Batesburg-Leesville’s boys basketball team hosted its third annual Hoops for Hope holiday basketball tournament last week, featuring seven South Carolina teams and one from Australia. 

It was an action-packed weekend of basketball with multiple close games and a showcase of varying styles of basketball. 

In the end, Aiken left as the lone champion after defeating Lexington County’s own Chapin in an overtime thriller. 

The Aussies left as fourth-place finishers, losing to the host team Panthers, in the third-place game. 

Eau Claire, Richland Northeast, Military Magnet and Columbia also participated in the tournament. 

Chapin put up a good fight in the title game against Aiken, fighting back from down double-digits in the second half to force overtime. 

In the final minutes of regulation, the teams exchanged blows, but neither could land a knockout strike. 

Aiken drilled a couple of big shots to start overtime and never relinquished the lead on their way to the win. 

Chapin finished the tournament (2-1) with wins over Richland Northeast and Batesburg-Leesville before facing Aiken. 

The Panthers finished in third place, beating the Aussie Travelers 64-39. Batesburg-Leesville beat Columbia in the first game before losing to Chapin in game two. 

The Aussies made the trip from down under as part of their American tour. They are not a traditional high school team like we have here in the U.S., but instead, they are a traveling club team. 

In their first game against Military Magnet, the Australians dominated by simply outsizing their competition. The team took an early lead by getting to the rim in transition and playing suffocating defense. 

The success did not carry into their next two games as the team lost to Aiken and Batesburg-Leesville. 

While the Aussies did not come out on top, they can return home having experienced what South Carolina high school hoops is about. 

To make the deal even sweeter, they got to truly experience what it means to be American by watching college football on a massive screen behind the court. 

Hoops for Hope scores

Day 1

Chapin: 56, Richland Northeast: 41

Aiken: 79, Eau Claire: 46

Aussie Travelers: 60, Military Magnet: 46

Batesburg-Leesville: 70, Columbia: 39

Day 2

Chapin: 74, Batesburg-Leesville: 70

Eau Claire: 43, Military Magnet: 42

Aiken: 70, Aussie Travelers: 50

Richland Northeast: 57, Columbia: 50

Day 3

Aiken: 76, Chapin: 70 - Championship game

Batesburg-Leesville: 64, Aussie Travelers: 39 - Third-place game

Eau Claire: 51, Richland Northeast: 47 - Fifth-place game

Military Magnet: 52, Columbia: 47 - Seventh-place game