Pirates denied chance at No. 6 with semifinal loss to OCA

The Preston Pirate varsity basketball team will have to wait at least one more season before hoisting their sixth Gold Ball - and first since 2009 - following a heartbreaking 72-70, overtime, loss to Oklahoma Christian Academy this past Friday night.

The Pirates had their bid for a sixth state championship denied in Friday’s setback in the semifinal round of the 2023 Class 2A state basketball championships at the Jim Norick State Fairgrounds Arena in Oklahoma City.

The Preston cage squad rallied from a 22-point deficit in the third period and a 17-point deficit at the start of the final frame to tie the game at 6868 and force the 4-minute overtime period.

The Pirates’ dreams of their first state championship game appearance since finishing runner-up in 2016 were shattered when OCA’s Carson Thomas scored on a putback basket with 2.8 seconds remaining in overtime for the game-winning score.

The 6-3 senior led all scorers with a game-high 24 points, including 14 of the Eagles’ 18 first-period points.

Preston was led by junior guard Jervais Goree with 19 points, including half of the Pirates’ 28 fourth-quarter points and the final six on a pair of 3-point baskets in the final 21 seconds of regulation.

The Pirates finish the 2022-2023 campaign with a 26-5 record and a No. 2 ranking in Class 2A.

OCA took the opening frame by a slim 18-15 margin, then extended its lead to 18 (43-25) at halftime after coming out of the second period with a 25-10 advantage.

The Pirates, who trailed by 22 twice in the third quarter (49-27, 51-24), cut the deficit to 17 (57-40) with eight minutes remaining in regulation following a narrow 15-14 margin in the third stanza.

A 15-5 Preston run in the first half of the fourth period cut the OCA lead to seven, 62-55.

With the Pirates trailing by nine, 6657, Tucker Webb cut the deficit to six, 66-60, with a 3-point basket from the left corner.

Following baskets by both teams made it a 68-62 contest, the Eagles missed the front end of a 1-and-1 foul situation with 37 seconds remaining in regulation to keep the deficit at six points.

With 20.7 seconds left, Goree drilled an NBA-range 3-point basket to cut the deficit to three, 68-65.

With 13.4 seconds remaining, OCA missed another 1-and-1 situation, giving the Pirates a chance to tie the game in the final seconds of regulation.

Preston head coach Chase Littlejohn called a timeout with six seconds left to set up an offensive play, then, following the timeout, the Pirates found a way to get the ball into Goree’s hands, who knocked down a game-tying 3-point basket with 3.6 seconds remaining.

After the made basket, OCA head coach Jeremy Roman called a timeout with 3.3 seconds left to discuss the final play of regulation. After the OCA timeout, Littlejohn called his final timeout of regulation to set up his defense for the final play.

After both timeouts, OCA got the ball into the hands of Ca’Ron Banks, who released a shot from near midcourt just before the buzzer that was just off the mark, sending the semifinal game to a 4-minute overtime period with the score deadlocked at 68-68.

At the midway mark of the overtime period, Carter Owens drove to the basket for a layup, giving OCA the 7068 advantage.

Thirty seconds later, Malachi Ligons scored following an offensive rebound to knot the score at 70-70 with 90 seconds left in overtime.

The Preston defense forced a turnover with 1:09 left in overtime and missed the go-ahead basket with 53 seconds remaining with OCA snaring the rebound and holding the ball for the final shot attempt.

With 16.8 seconds left in overtime, Coach Roman called a timeout to set up the final play of overtime.

After the timeout, OCA got the ball into the hands of Carter Owens, who then found Thomas near the freethrow line. Thomas put up a shot attempt that was just off the mark, but the senior was able tip in the putback attempt with 2.8 seconds left for the game-winning basket.

The Pirates were unable to get a shot off before the buzzer sounded, handing the Preston squad the heartbreaking 72-70, overtime, loss.

Goree was joined in double figures by Giorgio Dunn-Spencer with 17, Keyton Smith 12, and Ligons 11.

Kareffren Bagby was next offensively for the Pirates with eight, while Webb’s 3-point basket in the fourth period rounded out the Preston scoring.

Thomas was joined in double figures by Carter Owens with 18 and Banks with 14.

--- Class 2A State Tournament Semifinals

OCA 72, Preston 70; OT

Preston: 15 - 10 - 15 - 28 - 2 (70) OCA: 18 - 25 - 14 - 11 - 4 (72) Preston Scoring: Jervais Goree 19, Giorgio Dunn-Spencer 17, Keyton Smith 12, Malachi Ligons 11, Kareffren Bagby 8, Tucker Webb 3.

OCA Scoring: Carson Thomas 24, Carter Owens 18, Ca’Ron Banks 14, Chase Watterson 7, Kemar Crawford 7, Brady Owens 2.