DUNCANVILLE, Texas — Putnam City North opened the season with a 57-54 win over Texas 6A Division 1 champion Duncanville Friday (Nov. 28) at the Thanksgiving Hoopfest.

“I’m just happy about how competitive my guys played the whole game and the defensive effort particularly in the second half after a slow start,” Putnam City North coach DJ Lemons said via text. “I also loved how my younger players grew up in the late third quarter and early fourth quarter.”

Lemons praised senior Nate Muriithi, TJ McNeely and Malakye Schoats.

“(They) had great showings and carried the team for majority of the game. We had to win without having our best stuff.”

North (1-0) outscored Duncanville 18-11 in the third quarter after trailing by two points (30-28) at halftime. They shot 70 percent from the field during the quarter.

Sophomore Keaton Murry had 13 points, five rebounds and four assists. Murry hit three 3-pointers.

Muriithi added 12 points and nine rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting from the field.

Schoats followed with nine points, hitting 4-of-7 from the field.

McNeely had seven points, six rebounds and four assists. McNeely was 3-of-5 from the field.

Junior Mekhi Thomas scored six points with two treys.

Duncanville, whose mascot is also the Panthers, shot 37 percent from the field but was 16-of-18 from the free throw line.

UP NEXT

North will play DeSoto (Texas) Saturday (Nov. 29) at 6:40 p.m.

The Eagles were 21-13 last season and are off to a 2-2 start.

	1	2	3	4	F
Putnam City North (1-0)	13	15	18	11	57
Duncanville (3-1)	16	14	11	13	54