Pirates outduel Hennessey to punch second-straight State ticket
For the second-straight season, the Preston Pirate varsity basketball program will make an appearance at the Oklahoma State Basketball Championships.
The Pirates punched their second-straight state tournament ticket (40th overall) this past Friday evening with a 4438 victory over the Hennessey Eagles in the championship game of the Class 2A Area II tournament at the Cleveland Event Center.
The Preston cage squad, who reached the semifinals in 2023, will enter this year’s state tournament with a 25-4 record and ranked fifth in Class 2A.
The Pirates will begin their journey towards a fifth Gold Ball – and first since 2009 Wednesday at 6 p.m. against third-ranked Hooker, who earned a state tournament berth with a 56-32 win over Central Salliaw in Saturday’s Area III consolation title game in Enid. The opening-round showdown, as well as the semifinals and championship game, will be played at the historic Jim Norick State Fairgrounds Arena in Oklahoma City.
Other opening-round contests Wednesday in the Class 2A state boys basketball championships include sixth-ranked Hobart battling second-ranked Pocola at 4:30 p.m., top-ranked and 2-time defending state champion Dale taking on 13th-ranked Warner at 7:30 p.m., and fourthranked Hennessey squaring off against unranked Merritt at 9 p.m.
An opening-round win over Hooker will put the Preston squad into Friday’s semifinal contest at 9 p.m. against the winner of Hobart and Pocola, while a loss on Wednesday will bring a close to the Pirates’ dreams of a fifth state championship in school history.
The Class 2A state boys basketball championship game is slated for 8:30 p.m. on Saturday.
In Friday’s area title game against Hennessey, the Pirates trailed 13-7 after the first eight minutes of action, then took a 21-18 lead into the intermission after outscoring the Eagles 14-5 in the second period.
Hennessey made it a one-point Preston advantage (31-30) following an 11-9 margin in the third quarter, while the Pirates doubled up on their foes 14-7 in the final frame to walk away with the 44-38 victory and punch their second-straight ticket to the state basketball championships in Oklahoma City.
Tanner Young had the hot hand offensively for Preston in the area title victory, finishing with a team-best 17 points. Jervais Goree joined Young in double figures for the Pirates with 10, followed by Pheonix Finch with nine. The duo of Giorgio Dunn-Spencer and Jayden Smith rounded out the Preston scoring against Hennessey with four points apiece.
— Class 2A Area Tournament Championship
Preston 44, Hennessey 36 Preston: 7 – 14 – 9 – 14 (44) Hennessey: 13 – 5 – 11 – 7 (36) Preston Scoring: Tanner Young 17, Jervais Goree 10, Pheonix Finch 9, Giorgio Dunn-Spencer 4, Jayden Smith 4.
