The Wilson Tigers met the Henryetta Knights on the second day of the Okmulgee County Tournament. Evenly matched offenses and tough defenses resulted in an overtime battle between the Knights
The Wilson Tigers met the Henryetta Knights on the second day of the Okmulgee County Tournament. Evenly matched offenses and tough defenses resulted in an overtime battle between the Knights and Tigers. Despite holding the lead for most of the game, the Knights failed to hold back the shooting power of Wilson senior Malik Thompson. Shooting down a three-pointer at the buzzer, Thompson tied the game and provided the Tigers another chance of gaining a win. The Tigers led a tough three-point campaign in overtime, while the Knights fell behind by just two-points. Pulling off a two-point win, 63-61, the Tigers moved onto the winner’s bracket, while the Knights were knocked down to the consolation bracket.
The Knights had the upper-hand in the first quarter and barely pulled ahead to establish a two-point lead. Henryetta senior Jean Pixler hit the three-point shots, earning a pair of 3’s, while freshman Jordan Short scored two buckets. Pixler and Short ramped up the pace, but the Tigers were able to match them with the help of Thompson and Mitchell.
With two minutes left on the clock, Thompson cut into the Knights small 13-9 lead with a two-point shot, 13-11.
The first quarter ended with the Knights pulling ahead from the free throw line. Henryetta senior Tayten Fixico completed one of two free throw shots to garner a 14-12 lead for the Knights.
The Tigers had a two-point battle ahead in the second quarter, but a slow offensive quarter allowed the Knights to pull further ahead. Focusing more on getting to the basket, the Tigers depended on junior Michael Conard to lead them to a 10-point scoring streak. Conard sunk a pair of 2’s, while senior Cobey Sellers, junior Asa Mitchell and Thompson earned a bucket each.
The efforts of senior Joey Watson, sophomore Alex Hudson and Short extended the Knights lead to nine points. Despite his rookie status, Short maintained his momentum in the second quarter to earn a three-point bucket at the start of the quarter. Short kickstarted a 17-point scoring streak for the Knights with the help of Watson and Hudson, who both scored a pair of 2’s.
With three high octane shooters behind their offense, the Knights garnered a 31-22 lead over the Tigers. Both teams returned from the half with renewed determination, which lead to a close third quarter battle. The Tigers went on an 18-point rampage that cut into the Knights’ carefully built up lead. Conard and Thompson both scored a bucket and a three-pointer. The Tigers also had junior Yahv Williams and Mitchell shooting down three-point shots.
Though the Tigers had more success with three-point shots, the Knights had Hudson and Watson to lock down the basket. Both Hudson and Watson scored a trio of 2’s, which contributed to the Knights’ 19-point quarter. Hudson was also sent to the free throw line for two of two free throw shots. Pixler chimed in with his third three-pointer, helping the Knights expand their lead to 50-40.
After establishing a 10-point lead, the Knights fell into an ill-timed scoring slump in the fourth quarter. Missed free throw shots and a dip in energy allowed the Tigers to close in on the Knights. Mitchell brought in three 2’s for the Tigers, while Thompson shot down another bucket and three-point combo. Garnering 15 points, the Tigers overpowered the Knights’ five points. Seconds were left on the clock when Thompson shot down a three-point shot to tie the game 55-55 at the buzzer.
Facing a 55-55 tie, the Knights tried to rally behind Hudson and tried to get him to the basket as much as possible. He was able to secure two buckets, but missed free throws left them with six points. The Tigers had Mitchell and Conard to turn to in the overtime period. Both Tigers earned a three-pointer but a two-point shot from Conard pulled the Tigers ahead for a 63-61 victory.
The Tigers’ two-point victory pitted them against the Morris Eagles on Thursday in a semi-final contest.
After a Wednesday matchup with the Preston Pirates, the Henryetta Knights ended their journey in the Okmulgee County Tournament with a four-point overtime loss to the Pirates, 52-48. The Knights lost an eight-point lead in the first half, experiencing two straight scoring slumps in the second and third quarter. Hudson kept the Knights on the scoreboard, however, garnering a total of 17 points, but it wasn’t enough to take down Preston’s Jarron Williams, who obtained 20 points.