The Preston varsity basketball program completed a homeand- home sweep of Kellyville Tuesday evening with a pair of double- digit victories at the Jim Waller Event Center in Preston.
The Preston cage squads took the first meeting on December 12, 2023, at Kellyville by margins of 56-38 and 67-54, respectively.
The host Lady Pirates, who entered Tuesday’s home contest fresh off their championship victory last weekend at the 2024 Muscogee Nation Invitational basketball tournament in Okmulgee, began the evening with a decisive 53-22 victory over the visiting Kellyville Lady Ponies, while the Pirates, who finished runner-up at last weekend’s tournament in Okmulgee, completed the home sweep with a 76-63 victory in the nightcap.
The Preston squads will return to the hardwood Friday with a trip to Morris for a county showdown with the Morris Eagles and Lady Eagles, then will return home January 30 for a county battle with Henryetta.
In Tuesday’s girls contest at Preston, the Lady Pirates enjoyed an early double-digit lead (177) after the first eight minutes of action, then extended their lead to 27-12 at halftime after doubling up on the visiting Lady Ponies 10-5 in the second stanza.
The Preston ladies completed the 31-point victory by taking the final two frames by margins of 11-7 and 15-3, respectively, for the 53-22 decision.
Shaunassi Jordan led all scorers with a game-high 15 points. Emilie Stidman and Savannah King just missed double-digit scoring with nine and eight points, respectively, followed by Pheobey Finch with six. The trio of Taylan Starr, Anistyn Garner, and Josie Cope rounded out the Lady Pirate scoring on Tuesday with five points apiece.
In Tuesday’s nightcap, the Pirates escaped the first period with a 19-11 advantage, then went into the halftime break with a 39-25 lead after outscoring the visitors 20-14 in the second quarter.
A narrow 20-18 margin in the third frame extended Preston’s lead to 16 points – 59-43 – with eight minutes remaining in regulation.
The Ponies put up 20 points in the final stanza in a rally attempt, but the comeback bid was thwarted, however, as the host Preston squad tallied 17 points in the final quarter to walk away with the 76-63 decision.
Jervais Goree was the leading scorer for the host Pirates, finishing with a game-high 29-point performance. The senior standout was joined in double figures by Tanner Young and Jayden Smith, who both finished with 15 points in the win. Giorgio Dunn-Spencer was next offensively for the Preston gentlemen with nine, followed by Ethan Moore with six, and Pheonix Finch with two. — Girls Game
Preston 53, Kellyville 22
Kellyville: 7 – 5 – 7 – 3 (22) Preston: 17 – 10 – 11 – 15 (53) Preston Scoring: Shaunassi Jordan 15, Emilie Stidman 9, Savannah King 8, Pheobey Finch 6, Taylan Starr 5, Anistyn Garner 5, Josie Cope 5. — Boys Game
Preston 76, Kellyville 63
Kellyville: 11 – 14 – 18 – 20 (63) Preston: 19 – 20 – 20 – 17 (76) Preston Scoring: Jervais Goree 29, Tanner Young 15, Jayden Smith 15, Giorgio Dunn-Spencer 9, Ethan Moore 6, Pheonix Finch 2.
