This week’s round of high school basketball games includes a few rematches between teams that met earlier in the season. 

Here are two boys and two girls games to keep an eye on this week as teams around the area try to improve their records.

Boys games

Irmo vs. River Bluff, Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m.

River Bluff is off to a (6-2) start this season and will look to roll that success over into this week, starting on the road at Irmo. 

The Yellow Jackets are (2-4) but had to start the season without some of their major contributors, including their lone returning starter A.J. Brand, as he and his teammates were competing for a football championship.

Irmo picked up its second win of the year last week over Chapin after Brand led the team in scoring. Head coach Tim Whipple said that contest was a good learning game for the team moving forward. 

Senior guard Luke Chapman has had a good beginning of the season for the Gators. He has had large scoring performances, including a 33-point game in the win over Gaston Day.

These two teams met on Dec. 1 when Irmo was shorthanded, and the Gators won 39-24. Chapman led all scorers with 15. Irmo’s Jaden Henderson led his team with 10 points and was one of four Yellow Jackets to make a field goal. 

This go-around River Bluff has the chance to prove they can beat a full-strength Irmo team, while the Yellow Jackets get a shot at avenging an earlier loss. 

Northside Christian at Ben Lippen, Dec. 15, 7:30 p.m.

This SCISA matchup features two teams that have gotten off to fast starts. 

Northside enters the week (5-2) and will travel to Ben Lippen on Friday for a game against the (6-3) Falcons. 

The Crusaders started the year (4-0) but have since dropped two of their last three contest, including their most recent by a point in overtime to Greenwood Chrisitan. The team should have a get-right game before facing the Falcons as they travel to play 0-6 Spartanburg Christian. That will be the second matchup between those teams after Northside won the first 77-25.

Ben Lippen is riding a four-game winning streak and has a contest against Providence Athletic before playing Northside. The Falcons scored at least 55 in all four games and won two by 20 or more. 

The Crusaders must rely on their balanced offensive effort to win this one. Four Crusaders are averaging double-digit scoring this season and continuing that in this game would be beneficial. 

Girls games

Airport at Silver Bluff Dec. 12, 6:00 p.m.

Airport has the opportunity to avenge one of its losses this season Tuesday when the team hits the road for a match against Silver Bluff. 

Silver Bluff has just one loss on the year and has been blowing opponents out almost every game.

The Eagles are (5-3) this season, but have only lost to two teams. The team lost to Silver Bluff last Tuesday and picked up two losses against Greenwood earlier in the season.

The loss to Silver Bluff was the only close win the Bulldogs have this season. Airport fell by six points, and the team’s leading scorer, senior Keyosha Hammond struggled in this game, shooting 1-6 for three points. 

Airport dominated Brookland-Cayce at the end of last week to bounce back from the loss to the Bulldogs, winning 59-19. The team should have the opportunity to give Silver Bluff its second loss of the season but it will require a bigger performances than last time.

Dutch Fork vs. A.C. Flora, Dec 13, 6:00 p.m.

Dutch Fork is off to a (6-1) start with the only loss coming on the road to (7-1) A.C. Flora. 

The two teams will meet for a rematch this week after the Falcons won by 10 points in their gym. 

Both teams will play a game before meeting on Wednesday. The Falcons play a Monday night game against Fort Dorchester, and Dutch Fork plays Brookland-Cayce on the road the night before the A.C. Flora game. 

Dutch Fork has dominated almost every game this season, but so has A.C. Flora. Terriana Gray was the difference maker in the contest, recording a double-double 26 points and 10 rebounds for A.C. Flora.

The Silver Foxes did not let that loss stop the momentum they got from the start and went on to win their next two contest over Aiken and Dreher by scores of 75-25 and 76-3. 

Dutch Fork head coach Candace Bush said the team hurt itself in the loss to the Falcons. That should make this rematch interesting to watch and see if the team made the necessary adjustments.