Sallisaw squeaks past Spiro, sets sights on Stigler

HIGH SCHOOL BOYS BASKETBALL

Central and Webbers Falls take loss, Gans won

SALLISAW 48, SPIRO 46

The Sallisaw Black Diamonds were able to get another win Tuesday when they visited Spiro, improving their record to 2-1 for the season.

By spreading around the basketball, head coach Chadd Gehrke kept the Bulldogs’ defense busy defending Sallisaw’s balanced offense, even though the defense took awhile to get started.

“We were pretty equal across the board on offense,” Gehrke aknowledged. “Sim [Kilpatrick] had 10, Braxton [Lamb] 9, Obi [Jackson Obregon] 8, Brodie [Cameron] 1, Park [Parker Jackson] 7. First half we didn’t play very hard on defense or rebounding. Part of that was my fault. Second half we came out and played much harder in those areas.”

The Bulldogs trailed by five at the end of the first quarter before tying the game at the half due to some excessive subbing by Gehrke, causing the players to lose focus and looking a little lost on the court.

“First half we came out pressing and running a few different defenses. We got lost and confused in all of that because of my subbing, which is my fault, not the kids,” Gehrke said.

When the Black Diamonds came back out to start the second half, they went with a man offense, which helped a little, but made the team robotic and seem stagnant on offense.

Sallisaw ended the third period up 35-30, but their offense struggled when defending Spiro’s bigger guys. When they did, it opened up the Bulldogs’ guards, allowing some big shots from the perimeter.

The wholesale changes being implemented this season have produced positive results early, and the Black Diamond faithful are looking forward to watching the offense get stronger as the season progresses.

Sallisaw hits the road to play a solid Stigler team that returns most of last year’s squad. The test is set to start at 6:30 p.m. today.

RED OAK 70, CENTRAL 58

The Central Tigers were on the road again for the second game of the season, playing the talented Red Oak Hawks under new head coach Caleb Cawhorn.

The Hawks were strong out of the gate, running up an early 18-7 lead by the end of the first quarter. The Tigers were paced by Jace Mendenhall with a trey, and the rest of the points coming from the free throw line by Isaac Rogers, Connor Walters and Aidan Sainer.

The Tigers’ offense came to life in the second stanza, registering 15 points, but Central still trailed the Hawks.

The Tigers went into the locker room on the short end of a 33-22 score, and they came out of the break looking to adjust on defense to shut down Red Oak.

In the third period, the Hawks spread the ball around enough to register 16 points to Central’s 15, owning a 49-37 lead over the Tigers going into the fourth frame.

In the end, the Hawks’ defense converted after stealing more often, and penalties enabled Red Oak’s Reese Allen to do some damage, making 8 of 9 from the line.

The Tigers outscored the Hawks 21-20 in the final stanza, but it was too little too late to make a difference.

There’s no substitute for the valuable experience Central’s young squad is gaining, something that will serve them well later in the season when the Tigers need to play their best basketball.

Central’s home opener is at 8 p.m. today against neighboring rival Gans.

GANS 67, BOKOSHE 49

Gans upped their season record to 2-1 Tuesday with an 18-point win against Bokoshe.

The Grizzlies have a new head coach and a full squad this season, ingredients that are proving to be a good combination for head coach Brian Morton and his young team.

Gans has a tough road game tonight when they take the short drive to play Central in what’s been described as a fun local rivalry between these two competitive programs. Tipoff is scheduled for 8 p.m.

WILSON 44, WEBBERS FALLS 24

The Webbers Falls Warriors struggled to score against the Wilson Tigers in Tuesday’s opening game at the Wilson Tiger Classic tournament.

Webbers Falls is having a slow start to its season as the Warriors work to learn a new program under first-year head coach Jim Glover.

The Warriors travel to Okay for a 6:30 p.m. game Tuesday.