STILLWATER — Putnam City North junior Mekhi Thomas scored 29 points in the Panthers’ 70-45 win over Stillwater Saturday in a 6A-3 contest.

North built a 10-point lead (23-13) in the first quarter as Thomas hit four 3-pointers in the quarter. He finished a 9-for-9 from beyond the arc.

“What Mehki Thomas did the first half but our defense in the secnd half, to me, told the story,” North coach DJ Lemons said via text. “Obviously, that was a hard-fought game. Credit Stillwater with the way they came out. They had a pop to them. They got the ball inside early. I think for us, just understanding the mental preparation.”

Despite the offensive outburst, the Panthers only had an 8-point lead (35-27) at the intermission. North extended the lead to double digits in the third quarter and outscored the Pioneers 19-8 in the fourth quarter.

Lemons said playing on back-to-back days might have been a factor in the Pioneers’ staying close.

“I thought that stretch, end of the first half, beginning of the fourth quarter,we had a good spark.,” Lemons said. “They have special character, because clearly we didn’t have our best stuff throughout. But the way we battled, I thought was big time.”

Sophomore CJ Heskett also had a hot hand from the 3-point line with four treys and 12 points. Heskett also had three assists and a steal.

Fellow sophomore Devion Gillispie scored five of his nine points in the fourth quarter. Gillispie also had two rebounds, two assists and two steals.

Junior Miles Jackson was 5-of-6 from the free throw line for his five points. Senior Malakye Schoats added five points and two assists.

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North (18-1, 10-0) hosts Muskogee (8-13, 4-6) Tuesday (Feb. 3) for homecoming.

The Roughers beat Stillwater, 64-46, Friday.

North routed Muskogee on the road by 40 points on Jan. 3

	1	2	3	4	F
Putnam City North (18-1, 10-0)	23	12	14	19	70
Stillwater (6-10, 4-6)	13	14	10	8	45