Upscale Cutz and Stylez Shootout: Standout Seven

The first half of December is a mostly dormant period on the basketball schedule as academics take center stage due to midterm exams. One exception to that occurred this season at Blythewood – defending 5A Division 1 champions.   It hosted the Upscale Cutz and Stylez Shootout which featured three girls games and three boys games. The girls teams on hand included two 5A Division 1 teams in River Bluff and Ridge View, a 5A Division 2 combatant in Irmo and 4A teams North Augusta and Lancaster alongside the host Bengals.    The boys teams on the schedule were North Augusta, White Knoll, Darlington, Irmo and Georgetown in addition to Blythewood.    We at Prep Girls Hoops were on hand for the day's festivities. Without further ado, here are our standout seven performers from Saturday's play.     The Bruins of 4A Lancaster entered its contest with 5A Division 2 Irmo hoping to put the Yellow Jackets in the loss column for the first time on the young 2025-26 season. Lancaster may have come up short in its objective but a 20-point performance from the Bruins' star sophomore ensured her team had a great chance. Hollenbeck established herself early and often as 19 of her 20 points occurred in the first half. She was consistently at the right places and the right times to make plays. There was very little that was flashy about her play but it was very effective. Hollenbeck also maintains activity away from the ball and can create offense with her defense.     Singletary's shot selection was limited early against 4A Lancaster's defense. She managed to find a groove as 5A Division 2 Irmo's contest with the Bruins wore on and resulted in a 50-40 victory for the Yellow Jackets. She concluded her time at Blythewood HS with a 19-point performance which preserved what is still an unblemished record for Irmo. Even though Singletary may only be an eighth-grader, she approaches the game with the poise of a seasoned veteran. She displays how fearless she is in attacking the basket even against a group of opposing defenders, has plenty of speed and is an all-around playmaker for her team.     Ridge View has become well-acquainted with Blythewood's court given the Blazers are a region rival of the Bengals. In a matchup of 5A Division 1 squads from the Midlands, English was part of a low-scoring get-together between Ridge View and River Bluff that saw her contribute 12 points in a 45-32 victory over the Gators. Even though English can provide a formidable interior presence on the offensive side of the floor, she has no problems playing defense on the perimeter. English can play with her back to the basket in close proximity to the rim and has no problems drawing contact that can place her at the free throw line.     Tifre proved to be a bright spot on what was otherwise a rough afternoon at the office for 5A Division 1 River Bluff. Tifre's Gators matched up against another 5A Division 1 Midlands team in Ridge View. The Gators may have been on the wrong end of the 45-32 decision but Tifre spearheaded a valiant effort with 14 points. Tifre understands the art of playing physical in the interior as she knows it will give her opportunities at old-fashioned 3-point plays. She is a gifted rebounder who will will plenty of battles on the boards and excels as an overall defensive playmaker as much as she does on the offensive end. Tifre also plays with plenty of confidence when attempting shots from midrange and long range.     The girls' schedule concluded when 5A Division 1 Blythewood and 4A North Augusta met in a contest of defending champions. At first, it appeared that Saturday would be an off night for Thomas but one had to figure she would get going. She did – and even though the Bengals were on the receiving end of the 59-51 decision to the Yellow Jackets, Thomas' 19 points allowed Blythewood to rally and nearly pull off a miraculous come-from-behind win. Thomas will particularly make her presence known from behind the arc as she splashed home four of her attempts from 3-point range. She typically plays as either a three or a two with the ball-handling skills of a point guard.     Walker is such a matchup problem for many teams – and host 5A Division 1 Blythewood was no exception. When defending her, one has to watch out for if she will ferociously attack the rim or if she will stay behind the arc and attempt a 3-point try. Walker understands the art of seeing a defense, finding a driving lane to the rim and finishing strong at the rim with a high-percentage shot. The 17 points that were placed on the scoreboard by the multi-talented junior Yellow Jackets star were key in 4A North Augusta outlasting the Bengals in what was a contest of defending state champions.     When things were going 4A North Augusta's way in its contest with 5A Division 1 Blythewood, it was mostly because the Bengals defense had little answers for the Yellow Jackets' star upperclassman. She had 17 points to lift North Augusta to a 59-51 win over Blythewood – including 10 prior to the halftime. Grant knew how to display her accuracy from behind the 3-point line – particularly from the corner. Out of the four triples that the Yellow Jackets connected on, three were courtesy of Grant. She fuses together talent, tenacity, camaraderie with teammates and veteran decision making which is why North Augusta is a 4A state contender once again.

The first half of December is a mostly dormant period on the basketball schedule as academics take center stage due to midterm exams. One exception to that occurred this season at Blythewood – defending 5A Division 1 champions.