ABSCAC BOYS’ FINAL
Class 3A No. 7 Roland improved to 9-1 for the season Saturday night at Muldrow by beating Vian (4-5) 73-53 in the championship contest of the Armstrong Bank Sequoyah County Area Classic.
After Desean Cruse’s inside basket with 2:00 left in the opening period gave Roland a 12-9 advantage Diego Ramos’ 3-pointer from the wing produced the third tie of the quarter 25 seconds later but the Rangers led 19-12 following a 7-0 run to end the stanza. Kyeree Hall (7 points), Peyton Whisenant (4) and Cruse and Ashton Peters (3 each) were Roland’s top scorers in the quarter and Masyn Wright (7 points) and Ramos (3) led the Wolverines in scoring.
Runs of 11 and 13 points by the Rangers in the second stanza resulted in a 45-16 lead at the half as Roland outscored the Wolverines 26-4. Kyeree Hall (three 3-pointers), Davohn Hall (7 points), Whisenant (4) and Carson Wiggins and Peters (3 each) scored Roland’s points and Wiggins and Davohn Hall registered a dunk apiece in the frame. Desean Mays and Ramos (2 points apiece) registered Vian’s points. Wiggins started the third period with his second dunk of the contest but the Wolverines outscored the Rangers 20-10 the rest of the quarter to trim eight points off the deficit (57-36). Ramos made five two-point baskets and K’den Richardson added four points for Vian while Wiggins (5 points) and Peters (third 3-pointer of game) led Roland’s scorers.
The Wolverines sliced another point (17-16) off the deficit in the final eight minutes. Richardson and Wright (6 points each) and Mays (3-pointer) were Vian’s top scorers and Whisenant (7 points) and Kyeree Hall (5) led Roland in scoring.
Kyeree Hall (23 points) led all scorers in the contest and also registering points for the Rangers were Whisenant (17), Wiggins (11), Peters and Davohn Hall (9 apiece) and Cruse (4).
Scoring for the Wolverines were Ramos (17 points), Wright (15), Richardson (10), Mays (9) and Yonsi Grass (2).
After the game Roland head coach Ed Lewis said his team played well Saturday night.
“I thought we played really well,” Lewis said. “I thought that we executed really well and in the middle of that third quarter Vian made a good run at us and we were able to handle that run and I thought that kind of ended up finishing the game. I thought we did pretty good.”
Vian head coach John Mays liked the way his team competed in the contest.
“Learning, a lot of learning for our kids,” Mays said after the game. “We played some decent teams early in the year but not like that. They are put together in all the right places with the length, athleticism and shooting, and they’ve got a lot to work with.
“They didn’t miss anything in the second quarter and we couldn’t make anything. It’s hard to come back against a team like that when you give up 26 points in a quarter.
“The boys never quit and they got after it in the second half. We won the third quarter and we won the fourth quarter. Defensively we’re pretty good at times but offensively we just need to get consistent and make some outside shots.”
ABSCAC Boys’ All-Tournament Team: Central: Aidan Sainer Gans: Logan Weese Gore: Jackson Duke Muldrow: Trenden Collins Roland: Kyeree Hall and Carson Wiggins Sallisaw: Jackson Obregon Stigler: Jamarion Warren Vian: Desean Mays and Masyn Wright
