Logan (Utah) Herald-Journal

PRESTON - After two quarters of play it looked like Preston might have a game on its hands and might have to grind one out for the district title.

Apparently Preston did not want to win a the title with that kind of a game.

The Preston Indians turned a five-point halftime lead into a blowout Friday night against the Pocatello Indians, 55-28.

With the win, Preston improved to 11-5 overall and 3-0 in district play, securing the title for and earning them homecourt advantage in the district tournament.

"We'll host the tournament," Preston head coach Ryon Pope said. "That's an advantage, but it doesn't guarantee us anything. We just want to take it one game at a time and keep improving."

Despite the close start, Friday's game turned out much the same as the first matchup between these two teams, where Preston dismantled Pocatello 49-25 on Pocatello's home court on Dec. 9.

The two Indian teams played a grueling, half-court style game in the first half with neither team getting on a run to pull away from the other.

Pocatello came out pressuring Preston's guards on each possession, which was great for Preston's Holly Checketts. Checketts scored 11 first-quarter points.

"They were pressuring our guards and Holly was standing wide open inside," Pope said. "So we just threw it into her of course, and they couldn't stop her."

Right before halftime, the Preston Indians decided they had had enough of the slow game and picked things up to their level.

"That first half was such a slow pace," Pope said. "… Right before halftime we started to get a little momentum, and it carried over to the second half."

Preston made two quick baskets at the end of the half then came out in the third and continued that by going on an 8-0 run.

"The first half it was just kind of slow, nothing really happened," Preston's Brooke Beckstead said. "The second half we came out and pressed them, mixed it up a little bit and got some fast break opportunities."

Pocatello cut the lead back down to 10, but Beckstead jump started the Preston offense with some big outside shooting. Beckstead hit three in a row from beyond the arc, sparking an 11-0 run.

"We just found a way to screen harder and get some open looks," Beckstead said.

Preston outscored its northern rival 22-5 in the third period and cruised from there on out for the district title.

Holly Checketts led Preston with 17 points, but only scored four in the second half. Beckstead finished with 14 points, and Chalis Rawlings had eight points.

Kelsey Parker scored 13 points to lead Pocatello, but the Pocatello Indians (3-11, 1-3) went cold and ended up shooting just 8-for-37 on the night as a team, including 1-of-10 from behind the arc.

Preston went 5-of-6 from 3-point land.

Next up for Pocatello his a home game against the Minico Spartans on Tuesday.

Preston will host Century on Tuesday and look to make the perfect sweep in district play.