Consider me done…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
That’s it. It is the end for me. I won’t see better basketball this year than I did in my two days at the Titan Classic at Carl Albert.
Whether it was Del City making a statement against Union (though a tired squad) or Midwest City getting a little of that swagger back, pretty fun way to spend a weekend.
Could have been home by 11 p.m., but technical difficulties have pushed me to the midnight hour.
I thoroughly watched five games, so…Here. We. Go.
Carl Albert 61, Millwood 53 (Boys): A consolation championship that would have worked fine as a championship at just about any other tournament, IMO.
This day belonged to Harrison Dupont. After being held in check Friday, Dupont went off today with 26.
Head coach Jay Price made a statement by not starting a couple of the guys for missing their shoot around time today.
I figured it would be like a minute or two. No, Price didn’t let those boys play the entire first quarter.
One person who did play was Trevante Porter. He brings energy to the team. I liken him to Joe Stoner from last year’s team in terms of energy. They’re going to give you everything they got. Scratch, claw for everything.
Millwood’s no slouch, though. The Falcons will be back.
Carl Albert 51, Millwood 40 (Girls): Titans make it 2-for-2 against the Falcons. There should be a huge asterisk on this one as Millwood played until 11:40 p.m. Friday and had to play this one at 4:00.
Dems the breaks.
Shea Bowden and JohVonna Mitchell looked like the only two Millwood girls with any pep in their step. And once Bowden got in foul trouble, knew it wasn’t good.
However, maybe the shooting of CA’s Madison Tollison would have carried the day anyway. She made six 3′s and was just in that rhythm.
Jourdan Clark added a couple of treys as the Titans stretched out the lead in the fourth to earn third place.
Guthrie 63, Union 46 (Boys): Wow. Keaton Callins or Donte’ Foster, take your pick. Union had its hands full with the Guthrie stars.
Callins duplicated Tollison’s feat with six 3′s of his own while Foster was slashing every which way.
Both teams played 2OT Friday, so chalking this one up to Guthrie being upset about losing for the first time this season.
Levi Giese of Union continues to impress me though. Solid outing from him.
You earn third in this tournament, you’ve done something.
Guthrie was down six in the second when a switch went on or something because it took control from that point on.
Del City 46, Union 37 (Girls Championship): I want to so bad give all the credit to DC, but maybe the 4OT game caught up with Union in the fourth quarter.
For three quarters, this was solid. Best-played girls game I’ve seen since Millwood-Seq.Tahlequah 3A championship last year.
In the fourth, all DC as Desiree Jeffries and Toni Young did what you’re supposed to. They carried the day in the second half.
Maybe Jeffries has answered the question before, but I asked her why she wore a different jersey tonight. She looked at me like it was common knowledge. And if it is, sorry.
She wore No. 32 tonight – her lucky number and home jersey. No. 33 is her favorite number and her road jersey.
Regardless of the jersey, she was the best player on the court tonight. She DC wanted to make a statement. Consider it made.
Midwest City 75, Booker T. 74, OT (Boys Championship): Are you kidding me? Did these teams really need another overtime?
Well, yes, they did.
It didn’t look like it would midway through the third as it was all BTW. T.J. Smith in the post and Bryan Harris up high.
MWC’s Robert Wakefield came to play tonight. He scored a career-high 35 points.
And when the Bombers were making their crazy comeback from down 48-33 in the third and fourth quarter, he was draining free throw after free throw.
So it was fitting he hit the game-winning FTs with 3.6 seconds left in overtime.
MWC got it down to two three times in the fourth before a 3-pointer by Traez Colbert cut the margin to 59-58 with 2:13 to play.
MWC took its second lead of the game on a three by Christian Huffman with 32.6 seconds left. BTW’s Smith tied it up, and we went to OT.
In OT, it looked like Harris was going to be crowned hero. With BTW down 71-67, Harris drained a three and drove for another bucket to give ‘em a 72-71 lead.
With the score 74-73, something odd happened.
MWC had been wanting to foul Smith every time. Obviously, the big man is not the best FT shooter.
However, it fouled him before the ball was put in play. I thought it was a FT and the ball on the side.
Smith missed both FTs and that led to Wakefield’s heroics. No complaint on this foul call this time from me.
Smith is a beast and finished with 25. Phenomenal game.
Safe to say the “down” times at Midwest City under new coach Dewayne Bradley are over. What a memorable run for MWC, see how this weekend changes the rest of their season.
Wakefield was named the MVP for the boys while DC’s Jeffries earned the same honor for the girls.
Special thanks to CA for loading me up with Olive Garden and Church’s Chicken. I definitely had my fill today.
The tournament was built up as the best in the state. And for me, it’s an easy one. It sure did live up to the billing. Great three days of basketball where you’re thrilled with going 2-1 and jumping through hoops at going 3-0.
As promised, Sunday a look back at the epic 4 OT game between the Millwood and Union girls.
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