On the night of the annual Main Street Dance Academy performance at Princeton High School, they were dancing to the “Thriller” down the hallway at Prouty Gym.

Princeton overcame not one, but two game-tying 3-pointers by Illinois Valley Central sophomore Alayah Nelton, the first at the end of regulation and the second at the end of the first overtime, to defeat the Grey Ghosts 53-52 on a last-second 3-pointer by junior Kiyrra Morris in double overtime.

Playing without senior sharp-shooter Camryn Driscoll, who left with an early fourth-quarter ankle sprain and did not return, the Tigresses turned to Morris with the game on the line. She delivered, hitting a 3-pointer from the right wing with six seconds remaining.

“It took a lot of work to get there, lot of different things to contribute to the game,” Morris said. “I took a free throw and an airball so I had a little bit of pressure but came back. The pressure adds on to it, but it feels great after it’s over. It’s an awesome feeling. I think everyone contributed just as much. It didn’t just come down to one shot. It was all of it.”

“Thank you, Kiyrra Morris. I’m so proud of her,” PHS coach Tiffany Gonigam said. “To be in that moment ... I said, girls, ‘get it out down court, find the open spot,’ and the look was hers. To her credit, she was not afraid to pull the trigger.

“I’m just so proud she had the confidence to take the shot because we always talk about getting the best shot for our team and in that moment, that’s what we needed.”

It was Princeton’s third tournament title in four years and 10th in the history of the tournament which began in 1984.

“Having been through the adversity of that double overtime game, you always want to win a championship because it just means so more,” Gonigam said. “That’s why you play the game. I know the girls were tired and exhausted, but it just means so much more when you have to work so hard to earn it.

“I think it just sets our season off on a real positive tone. The girls should feel really good about themselves and they have a lot to look forward to. Certainly there’s some areas that we need to improve, free throws (7-25) being one of them, but I think they should feel really happy about this moment.”

Nelton was twice the hero for the Grey Ghosts. She hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds left in regulation to tie the game at 42.

The IVC sophomore liked her first shot so much, she went back to the same spot from the left wing for another game-tying 3-pointer to end the first overtime deadlocked at 49.

“Don’t think twice. Just let them fly,” Nelton said.

Rianna Foster hit a jumper to put the Grey Ghosts ahead 52-50 with 31 seconds in the second overtime. IVC missed two free throws with 11.1 seconds left to set the stage for Morris’ game-winner.

“When we needed her, she was there,” Davis said. “It’s a big joy to see a junior step up when it’s needed and know that you have other people there.”

Davis said it was tough to come back after Nelton’s two baskets, but “we’ve got to keep pushing and not let up.”

Driscoll picked a Ghost’s pocket for a layup at the end of the first quarter to give Princeton a 13-10 lead.

IVC had an 8-0 run late in the second quarter, taking a 22-20 lead on a 3-pointer by Foster. Driscoll came through again with a scoop and score on a drive with four seconds before halftime to tie the game at 22.

The Tigresses outscored the Ghosts 14-5 down the stretch in the third quarter, including two straight hoops each by Driscoll and Payton Brandt, and a 3-pointer by Davis to go up 38-31.

After Driscoll left with her injury, IVC outscored Princeton 7-1 in the final six minutes of the fourth, capped by the game-tying 3 by Nelton.

Davis led the Tigresses with 17 points, Driscoll had 11 and Morris eight.

IVC had four in double figures: Kayt Miller (15), Foster (14), Nelton (13) and Taryn Johnigk (10).

In other games, Midland beat Hall 43-41 for third place, Stark County beat Henry-Senachwine 44-10 for fifth place, and Mendota beat Putnam County 36-16 for seventh place.

Note: Princeton’s Davis, Driscoll and Brandt were named to the all-tournament team along with Hall’s Pellegrini with the IVC trio of Foster, Nelton and Miller joining the 10-person selection. ... There have been 11 different winners in the 41-year history of the tournament (2020 was canceled by COVID). After Princeton (10), Mendota and Stark County are next in line with seven each, followed by IVC (4), Putnam County (3), Bureau Valley (3), Midland (2), Western (2), Rock Falls (1), Erie (1) and Lostant (1), which won the first tournament in 1984.

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Princeton's Kiyrra Morris reacts reacts with teammates after hitting the game-winning shot against Illinois Valley Central to win the Princeton High School Girls Basketball Holiday Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025 at Princeton High School. The Tigers won in double overtime. (Scott Anderson)