The Queen’s Grant Stallions improved their PAC 7 Conference record to 8-4 on Friday night with a solid 58-38 victory over the Spartans from the Community School of Davidson in this 1A conference match-up.

Also, this was a historic night for the Stallions, for the first time in the school’s history they have two players who have reached the 1000 point milestone in the same season just a few weeks apart. Jeremiah Murphy reached the plateau in a game against Langtree Academy in late January, while LB Boyette scored his 1000th point on Friday night. They have been teammates for 3 years and are now the senior leaders on this team.

In the first period, the visitors played aggressively challenging both Murphy and Boyette. Their strategy seemed to be working as they took an 11-10 lead with Murphy scoring just 2 points and Josh Williams with 5 points. The Stallions were not shooting well from the floor missing some shots from close range.

In the second period, the Spartans decided to continue with the same strategy, however, the Stallions adjusted and let Williams and Murphy do most of the shooting while they doubled team Boyette who always had a Spartan hanging on him. LB found the open man and dished him the ball, the Spartans were not athletic enough to adjust so Williams hit some key 3-pointers, including Eli Rector off the bench.

The Spartans double team Boyette more regularly, which opened up scoring opportunities for the Stallions 3-point shooting guards Josh Williams and Rector who made their shots. Also, it opened the door for Murphy to make some nifty power moves under the basket and hit jump shots around the paint. With coach Walter Wright rotating and inserting Jaden Bilal at 6’8″ and Jeremiah Wooten the Stallions began to dominate the boards.

Midway through the period, the Stallions were beginning to wear down the Spartans defense and open up a 7 point lead at the intermission 30-23 taking control of this basketball game.

In the third frame, in the opening seconds, Murphy hit a 10-foot jumper taking a 32-23 lead. After Aaron Sprauve drilled a 3-point shot, Murphy hit another jumper, a steal on a forced pass the Stallions promptly add on with a 3-pointer from Williams from the corner. Wooten followed off a rebound for 2 points, Boyette with a baseline drive for two more, Rector with an outlet pass to Boyette feeds to Williams for another 3-pointer and the Stallions are up 47-33 with 1:15 remaining. At the buzzer, Boyette scores on a lay-up from a nice pass from Williams and the Stallions have broken the Spartans back taking a 52-33 edge into the final stanza.

In the fourth period, with 7:21 on the scoreboard clock remaining in the game, Boyette drives to the basket and gets fouled. He calmly walks to the foul line, takes the ball from the official and swishes the free throw for his 1000th career point as a Stallion. On the next possession, Rector hits his third 3-point shot for the night. Then with 2:59 remaining Williams steals a pass just past center court and takes it to the house to put the finishing touches on this ball game.

Josh Williams scored 17 points, Murphy 15, Rector 9 to lead the scoring. Wooten added 11 rebounds, Bilal had a huge block rejection of a Spartan shot heard all around the gymnasium, Boyette added 6 points and 5 assists while scoring the 1000th career point in his high school career.