Upscale Cutz and Stylez Shootout: Saturday’s Results

For the most part, basketball has taken a back seat during the first half of December as students are studying for midterm exams. There was, at least, one exception to that in the first weekend of the month.    This year, 5A Division 1 Blythewood hosted the Upscale Cutz and Stylez Shootout which hosted both girls and boys teams. The girls teams that were on hand included the host Bengals along with two other 5A Division 1 teams in Ridge View and River Bluff, a 5A Division 2 team in Irmo and 4A teams North Augusta and Lancaster.    We at Prep Girls Hoops made the trip up to Blythewood HS for Saturday's festivities. Here is our recap of the three girls games that took place that day.    Lancaster vs. Irmo   The day's six-game card commenced exactly at noon with a team still in the 4A ranks and a team that previously was in 4A before moving up to 5A with reclassification.    Lancaster's 2025-26 campaign has begun with mixed results. The Bruins earned a one-point win over a tough 3A out in Keenan before suffering a 23-point defeat at the hands of 5A Division 1 Lexington. Lancaster then split contests over a pair of 5A Division 2 teams in Fort Mill and Indian Land.    As for the Yellow Jackets, Irmo appears to have made an early statement by virtue of its wins over 5A Division 2 Indian Land, 4A Wilson, 3A Newberry and 2A Columbia. The wins over the Capitals and Tigers were She Got Next victories.    Would Irmo preserve its undefeated record? The answer was yes as the Yellow Jackets picked up the first victory of the day – a 50-40 victory over the Bruins.    Records   With the win, Irmo now has a mark of 5-0 on the young season while Lancaster now stands at 2-3.    Quarter-By-Quarter   For much of the first quarter, defense took center stage before both teams found more success putting the ball through the basket as the frame ensued. With one in the books, Irmo built a 15-10 advantage over Lancaster.    At first, it appeared that the Yellow Jackets would place plenty of distance between themselves and the Bruins before a late Lancaster push trimmed the gap. With 16 minutes in the books, Irmo's edge over Lancaster was a slim 30-28.    Early in the third quarter, the Bruins managed to pull ahead of the Yellow Jackets before Irmo righted the ship as the stanza continued. Twenty-four of the contest's 32 minutes ensued with Irmo building an eight-point, 42-34 gap over its Lancaster adversaries.    As the seconds ticked off in the fourth quarter it became clearer that despite a valiant effort from the Bruins that Irmo's unbeaten mark would stay intact. It did by virtue of the 50-40 win over Lancaster.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4495.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1500414" style="width:569px;height:auto" /></figure>   After overcoming early struggles, eighth-grade star [player_tooltip player_id='975807' first='Lailah' last='Singletary'] turned out to be the closer for the Yellow Jackets. She finished with 19 points that were key in keeping distance between her Yellow Jackets and the Bruins.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4499.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1500415" style="width:575px;height:auto" /></figure>   Much of the early efforts for Irmo were keyed by its junior guard [player_tooltip player_id='404246' first='Abby' last='Livingston']. She would conclude the day with a 14-point performance. All 14 of Livingston's points would take place in the first half of play.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4496.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1500416" style="width:574px;height:auto" /></figure>   Livingston is one of Irmo's team captains and the same distinction applies to another junior in [player_tooltip player_id='844792' first='JaNiyah' last='Stokes']. She concluded her day at Blythewood with a 12-point effort – with seven of her 12 occurring in the first half.   Establishing herself early and often was Kaylyn Hollenbeck who would lead all scorers with 20 points. Nineteen of the 20 points were placed on the scoreboard in the first half. Hollenbeck stands at 5-foot-9.   Bruins aficionados also have a star eighth grader to be excited about. That 2030 is India Adams who first played at the varsity level last season as a seventh grader and has ran with Charlotte Dream Elite on the grassroots circuit. She finished with 14 points.   Up Next   The Yellow Jackets will actually play host to Blythewood this coming Tuesday. As for the Bruins, up next is a get-together with Fort Mill that same evening.    River Bluff vs. Ridge View   Following a boys' contest between Irmo and 3A Georgetown, the girls once again had their turn at the mic for the third matchup on the day's card.    It featured a pair of 5A Division 1 teams from the Midlands – albeit from different regions. It may be easy to scoff a bit at Ridge View's 1-3 record entering play but coach Aaron Lucas' Blazers have played a tough schedule.    The win was at She Got Next against defending 2A champion Andrew Jackson. The losses? A She Got Next defeat at the hands of 5A Division 1 Mauldin in addition to falling to 4A A.C. Flora and 5A Division 2 Goose Creek.    Coach Jordan Leath's Gators have played a busy non-region schedule out of the gate and entered Saturday's play at 4-2. River Bluff had a tough go of things at She Got Next by virtue of losses to 4A Gray Collegiate and defending 5A Division 2 Upper State champion Greenwood. Its victories have occurred over a pair of 3A teams in. Chapman and Broome, a 4A team in Brookland-Cayce and a 5A Division 2 team in Lugoff-Elgin.    This one went the way of the Blazers with the scoreboard reading 45-32 when the clock hit triple zeroes.    Records   With the win, Ridge View now has a 2-3 mark in the early going of 2025-26. River Bluff's record drops to 4-3.    Quarter-By-Quarter   Similar to how the first quarter of Irmo vs. Lancaster was defensive-minded, the same applied to the opening stanza of River Bluff vs. Ridge View. The first eight minutes were brought to us by the number eight as Blazers and Gators were all eights with one in the books.    The theme of defense outdoing offense continued into the second quarter – one that saw Ridge View outscore River Bluff by a margin of 10-6. As both teams entered their respective locker rooms to discuss second half strategy, the Blazers held an advantage of 18-14 over the Gators.    Both teams put together their best offensive frames in the third quarter, but Ridge View got the better of the exchange following halftime. With three quarters complete, the Blazers' lead on the Gators was 33-24.    The Blazer edge over the Gators would grow into the double digits. As the second ticked off of the clock, it became clearer that Ridge View would gain the victory on the home court of its region rival.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4540-crop-2176x1429-1765111430.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1500418" style="width:529px;height:auto" /></figure>   The contest was a low-scoring one – one where every point mattered. That included the 12 points that were tallied courtesy of [player_tooltip player_id='587301' first='Emani' last='English']. She stands at nearly six feet and provides a formidable interior presence for Ridge View.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4517-crop-2506x1646-1765111556.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1500420" style="width:531px;height:auto" /></figure>   English is an upperclassman – and so is [player_tooltip player_id='268137' first='Simone' last='Johnson']. She concluded her afternoon at Blythewood with an 11-point performance. Johnson is a two-sport athlete who also competes in track and field.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4521-crop-2176x1429-1765111666.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1500422" style="width:552px;height:auto" /></figure>   [player_tooltip player_id='875403' first='Mikayla' last='Foster'] is sure to be a worthwhile addition to the Blazers this season. She contributed nine points to the Ridge View cause. Foster is one of four juniors on this season's Blazers assembling.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4611-crop-3094x2032-1765111808.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1500424" style="width:561px;height:auto" /></figure>   Teams that have rough days at the office almost always have one or two bright spots. [player_tooltip player_id='520657' first='Chaelyn' last='Tifre'] was that for the Gators. Tifre led all point-getters with 14. Nine of Tifre's 14 were scored in the second half.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4615-crop-2193x1440-1765111933.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1500427" style="width:568px;height:auto" /></figure>   Adding eight points to the River Bluff effort was [player_tooltip player_id='560668' first='Evie' last='Godfrey']. The junior Gators guard is one of six 2027s on this year's River Bluff roster. Distributing the ball as well as coming away with steals are among the many strong points to her skillset.   Up Next   Both teams have home contests next on their schedule. River Bluff will face off against 5A Division 2 Indian Land on Tuesday while Ridge View has the week off then will return to the court on Dec. 13 for a date with 5A Division 1 Ashley Ridge.    North Augusta vs. Blythewood   Midseason showcases ideally want to save their best for last. The Upscale Cutz and Stylez Shootout certainly delivered given the final girls game featured two defending state champions.   Following a boys matchup between 5A Division 2 White Knoll and 4A Darlington, the girls had the floor for game five. Defending 4A champion North Augusta was 2-1 entering play. The one loss was at She Got Next to another 4A power in Camden while coach Al Young's Yellow Jackets earned wins over 5A Division 1 Dorman and 3A Cross Creek out of Georgia.    As for the Bengals, She Got Next was not exactly kind to Blythewood. The Bengals took tough losses to Camden and Dorman but recently bounced back by picking up a win over White Knoll.    The final girls game of the day went the way of North Augusta with the final score being 59-51 over Blythewood.    Records   Another occasion in the win column for the Yellow Jackets improves its early 2025-26 record to 3-1. The Bengals drop to 1-3on the young season.    Remember What Happened Last Time?   Blythewood and North Augusta were both in the 4A classification the last time they met. The two teams met in the first round of the 2010-11 4A state tournament (which Spring Valley won that year) with the Yellow Jackets getting the better of the Bengals with the final score being 53-51.    Quarter-By-Quarter   In stark contrast to the first quarters of Lancaster vs. Irmo and River Bluff vs. Ridge View, North Augusta vs. Blythewood began as an up-tempo clash. It began as one that saw the Yellow Jackets build a 21-12 lead over the homestanding Bengals.    North Augusta was playing vintage North Augusta basketball and it became difficult for Blythewood to keep up. As halftime arrived, the Yellow Jackets had a 14-point, 37-23 lead over the Bengals.    The Yellow Jackets got a reminder as to why Blythewood is the defending 5A Division 1 champions. The Bengals embarked on a furious rally to ensure this would not be the rout that appeared to be the case in the first half. North Augusta's lead was trimmed down to six – 49-43 with eight minutes left to play.   The story of the fourth quarter would be if Blythewood could continue its momentum to complete the comeback or if North Augusta would make enough timely plays to hold off the Bengals. The answer would be the latter.    Primetime Performers   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4716.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1500430" style="width:564px;height:auto" /></figure>   A pair of 17-point scorers were instrumental in the Yellow Jackets earning its third victory on four tries this season. One of those was [player_tooltip player_id='350281' first='Celena' last='Grant'], a mainstay of North Augusta basketball these past several seasons.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4718.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1500431" style="width:564px;height:auto" /></figure>   The other 17-point scorer for North Augusta would be junior [player_tooltip player_id='444371' first='Ashley' last='Walker']. Out of the 17 she did score, 10 occurred in the first half of play. She is one of four juniors on this year's Yellow Jackets team.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4712.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1500432" style="width:562px;height:auto" /></figure>   It was only fitting that No. 11 would finish with 11 points. [player_tooltip player_id='304999' first='Messiah' last='Williams'] is in her senior season at North Augusta and provides a formidable height advantage since she stands at 6-foot-3.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4714.jpg?w=1024" alt="" class="wp-image-1500433" style="width:562px;height:auto" /></figure>   The Yellow Jackets also benefitted from the nine-point performance courtesy of another of its seniors. That 2026 is [player_tooltip player_id='577618' first='Kenedi' last='Wright']. North Augusta's 2025-26 includes five 2026s. Wright stands at 5-foot-9.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4703-crop-2176x1429-1765112472.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1500439" style="width:569px;height:auto" /></figure>   As for Blythewood, [player_tooltip player_id='320742' first='Chase' last='Thomas'] put together another impressive outing as she finished with 19 points to lead all Bengals point-getters. She spearheaded the Bengals' noteworthy rally in the third quarter.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4645-crop-2176x1429-1765112583.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1500442" style="width:573px;height:auto" /></figure>   Blythewood was the beneficiary of another stellar performance courtesy of [player_tooltip player_id='259994' first='India' last='Williams']. She concluded Saturday afternoon's matchup with 15 points. Her offensive performance also included four 3-pointers.   <figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img src="https://prepgirlshoops.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2025/12/IMG_4677-2-crop-2176x1429-1765112669.jpg?w=800" alt="" class="wp-image-1500444" style="width:567px;height:auto" /></figure>   Speaking of seniors, one more complete season awaits before [player_tooltip player_id='662508' first='Madison' last='Thomas'] calls it a career with Blythewood. Thomas concluded her evening with eight points. Out of that octet of scoring, six of her eight occurred at the free throw line.   Up Next   Blythewood will be on the road at Irmo this Tuesday. As for North Augusta, it has the week off then returns to its home court on Friday to host 4A region rival Gilbert.

For the most part, basketball has taken a back seat during the first half of December as students are studying for midterm exams. There was, at least, one exception to that in the first weekend of the month.