Byng boys rally past Kingston with big fourth quarter run
Feb. 1—BYNG — In a game that went back-and-forth for three quarters, the Byng Pirates put together a strong run to finish the game en route to a 55-46 win over Kingston Friday night inside the Bill Koller Fieldhouse.
Byng, ranked No. 19 in Class 4A, improved to 14-6 on the year, while Kingston left town at 5-10.
"It was a very competitive game from start to finish. Kingston deserves a lot of credit. They're a very young team who competes for 32 minutes," said Byng boys coach Zack Samaha. " In the fourth quarter, we started to execute at a high level on both sides of the ball and we were able to pull away late."
In the girls contest, the Lady Pirates couldn't overcome a nightmarish first half in a 60-37 loss to the Lady Redskins.
Byng has now lost three of its last four games and sits at 12-8 on the year. Kingston, ranked No. 8 in Class 3A, improved to 13-4.
Both Byng squads travel to Tishomingo on Friday.
BOYS
Byng 55, Kingston 46
Byng led 14-10 after one quarter but Kingston trimmed its deficit to 21-20 by halftime.
The Redskins carried a 35-33 advantage into the fourth quarter, However, Byng rallied with a pivotal 22-11 surge in the final frame.
"I was proud of our focus and resolve late in the game," Samaha said. "The next step is finding that consistency for four quarters."
Malachi Schilreff erupted for a game-high 32 points to lead the Pirate attack. He made one 3-pointer. Cooper McCage followed with 16 points and also made one 3-point shot.
Ryan Hamilton also hit a 3-pointer for the home team.
Reid Cason paced the Redskins with 21 points, including one 3-pointer. Brock Rumor drilled four 3-point baskets and scored 15 points for Kingston.
Byng made 12-of-18 free throws in the contest.
Schilreff was presented with a commemorative game ball for joining the 1,000-point club during the night's festivities.
GIRLS
Kingston 60, Byng 37
Kingston led 18-9 after the first quarter but shut out the Lady Pirates in a game-changing 18-0 volley in the second period to capture a 36-9 halftime lead.
Byng outscored Kingston 28-24 in the second half.
"I can't think of any other way to put it other than our first half against Kingston was as bad as we have ever been," Byng head coach Luke Clark told The Ada News. "Kingston did a great job of making us feel like we were in a hurry and made us play out of character. However, I know the kind of kids we have in our locker room and I fully expect us to make a full recovery and look much better next time out."
Alona Cooper scored a game-high 21 points, including one 3-pointer, for the Lady Pirates. No other BHS player scored more than six.
Brylee Baird and Laney Waters both contributed six points to the Byng offense. Waters' total came via a pair of 3-point baskets.
Olivia Quapaw paced the Kingston offense with 15 points, including three shots from beyond the 3-point arc. Emily Bellettini followed with 12 points for the visitors, while Jaci Herndon also hit double figures with 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Lanie French also hit two 3-point baskets for Kingston.
