5 things to know this week in Sumter Item sports: Playoff basketball, Ja Morant and more

1 SCHSL PLAYOFFS

Four local girls teams and one boys team will be playing third-round games in the South Carolina High School League basketball state playoffs.

All of the girls games will be played on Monday. Sumter High School will travel to Piedmont on Monday to face Woodmont in a 5A contest, East

Clarendon will be in Columbia to take on Gray Collegiate, and Lee Central will be in Saluda for 2A games, and Scott's Branch will be at home against Creek Bridge in the 1A playoffs.

The Manning boys will be at home against Strom Thurmond on Tuesday in the 3A state playoffs.

2 KEEPING AN EYE ON JA

Former Crestwood High School standout and likely NBA draft lottery pick Ja Morant will lead the Murray State Racers in two games this week.

Morant, who is on the Naismith Award Top-30 Midseason Watch List, and Murray State play host to Tennessee Martin and Southeast Missouri on Saturday. Both games will be available on ESPN+.

3 BIG WEEK FOR USC WOMEN

The South Carolina's women's basketball team finds itself tied with Mississippi State for first place in the SEC with 10-1 records. The Gamecocks play at Florida today, at home against Kentucky on Thursday and at Tennessee next Sunday.

4 BASEBALL GALORE

If you like quality college baseball, then Riley Park is the best to be Friday through Sunday.

The University of South Carolina Sumter will welcome Florida State College at Jacksonville, Walters State Community College, Potomac State and Florence-Darlington Technical College. Four of the five have been to the Junior College World Series in recent years.

There will be one game on Friday with the Fire Ants taking on FSCJ at 6 p.m. Four games will be played on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. and three on Sunday, also starting at 10 a.m.

5 CHAMPIONSHIP SATURDAY

The South Carolina Independent School Association will crown its six basketball state champions on Saturday at Sumter County Civic Center.

Three local girls teams and one boys team are still in the hunt for a state title heading into the week. Among the girls, Wilson Hall is alive in 3A and Robert E. Lee and Thomas

Sumter in 2A. The undefeated Saints of Clarendon Hall are still in the hunt in the 1A tournament.