Tonight, the squeezing begins.
Several teams that haven’t played a game yet are hoping to play three in the next five or six days and land a spot in the Upper State championships Feb. 27-28 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
None of the public schools in the Greenville County and Pickens County school districts have begun the playoffs because of the inclement weather, which kept them out of school and, therefore, off the court through Wednesday.
Thus, all of those — many of which were supposed to be playing three days ago — will be playing first-round games tonight.
The Lower State is full speed ahead into the second round tonight in Class A and AAA girls, while a smattering of Upper State teams in those classifications has played and is waiting for an opponent.
Among the boys teams getting under way tonight will be Hillcrest, No. 1 in Class AAAA and the defending Upper State champion; Wade Hampton, No. 2 in AAAA; Travelers Rest, No. 3 in AAA; and Southside Christian, No. 4 in Class A.
Among the girls teams tipping off will be Southside and Eastside, the Peach Blossom AAA Region champion and runner-up, respectively.
TODAY’S GAMES
UPPER STATE
FIRST ROUND
BOYS
Class AAAA
Westside at Hillcrest, 7 p.m.
Greenville at Spring Valley, 7 p.m.
Fort Mill at Wade Hampton, 7 p.m.
Ridge View at Woodmont, 7:30 p.m.
York at Dorman, 7:30 p.m.
Class AAA
Eastside at Union County, 7 p.m.
Chester at Travelers Rest, 7 p.m.
Lancaster at Southside, 7:30 p.m.
Class AA
Saluda at Blacksburg, 6:30 p.m.
Landrum at Abbeville, 7:30 p.m.
GIRLS
Class AAAA
Gaffney at Dorman, 6 p.m.
Greenville at Dutch Fork, 6 p.m.
Clover at Spartanburg, 6 p.m.
Ridge View at Woodmont, 6 p.m.
Mauldin at Rock Hill, 7 p.m.
Wade Hampton at Northwestern, 7 p.m.
Byrnes at Westside, 7 p.m.
Class AAA
Travelers Rest at South Pointe, 6 p.m.
Greer at Lancaster, 6 p.m.
Union County at Southside, 6 p.m.
Chester at Eastside, 7 p.m.
Class AA
Landrum at Abbeville, 6 p.m.
Strom Thurmond at Woodruff, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY’S GAMES*
(all at 7 p.m.)
UPPER STATE
SECOND ROUND
BOYS
Class AAA
Dreher at South Pointe
Class A
Williston-Elko at Fox Creek
Lewisville at Southside Christian
Christ Church at C.A. Johnson
Dixie at Calhoun County
GIRLS
Class AA
Andrew Jackson at Pendleton
Keenan at Saluda
*matchups that have been established
