By Thomas Grant Jr.
As a defending state champion, the Blythewood girls basketball team is learning firsthand what it means to play with a target on its back.
A preseason No. 1 in Class 5A Division I by the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association, the Lady Bengals fell out of the latest Top 10 rankings after losses to Camden, Dorman, and defending Class 4A champion North Augusta, entering Tuesday’s road matchup against No. 3 Class 5A Division II Irmo with a 1–3 record.
Led by senior standouts Chase Thomas and India Williams, Blythewood responded with a 73–53 victory over Irmo. Thomas scored 27 points, Williams added 16, and Hayley Hightower contributed 14 for the Lady Bengals.
Blythewood took a 37–29 halftime lead despite Lailah Singletary scoring 22 of her game-high 28 points in the first half for Irmo. Abby Livingston added 17 points and provided a defensive spark with several steals.
“We’ve had a tough start, but I knew that coming in,” said Blythewood head coach Emily McElveen. “I scheduled a hard non-region. We played some tough teams back-to-back, and that shows adversity. Tonight definitely wasn’t pretty. Too many mistakes we’ve got to clean up. Discipline and things like that. A win’s a win, I’ll take it, but it’s not what I want to see.”
Looking ahead to Wednesday’s home game against eighth-ranked Dutch Fork, McElveen challenged her team to become mentally tougher. With eight seniors on the roster, she said she expects fewer costly mistakes.
On the boys’ side, Blythewood dropped its fourth straight game, falling 60–45 to the eighth-ranked Irmo Yellow Jackets. The Bengals struggled against full-court pressure and were inconsistent finishing at the basket.
Asa McQuaker led Blythewood with 12 points, with Timothy Troy adding 11. The team fell to 2–4 on the season. The game also featured 24 personal fouls called on each team.
S.C. Basketball Coaches Association Top 10 Rankings
Class 5A – Girls (Division II)
- Goose Creek
- Gaffney
- Irmo
- North Myrtle Beach
- Greenville
- Berkeley
- Westwood
- Myrtle Beach
- Catawba Ridge
- Greenwood
Class 5A – Boys (Division I)
- Ridge View
- Dorman
- Dutch Fork
- J.F. Byrnes
- Sumter
- Cane Bay
- Ashley Ridge
- Clover
- Mauldin
- Boiling Springs
Class 5A – Boys (Division II)
- Greenville
- Riverside
- Goose Creek
- Fort Mill
- T.L. Hanna
- Westwood
- St. James
- Irmo
- Conway
- Berkeley
