Kingston turns away Troy for 12th win

Kingston overcame some foul trouble to register its 12th victory of the season, defeating Troy 51-48in a non-league contest.

Kingston High’s boys basketball team overcame some foul trouble to register its 12th victory of the season Monday, defeating Troy 51-48 in a non-league contest.

Shy’quan Royal had another double-double to lead the Tigers, notching 18 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and five steals. Daiveyon Jackson grabbed 14 rebounds and added six points.

After sitting out three games with an injury, Brady Short returned to post nine points, five rebounds and three assists. Dylan Perry chipped in with eight points and Clayton Pattillo had seven.

Kingston improved to 12-2 on the season.,

“We’re trying to figure out how to win pretty much every single way all year long,” said Kingston coach Ron Kelder, whose team could never pull away from the Flying Horses (7-6) in what remained a tight game throughout.

The Tigers, down 24-22 at halftime, took the lead with a 17-11 third quarter.

Foul trouble and foul shooting played a role in the outcome.

“I think I had four guys with three fouls in the third quarter

on the floor,” Kelder noted. “I think I had three guys with four fouls in the fourth quarter on the floor.”

In the fourth, Short fouled out and both Royal and Pattillo picked up their fourth fouls.

Troy capitalized by making 20-of-28 free throws. Kingston, a 75-percent foul-shooting squad, made just 11-of-23. It missed three consecutive shots at the line down the stretch when it was trying to pull away.

A hot shooting team from 3-point range, the Tigers have quieted down in that department recently. They

made three treys in Friday’s win over Monroe-Woodbury and sank four Monday. Perry hit two and Short and Pattillo each had one.

“We just found a way to get out of there,” Kelder remarked.

Marquis Hamby paced Troy with 10 points. The Flying Horses had six other players with four or more points.