The Okmulgee varsity basketball program began postseason play in front of their home fans last Friday evening.
The Okmulgee varsity basketball program began postseason play in front of their home fans last Friday evening.
The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs welcomed the Bethel Wildcats and Lady Wildcats to historic Brock Memorial Gymnasium and a battle for the Class 3A, Area II, District 4 championships.
The Okmulgee squads gave it their best effort last Friday, but found themselves on the losing end of a pair of outcomes. The Lady Bulldogs began the evening with a 62-24 setback to the second-ranked Lady Wildcats, while the Bulldogs rallied from a 17-point deficit in the third quarter and led by two with 3:11 left in regulation, only to see the narrow advantage fizzle away and the Okmulgee gentlemen end up on the short end of a 65-63 decision in the nightcap.
With the district championship losses, the Okmulgee cage squads now face a ‘must win’ situation the remainder of the postseason, needing sixstraight wins each to punch their tickets to the Class 3A state basketball championships in 2023.
Okmulgee’s road through the loser’s bracket will begin this Thursday at 1:30 and 3 p.m., respectively, against Little Axe in the consolation quarterfinals of the Class 3A, Area II, regional tournament in Prague.
Wins Thursday will put the Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs into Friday’s regional consolation semifinal round in Kellyville against the loser of Thursday’s winner’s bracket meetings between Holdenville and Sperry (girls) and Henryetta and Kellyville (boys) at 1:30 and 3 p.m., respectively, while losses on Thursday will bring the Okmulgee cage squads’ seasons to a close.
In last Friday’s girls district title game against Bethel, the Lady Bulldogs were held scoreless in the first eight minutes of action, while the second-ranked Lady Wildcats put up 29 points in the opening frame to put the Okmulgee ladies in a huge deficit early in the contest.
Bethel took the second quarter by a 1610 margin to increase its lead to 35 (45-10) at halftime, then outscored the host Lady Bulldogs 10-0 in the third period for a 5510 advantage with eight minutes remaining in regulation.
The Okmulgee ladies doubled up on their opponents 14-7 in the final quarter, but the Lady Bulldogs still wound up on the losing end of a 62-24 outcome.
Okmulgee’s top scorer in the playoff opener was Tori James with a team-best 12 points. Other Lady Bulldog scorers against Bethel were Cora Love with six and Rhonisha Smith, Skye Sanders, and Cameryn Williamson two apiece.
In last Friday’s boys district championship contest, the Bulldogs trailed 14-9 after one and 33-25 at halftime.
The Okmulgee gentlemen trailed by as many as 17 in the third quarter and came out of the frame with a 17-16 advantage to go into the final stanza down by seven, 49-42.
The Bulldogs began the final quarter with a 14-7 advantage to deadlock the score at 56-56. With 3:11 remaining in regulation, Jaxsun Fulton’s layup put the Okmulgee squad in front by two, 58-56.
The visitors knotted the score at 58-58 with a basket at the 2:11 mark, then regained the lead, 60-58, with a basket with 90 seconds left in the quarter.
Okmulgee’s Allen Thierry made a pair of free throws with 49.9 seconds remaining to tie the score, 60-60.
Bronc Robbins gave Bethel a 62-60 advantage with a two-handed slam dunk with 34.3 seconds left, then made one of two charity tosses with 20.6 seconds remaining to extend the Wildcats’ lead to three, 63-60.
The Bulldogs had a possible game-tying 3-point basket miss its mark with Bethel snaring the rebound, forcing Okmulgee to commit a foul with 5.8 seconds left.
Si Forman calmly sank both free throws to put Bethel in front 65-60.
The Bulldogs sank a long 3-point basket at the buzzer, but wound up on the short end of a 65-63 decision.
Fulton led the Bulldog offense with 18 points, followed by Thierry and Keith Talton with 10 points apiece. Other Okmulgee scorers in the district title game were Braeden Williams with eight, Nolan Yates six, Darin Miles five, Jeremiah Harley four, and Tre Swan two.
--- Class 3A District Tournament Championship Girls Game
Bethel 62, Okmulgee 24
Bethel: 29 - 16 - 10 - 7 (62) Okmulgee: 0 - 10 - 0 - 14 (24) Okmulgee Scoring: Tori James 12, Cora Love 6, Rhonisha Smith 2, Skye Sanders 2, Cameryn Williamson 2.
--- Boys Game
Bethel 65, Okmulgee 63 Bethel: 14 - 19 - 16 - 16 (65) Okmulgee: 9 - 16 - 17 - 21 (63) Okmulgee Scoring: Jaxsun Fulton 18, Keith Talton 10, Allen Thierry 10, Braeden Williams 8, Nolan Yates 6, Darin Miles 5, Jeremiah Harley 4, Tre Swan 2.
