Boyd bests Pilot Point teams

The Pilot Point Bearcats basketball teams did battle with the Boyd Yellowjackets on Dec. 20, with the Yellowjackets coming out on top in both matchups.

The boys’ game was a backand- forth contest, with the two squads trading the lead until the final horn sounded, with Boyd taking the last second win 58-56.

“We played really hard,” Pilot Point head boys basketball coach Jeff Price said. “We needed one more play throughout the game that we just didn't get it. The game was back and forth, and us losing by one just means we needed to make one more play somewhere throughout the game.”

Both teams had no problem sinking shots in the first quarter, but the Bearcats had the slight edge, outscoring the Yellowjackets 17-16.

The offensive pace continued in the second quarter, where both teams continued to trade buckets, with Boyd taking the lead 30-29 at the half on a layup at the buzzer.

Pilot Point controlled the paint to open the second half, attacking the rim regularly on its way to a 9-point lead with four minutes left in the third quarter.

The Yellowjackets were able to cut the deficit to 6 points as the game entered the fourth and final quarter.

The fourth quarter was just as hotly contested, with Boyd taking a 3-point lead late in the game.

Bearcats junior point guard Hunter Newman tied the game at 56 a piece with a three-point bomb over two defenders with only seconds left on the clock.

Pilot Point was able to force a miss on the defensive end and took possession with 7.7 seconds for a game-winning attempt, but Newman lost control of the ball as he crossed half court.

The on-ball defender for Boyd scooped up the loose ball, and Newman fouled him in the act of shooting, trying to prevent the layup.

The player from Boyd made both free throws, giving the Yellowjackets a 2-point lead and the win 5856.

“We had a turnover at a bad spot,” Price said. “In that situation, generally, you want to try to win it, or make sure the worst thing that happens is that you go to overtime, but we just happened to make a mistake at a bad time, and we ended up losing by two.”

Forward Jordan Young led Pilot Point with 20 points, followed by Newman, who scored 16.

Despite the loss, Price said he was pleased with the energy his team displayed in the district opener.

“We played really hard,” he said. “That's one thing I liked. We played really hard, and, at times, we shot the ball well [and] we defended. We just have a few things we need to work on, like spacing, but overall, I thought the guys gave great effort.”

The Lady Yellowjackets took the win 52-40 in the varsity girls game in a matchup that was closer than the final score represented.

“My team played absolutely outstanding tonight,” Pilot Point head girls basketball coach K.J. Stastny said. “We executed, and we were hustling. We had a couple of defensive lapses when we got tired that we have to fix …, but that’s two good games where I thought my team was very coachable. We just need to make a few more buckets.”

The game was physical from the opening tip-off, but Boyd had the slight edge and took an 11-9 in the first quarter.

The scoring continued in the second quarter, where the Lady Yellowjackets increased their lead to 6.

The Lady Cats battled back, cutting the lead to as close as 2 points with around 2 minutes left in the third quarter.

That was as close as the game would get as the Lady Yellowjackets pulled away in the fourth quarter, forcing multiple turnovers and taking the win 52-40.

The Lady Cats were led by junior guard Sanaa Jackson, who set the pace with 19 points, and point guard Madison Coronado scored 8 points.

Stastny said she was encouraged by what she saw from her team for the first three quarters, despite the final score.

“After every game, we give them coaching points, and my big coaching point tonight was we have to finish,” she said. “We’re getting into the paint, and we’re attacking on both ends of the court. We just have to close, but we’re proud of them because they fought hard for 32 minutes.”