KILLEEN, Texas - Senior guards Taylor Ross and Brenisha Payne combined for 26 points and Pflugerville used strong defense down the stretch to post a 54-50 victory over Killeen Ellison Friday night in a matchup of two state-ranked 5A basketball squads. Ross netted 14 points and also pulled down a team-high nine rebounds, while Payne added 12 points. Pflugerville, ranked No. 2 in the state, moves to 16-0 with the win. Ellison, ranked 11th, is now 13-2.

The Panthers had jumped out to an 11-4 lead after one quarter but Ellison rallied in the final quarter behind a barrage of 3-pointers. Strong defensive pressure, led by Payne, proved to be the difference down the stretch for Pflugerville.

Panther senior forward Jonelle Smith and junior guard Alyssa Echols each chipped in with seven points. Echols also had a team-high four steals.

Pflugerville returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 11 when it travels to Westwood High School for a District contest. The Panthers are 1-0 in District action having held off Stony Point, 74-73 in the District opener Dec. 4.

The P'ville-Westwood varsity game tips at 7 p.m. while the JV and freshman Gold games are 5:30 p.m. contests. Also at 7 p.m. the freshman Blue teams will be in competition.