The Myrtle Beach High girls basketball team used a suffocating defense to all but locked up the Region 7-3A title Friday night, winning their seventh straight game in a 46-27 victory over St. James at the Shark Tank.
The Lady Seahawks (19-4 overall, 7-1 region) pulled away from the second-place Lady Sharks (13-8, 5-3) by outscoring them 12-3 in the third quarter. Nia Sumpter continued her hot hand with a 21-point effort, and Keocia Walker added 13.
Myrtle Beach can clinch its third straight region title at home Tuesday against visiting Georgetown or in Thursday’s season finale at rival North Myrtle Beach. The Lady Seahawks defeated those two teams by a combined 60 points in their first meetings.
* Conway 56, West Florence 36: The Lady Tigers clinched a playoff spot by defeating the Lady Knights on the road. Aishera Williams led Conway with a game-high 22 points.
The Lady Tigers (12-7, 5-3) are tied for second place in Region 6-4A with Socastee. They host first-place South Florence on Tuesday.
* Socastee 39, South Florence 35: The Lady Braves (12-10, 5-3) continued their late-season surge by winning their third straight region contest over the Lady Bruins. Shayla Baldwin and Mia Angelo scored 13 and 12 points, respectively. Socastee travels to Carolina Forest on Tuesday.
* Sumter 60, Carolina Forest 37: The Lady Panthers’ (9-13, 2-6) playoff hopes took another blow in a loss to the first-place Lady Gamecocks. Carolina Forest fell to fifth place in Region 6-4A and faces rival Socastee on Tuesday.
* North Myrtle Beach 61, Georgetown 35: The Lady Chiefs (8-14, 4-4) rolled on the road to defeat the Lady Bulldogs and keep their playoff plans alive. Aquera Johnson led the Lady Chiefs with 21 points. North Myrtle Beach travels to Lake City on Tuesday.