Split between two weeks, both Princeton basketball teams saw competition against district rival Lovejoy. Played nearly a week apart, these two contests yielded vastly different results, with the Lady Panthers dominating and the boys basketball team struggling for offensive momentum.

In the first game of the week, the Lady Panthers finished their pre-Christmas competition with a second consecutive district win, defeating the Lady Leopards 59-47 Tuesday, Dec. 22. With the victory, the girls basketball team moves to 13-1 on the season and 2-1 in district competition, slotting them in third place in the district.

After missing two weeks of competition, the Princeton boys basketball team returned to the court directly after Christmas, facing Lovejoy in its district opener Monday, Dec. 27.

With only one day to prepare for the game, the Panthers were unable to get any offensive momentum in the second half, losing to Lovejoy 52-30.

After the game, coach Eric Lockman said he was proud of the effort the team produced in the win.

“The first half went better than expected,” Lockman said. “I expected a sloppy game from both teams, which probably played to our advantage in having played one game in 18 days. I’m extremely proud of our effort tonight, but the ball just didn’t go our way in the second half.”

Sophomore point guard Devin Brumfield was the leading scorer for Princeton, finishing with eight points. Senior Kieran Washington had six points, while senior Caedon Ayling added five points. Senior Josiah Crockett had four points, while junior Isaiah Sadler had three points. Julian Malhas and Torijuan Burns rounded out the scoring for Princeton, finishing with two points each.

Both basketball teams return to action Saturday, Jan. 2, traveling to Wylie to face a strong Raiders team. Princeton’s next home game is Friday, Jan. 8, when the Panthers host the Sherman Bearcats.

Sub Varsity Report:

In their first game against a district opponent, the JV Panthers were unable to finish strong against the Lovejoy JV basketball team, losing 69-39. It was an all-around team effort on offense for Princeton, with 10 different players scoring for the Panthers. Jathein was the leading scorer for Princeton with 11 points.

For more stories like this, see the Dec. 31 issue or subscribe online.

By Jackson King • [email protected]