Basketball Recap: A?Zyua Blair's Big Game Can't Quite Lead Pearland over St. Francis

Pearland has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They were two points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 53-51 heartbreaker at the hands of the St. Francis Knights. While losing is never fun, the Oilers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' basketball rankings in their respective home states (they are ranked 44th in Texas, while the Knights are ranked seventh in Georgia).

Pearland's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was A?Zyua Blair, who went 7 for 15 on her way to 19 points and three steals. That was a full 37.3% of Pearland's points, marking the fourth time in a row she's posted more than a third of the team's points. Eliece Perry was another key player, putting up seven points along with 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Oilers

Previous 2 Games

12/28/24 vs St. Francis	51-53
12/28/24 vs Boswell	39-44

Even though they lost, Pearland smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 25 consecutive games.

St. Francis got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Ameila Basit out in front who went 7 of 12 on her way to 17 points and eight rebounds. Basit is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last three games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Cam Golston, who put up nine points in addition to five rebounds and three steals.

Pearland's loss dropped their record down to 19-6. As for St. Francis, their victory was their sixth straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 13-1.

Pearland wasted no time getting back out on the court and has already played their next matchup, a 53-37 win against Fort Bend Austin on the 31st. As for St. Francis, they will venture away from home to challenge Bob Jones at 1:00 p.m. on Friday. Bob Jones knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past seven contests -- so hopefully St. Francis likes a good challenge.