Prestonwood (Texas) proves too much for Scott County (Ky.)

Prestonwood Christian, seeking its second consecutive holiday hoops title in 10 days, pulled away from Scott County (Ky.) in the second half with nearly perfect shooting to begin its Beach Ball Classic with a win.

The team from Plano, Texas, which won the prestigious City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla., on Dec. 21, hit 15 of 19 shots in the second half to defeat the Cardinals 64-53 at the Myrtle Beach Convention Center in a game that was tied at halftime.

“That was kind of a rough first game,” said Prestonwood 6-foot-9 senior center Zach Peters, who is committed to Kansas. “It usually always is. We kind of ran the cobwebs out a little bit and we needed that.”

The Lions, who finished third in last year’s Beach Ball, got a combined 39 points and 20 rebounds from their twin towers, Peters and 6-9 junior Julius Randle. Peters hit 9 of 10 shots and 5 of 6 free throws for a game-high 23 points.

Scott County largely employed a ball-control offense with dribbling above the key, a spread floor and handoffs to different ball handlers through a high weave against man-to-man defense.

The Cardinals opened the game with an array of smooth jump shots off the dribble, off passes and falling away for a 12-8 lead through 4 minutes, but their efficiency didn’t continue and Prestonwood’s size and athleticism eventually took over.

“We shot the ball well, but they were holding the ball, which I expect from a lot of teams that play us because we kind of beat up on some teams,” Peters said.

The Cardinals (9-3) have just two players on the roster taller than 6-5, and neither start, while Prestonwood (11-1) has three players 6-7 or taller in the starting lineup, including freshman phenom Mickey Mitchell, who had nine points and four blocks.

Scott County shot 35.6 percent for the game and just 23.5 percent from 3-point range, including 1 for 10 in the first half.

“[Early in] the first half we were on fire,” said junior Quin Richardson, who hit four of eight shots but just one of four 3-pointers. “The second half we weren’t hitting our shots, and that’s pretty much what it came down to because obviously we aren’t tall. That was the only thing keeping us in the game [early], and brute defense around their star players.”

Scott County played more methodically on offense than usual without top scorer Isaiah Avery, a 6-3 senior. Avery is suspended for the team’s first two games of the tournament for an on-court scuffle in his last game. The team’s second-leading scorer, 6-5 senior Tameron Manning, was limited to six points on 1 of 12 shooting.

Prestonwood blocked only five shots, but it altered several more and disrupted Scott County’s offense with its length.

The Lions committed 19 turnovers to Scott County’s six, and Scott County also enjoyed a 12-4 edge in offensive rebounds that allowed it to take 59 shots in the game compared to Prestonwood’s 36.

But the Lions were both opportunistic and efficient.

“We committed only six turnovers, but they converted those into points,” Scott County coach Billy Hicks said. “We had a slim margin of error to win this game.”

Prestonwood shot an impressive 69.4 percent from the field, hitting 25 of 36 shots.

“We have to be smart with the ball,” Peters said. “Obviously if you turn the ball over and take bad shots you can’t use your athletic ability and your size. So we have to get the ball in the right guys hands and not force shots. Our offense is put in for the best players to get the ball at the best time.”

•  SCOTT COUNTY (64) – Jalen Haddix 12, Quinn Richardson 9, Trenton Gilbert 17, Josh Harris 4, Tameron Manning 6, Andrew Short 5

•  PRESTONWOOD CHRISTIAN (53) – Mickey Mitchell 9, Marquan Botley 2, Austin Rettig 5, Julius Randle 16, Zach Peters 23, Blake McCarter 2, Claude Person 3, Brandon Dawkins 4

• 3-point goals: Scott County 4 (Richardson 1, Gilbert 3), Prestonwood Christian 1 (Person). Team fouls: Scott County 16, Prestonwood Christian 11. Fouled out: None. Technical fouls: None.

• Records: Scott County 9-3, Prestonwood Christian 11-1