had their girls and boys basketball teams represented at this year’s Lowcountry Showcase. One of them took to the court to start the boys half of the gathering.
That first contest featured 3A North Charleston vs. 5A West Ashley. Neither team was part of last season’s Lowcountry Showcase, but the Wildcats are coming off a one-point win vs. a team that is also part of this year’s event in 4A James Island. As for the Cougars, their last matchup prior to Saturday was with 1A St. John’s on the other bench.
Prevailing in this matchup would be West Ashley with the concluding result being 63-55 over North Charleston.
Remember What Happened Last Time?
The last time the Cougars and Wildcats matched up against each other also occurred during a recent tournament and also on a neutral site. North Charleston got the better of that outcome by virtue of a 59-44 victory over West Ashley.
Quarter-By-Quarter
Things began auspiciously for West Ashley before North Charleston ensured that the first boys matchup of the day would indeed be a competitive affair. With one frame in the books, the Wildcats held on to the slimmest of leads – one point at 17-16 over the Cougars.
Sixteen minutes of basketball were contested between West Ashley and North Charleston only for both teams to be all square after two stanzas. As both teams went into their locker rooms for halftime, both Wildcats and Cougars were all knotted up at 30 apiece.
Late in the third quarter, it looked as if North Charleston would go into the fourth quarter with a slim lead before a late West Ashley run ensured the Wildcats would once again exit the frame with a razor-thin edge. It was 46-45 in favor of the Wildcats with one quarter to play.
It turned out to be a contest where every point mattered – and eight more of those would be scored by the Wildcats than the Cougars. West Ashley was the first boys winner of this year’s Lowcountry Showcase.
Primetime Performers
A 21-point performance from sophomore point guard Kendell Mack made all the difference in the Wildcats’ victory. Whether it was from behind the arc or attacking the rim, North Charleston’s defense had few answers for the star 2026.
Of course Mack could not have done it all by himself. That is where Damani White Damani White 5'9" | PG West Ashley | 2026 State SC – and his 18 points – came in helpful. White is another sophomore backcourt stalwart who solidifies what West Ashley will throw at opponents for this season – and the next two.
Ethen Cobin-Willis Ethen Cobin-Willis 6'1" | SG North Charleston | 2024 State SC concluded his efforts with 20 points to lead all Cougars scorers. Where he particularly thrived was behind the 3-point line where the star senior drained a grand total of six from 3-point land.
Speaking of seniors, another upperclassman also had himself a big game for North Charleston. That would be Onarae Grant Onarae Grant 5'10" | PG North Charleston | 2024 State SC – a 5-foot-10 senior who primarily plays at the one. He tallied 13 points to aid the Cougars cause.
What’s Next?
Both teams will be back on their respective home courts for their next matchups. On Tuesday, West Ashley will host another 5A team in Stratford while North Charleston will await 4A Colleton County the following day.
Cane Bay vs. First Baptist
The ensuing three contests would feature teams that were part of last season’s Lowcountry Showcase.
When the Hurricanes of SCISA 4A First Baptist took to the North Charleston Athletic Center court last year, it resulted in an auspicious result for the team that wears purple. First Baptist scored a 73-63 victory to dispatch of 4A Lucy Beckham. Cane Bay began its season having won its first three games (Hanahan, Timberland, Andrews) before dropping contests to West Ashley, Pinewood Prep and Fort Dorchester.
Cane Bay proved triumphant in its contest against First Baptist as the Cobras defeated the Hurricanes with the final score being 80-51.
Remember What Happened Last Time?
First Baptist is 3-1 all time against Cane Bay – including their most recent exchanging of pleasantries. The Hurricanes got the more desirable end of a 59-46 result over the Cobras in late December of 2019.
Quarter-By-Quarter
As the minutes and seconds ticked off of the clock in the first quarter, Cane Bay eventually built up a double-digit advantage over First Baptist. When said stanza concluded, the Cobras’ edge over the Hurricanes was 21-10.
Cane Bay continued to efficiently execute a high-octane offensive attack that was difficult for First Baptist to keep up with. As both teams went into their locker rooms to discuss second half strategy, the first half went the way of the Cobras by a margin of 44-27.
What was a 17-point lead at the half eventually grew into the 20s throughout the third quarter – and at 30 at the frame’s conclusion. The second boys game of the day seemed all but academic with the Cobras ahead by plenty.
All that was needed was for eight more minutes to wind down off the game clock for the Cobras to go back over .500 for the season. When those minutes had indeed elapsed, the Cane Bay mark became 4-3 with First Baptist’s falling to 1-3.
Primetime Performers
As was the case with West Ashley earlier in the day, the Cobras were also led by a 21-point scorer. That person was Curtrell Dixon Curtrell Dixon 6'3" | SG Cane Bay | 2024 State SC , who displays his versatility with his ability to log productive minutes either in the frontcourt or backcourt.
With 17 points, the big impact of Isaac Smalls was felt throughout the matchup. Similar to his teammate Dixon, he too is also a senior and he too can switch between playing productive minutes as either a two or a three.
Cane Bay still had problems contending with First Baptist’s resident big. That was Cooper Kowalski Cooper Kowalski 6'9" | PF First Baptist | 2024 State SC . He finished with 16 points. The litany of contact he drew while playing in the interior gave him plenty of opportunities at the free throw line.
What’s Next?
On Monday, Cane Bay will renew its rivalry with Summerville as the Cobras will host the Green Wave. As for the Hurricanes, they will have nearly a week to prepare for its next opponent as they will travel to Woodland on Friday.
Summerville vs. Oceanside Collegiate
Speaking of the Green Wave…
The 2023-24 season has began in auspicious fashion for Summerville as evidenced by its 6-0 record they entered this year’s Lowcountry Showcase with. Its most recent victory a 94-46 win against Woodland at home at the Fire House.
As for Oceanside Collegiate, last season’s 2A runners-up, the Landsharks were part of last season’s Lowcountry Showcase. Landsharks fans were pleased with the result they left North Charleston with last December – an 83-49 drubbing of 5A Fort Dorchester.
With six victors having already been crowned, it was time to declare a seventh victor. Summerville was that seventh victor and the final score was 77-54 over the Landsharks.
Quarter-By-Quarter
If the first few minutes were any indication, it would have predicted a one-sided Oceanside Collegiate affair. The Landsharks jumped out to an early 8-0 lead which was prompted by a Summerville timeout. The timeout work as the Green Wave got themselves back into the game. With one complete, Oceanside’s lead was two – 20-18 over Summerville.
Riding a (green) wave of momentum, Summerville eventually grew its advantage into the double digits. The Green Wave outscored the Landsharks by a margin of 27-10 and led at the half with the score being 45-30.
That momentum continued into the third quarter where the Green Wave continued to build on their double-digit lead. Said advantage reached the twenties and as the game reached the conclusion of the third quarter, it was 63-38 in favor of Summerville.
Primetime Performers
With 27 points, Yannick Smith Yannick Smith 6'3" | SG Summerville | 2024 State SC led all scorers for either team. In fact, Smith was the highest scorer for the entire of any player throughout the day that participated at this year’s Lowcountry Showcase. Among his scoring barrage included five 3-pointers.
Melvin Teal Jr Melvin Teal Jr 6'3" | PG Summerville | 2025 State #301 Nation SC also joined the Green Wave’s points parade has contributed 21 to Summerville’s total. Teal particularly found a great deal of success at the free throw line as the contact he drew gave him plenty of chances at the charity stripe.
On most occasions, even when a team may not have had its best night, there are still a few bright spots. One of those for Oceanside Collegiate was Carson Jones Carson Jones 6'4" | SG Oceanside Collegiate Academy | 2025 State SC . The 6-foot-4 junior guard and center finished with 17 points – including four 3-pointers.
As for Abe Davinroy Abe Davinroy 6'1" | SG Oceanside Collegiate | 2026 State SC , he added 15 to the Landsharks’ overall total. Davinroy primarily plays at the two as a shooting guard. His career has included playing travel ball with Charleston Raptors throughout the spring and summer.
What’s Next?
A clash of the charter school awaits as Oceanside Collegiate will head to the road to take on the undefeated Atlantic Collegiate Armada on Tuesday. As for Summerville, the Green Wave will be on the road on Tuesday to renew its local rivalry with 5A Cane Bay.
James Island vs. Porter-Gaud
Seven games were down, one was to go. And it featured a SCHSL 4A team vs. a SCISA 4A team.
The team in question, in this case, would be SCISA 4A squad Porter-Gaud. After a 20-11 season in 2022-23, the Cyclones have opened the 2023-24 campaign with an undefeated 7-0 mark. One of those 20 victories from last season occurred against Goose Creek at last year’s Lowcountry Showcase. The Cyclones prevailed over the Gators by a final score of 47-46.
As for the Trojans, they were one of three teams (along with North Charleston and First Baptist) to have both their girls and boys teams represented at this year’s Lowcountry Showcase. James Island’s most recent contest occurred against another team that participated in this year’s 16-team event in West Ashley resulting in a narrow defeat for the Trojans.
Victor No. eight of the 2023 Lowcountry Showcase would be the Cyclones as they were four points better than the Trojans by virtue of the 64-60 result.
Remember What Happened Last Time?
The Cyclones got the better of the Trojans the last time these two teams met. In December 27 of 2015, Porter-Gaud earned a nine-point, 56-47 victory over James Island.
Quarter-By-Quarter
Up to this point, the most evenly matched boys game of the day featured North Charleston and West Ashley. Could James Island vs. Porter-Gaud top what the Cougars and Wildcats did? The first quarter seemed to indicate the answer being a yes with the Cyclones leading the Trojans by a margin of 15-13 with one complete.
Porter-Gaud managed to put a bit of distance between themselves and James Island in the second quarter before a late Trojans run trimmed the gap. The Cyclones’ lead was still only in the single digits at the half – two, as a matter of fact. The SCISA 4A team led the SCHSL 4A assembling 29-27 at the break.
Even with three frames having been completed, it still felt like there was a lot more basketball to be played than just eight minutes as stanza No. three finished up. It was Porter-Gaud 49 and James Island 44 with one to go.
One might as well have colored the first several minutes of the fourth quarter in the Porter-Gaud colors. The Cyclones opened up a double-digit lead and managed to hold James Island to zero field goals through the frame’s first four minutes. The Trojans would not go down without a fight as they made one last push to trim their deficit to single digits late in the fourth. James Island made it close, but it was still a four-point win for Porter-Gaud.
Primetime Performers
The boys’ portion of the Lowcountry Showcase began with a pair of 21-point performances. It concluded with a pair of 27-point outings – including that of Clyde Mauldin Clyde Mauldin 6'5" | SF Porter Gaud | 2024 State SC . The senior for Porter-Gaud would lead all point-getters.
Coaches love it when they get plenty of production from their bench. That was the case for the Cyclones in the form of Banks Butler. He tallied 15 points – including a few clutch 3-pointers and free throws that were crucial in holding off James Island.
Speaking of James Island, RJ Simmons RJ Simmons 6'0" | PG James Island | 2024 State SC came through with another productive evening at the office. He finished with 15 points and managed to make key plays that were instrumental in James Island’s comeback efforts.
With 12 points, Parker Renault Parker Renault 6'4" | SF James Island | 2025 State SC also managed to play big minutes for the Trojans. He stands at a towering 6-foot-4 while playing mostly either the three or four, giving James Island a formidable height advantage to go along with another veteran presence.
What’s Next?
Porter-Gaud will return to its home court on Monday as a get-together with 3A Philip Simmons is next on their schedule. Next on the schedule for James Island is a road contest at 5A Wando.