Charleston uses takeaways and transition to top Kelly

Treshaun Schandon (0) drives during Charleston 95-65 win over Kelly on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.

Photo courtesy Kansas Oliver

CHARLESTON, Mo. — Charleston's relentless pace and efficient transition offense overwhelmed Kelly in a 95-65 victory on Tuesday, Jan. 7. 

The Bluejays' (6-6) speed, paired with their ability to capitalize on turnovers and fast-break opportunities, proved to be the deciding factor as they extended their dominance over the Hawks (1-8) to 12-0 since 2011.

“We did a good job of scoring some easy buckets in transition,” said Charleston coach Jamarcus Williams. “That’s something that we have wanted to improve because we feel like we’ve left several points off the board by just not capitalizing on fastbreaks.”

Leading the charge for Charleston was Treshaun Schandon, who poured in a team-high 23 points on 10-of-17 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds, while also making his presence felt defensively with four steals.

Deshaun Henderson contributed 17 points, hitting 8-of-10 from the field, and added three offensive rebounds, three assists, and three steals, anchoring the post. 

Trenez Lane and Martavious Biles each added 15 points, with Biles shooting a blistering 6-of-9 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. He also contributed five rebounds and a steal.

Timothy Frazier added 11 points, four rebounds, and four steals, further contributing to the well-rounded attack.

Charleston pressure smothered Kelly, forcing turnovers and keeping the offense out of sync all game, highlighted by 23 steals. 

“We also strung together a series of stops that allowed us to go on several runs,” Williams continued. “We were able to add a little more to our depth too. We had some kids step up last night in the absence of others. That was a positive.”

Charleston shot 39-of-80 (49 percent) from the field and will look to build on this performance as they prepare to face its biggest rival, Class 5, No. 1 ranked Sikeston, at home on Friday, Jan. 10.

“We have to play extremely well,” Williams concluded. ”We have to make shots difficult for Sikeston and limit them to one shot per possession. We’ll have to shoot the ball well and just not turn the ball over.”

CHARLESTON 95, KELLY 65

Kelly (65) — Preston Applewhite 14, Truman White 10, Ross Peters 10, Skyler Still 8, Hunter Kirk 8, Griffin Pass 6, Tucker Dirnberger 4, Grady Hall 2, Tennyson White 2, Jackson Huering 1. FG: 26. FT: 9-18. F: 17. (3-pointers: Kirk , Peters 1. Fouled out: None.)

Charleston (95) —Treshaun Schandon 23, Deshaun Henderson 17, Trenez Lane 15, Martavious Biles 15, Timothy Frazier 11, Da’kyrious Williams 6, Chase Kearby 5, Adrian Rodgers 3. FG: 39. FT: 12-21. F: 17. (3-pointers: Biles 3, Kearby 1, Schandon 1. Fouled out: None.)