Vian splits road contests with Central, home games with Heavener
The Vian High School basketball teams started this week of action the same way they ended up — by splitting games.
On Monday night at Roland High School’s Ranger Dome, the Vian squads split with the host Central teams as the Wolverines got their third win of the season over the Tigers as Vian posted a 54-47 victory, but the Lady Tigers got things started with a 44-17 win over the Lady Wolverines for the Central girls’ third victory of the season over Vian.
Last Thursday night at B.J. Traw Gymnasium, the Vian teams split their Black Diamond Conference home games with Heavener as the Wolverines completed the season sweep of the Wolverines with a 65-38 win right after the Lady Wolves completed their season sweep of the Lady Wolverines with a 66-40 win.
MONDAY’S GAMES
BOYS
VIAN 54, CENTRAL 47
The Wolverines (7-2) broke a 9-all tie after a quarter by outscoring the Tigers (5-5) the rest of the way by a count of 45-38 as Vian enjoyed a 21-17 halftime lead and a 38-28 advantage after three quarters.
For the game, Masyn Wright scored 17 points to lead Vian, followed by Joe O’Neal and Dee Antwine with nine points each, Ledger Folsom and Jeremiah Marshall each with seven points, Rylan Lane with three points and Trace Sanders with two points.
In defeat, Josh Brunk scored a game-high 18 points and Jake Woods added 12 points to lead Central, followed by Paitton Merrill with seven points, Gavin Randolph with six points and Noah Buzzard with five points.
GIRLS CENTRAL 44, VIAN 17
The Lady Tigers (8-3) jumped out to an 11-2 lead after a quarter, which became a 23-5 halftime advantage and a 38-14 lead going into the final period.
For the game, Sara Williams scored a game-high 20 points to lead Central, followed by Cambree Bair and Cheyenne Busch with 10 points each and Alivia Meadows and Gracie Thompson with two points apiece.
In defeat, Aliyah Tucker led the Lady Wolverines (0-8) with six points, followed by Gracie Buttery and Rayleigh Terrill with four points each, Tinley Gibson with two points and Payton Crutchfield with a free throw.
THURSDAY’S GAMES
BOYS
VIAN 65, HEAVENER 38
When the two teams met Jan. 3 in Heavener, the Wolves almost were able to get a come-from-behind victory over the Wolverines, but that wasn’t the case last Thursday night.
The Wolverines scored the game’s first six points en route to a 21-7 lead after a quarter.
The Wolves did cut their deficit to 13 points at 31-18 on a 3-point basket by Julian Sanchez with 2:25 left before halftime. That would be as close as Heavener got on this night as Vian took a 34-20 lead into the locker rooms at halftime.
After the Wolverines got their advantage to 55-31 after three quarters, they built as great as a 32-point lead on two occasions in the final period — with the last time coming with 4:46 left in the game as Isaiah Owens scored a basket to put the Wolverines ahead 65-33.
For the game, Vian put a trio of players into double figures, led by a game-high 14 points by both Masyn Wright and Jeremiah Marshall, followed by Joe O’Neal with 10 points. Rylan Lane scored eight points, followed by Ledger Folsom with six points, Amos Wright with five points, Trace Sanders with four points and Owens and Dee Antwine with two points apiece.
GIRLS
HEAVENER 66, VIAN 40
The Lady Wolves led wire to wire after seeing the Lady Wolverines trim a doubledigit deficit to three points in their Jan. 3 meeting at the Heavener Gym.
After the Lady Wolverines cut their deficit to 4-2 on a basket by Kiah Richardson with 6:30 left in the first quarter, it was all Lady Wolves from there.
The Lady Wolves went on a 17-7 run, capped by a pair of Lainie Faulkenberry free throws with 1:20 left in the period, to give Heavener a 21-9 lead.
Vian’s Emry Smith scored the last four points of the quarter to cut Heavener’s advantage to 21-13 after a period.
Another Smith basket for Vian cut its deficit to 21-15 with 7:14 left before halftime. That would be as close as the Lady Wolverines would get on this night.
The Lady Wolves ended the first half on a 21-4 run to take a 42-19 halftime lead, which became a 60-28 advantage at the end of three quarters.
Heavener built as much as a 35-point lead in the fourth quarter as a 3-point basket by Zaidi May put the Lady Wolves ahead 63-28 with 7:02 left to play.
In defeat, Smith scored 12 points and Olivia Lovell added 10 points to lead Vian, followed by Richardson with seven points, Raylan McEver with six points, Shelbie Glass with four points and Bostyn Rodgers with a free throw.
