Choate fuels Hennessey win at Cashion
Layton Choate is picking up in February where he left off in January.
The Hennessey senior continued his torrid streak Thursday in the Eagles’ 6443 win at Cashion.
Choate scored nine points in the decisive fourth quarter as the Eagles pulled away to move their season record to 14-3.
“He’s been doing awesome for us,” said coach Brady Page after his team moved its Three Rivers Conference record to 4-1.
Hennessey built up a 4538 lead entering the fourth, but closed on a 19-5 run.
Choate’s fourth quarter gave him a game-high 21 points. Jael Torres scored four in the fourth and finished with 20.
James Sims scored all 11 of his points in the first half.
Nathan Nabavi and Chance Acord helped keep Cashion (9-9, 2-2) in the game early.
The two combined for 12 points in the first quarter, one that Cashion led late until Sims ended it with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give the Eagles an 18-16 lead.
The Cashion duo combined for another 10 points in the second to keep their team within 35-28.
However, they had only five combined points in the second half.
Acord led the team with 15 points.
Nabavi scored 12, all in the first half. Jackson Vandruff scored eight for Cashion.
Cashion had already suffered a pair of disappointing setbacks in the previous week.
The Wildcats took part in the 30-game Skordle Festival in Enid last weekend and were paired with Class 3A’s ninth-ranked Alva.
They were dealt a 71-64 defeat in overtime, but not before some dramatics to get it there.
Kamden Miller drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key with five seconds left in regulation to tie up the game.
The Wildcats trailed by four points with 15 seconds left when Miller drove the lane and was fouled.
The sophomore made both free throws to pull his team within 59-57.
After a Cashion foul, Alva’s Phillip Randall made one of two foul shots with 13 seconds to play.
Miller then sent the game into OT with his 3-pointer.
Once there, the Goldbugs outscored Cashion 11-4.
Vandruff scored 19 points to lead the Wildcats.
Miller scored 14 while Acord offered 13 points and eight rebounds to go with five steals.
Nabavi scored 11 before fouling out just before the end of regulation.
On Tuesday, Cashion hosted conference foe Fairivew, which left town with a 67-43 victory.
The visitors got out to a 16-5 lead and never surrendered it.
It was Fairview’s second win over Cashion this season.
“They’re just such a tough matchup for us,” Hardaway said. “They’re a very good 2A team and should be ranked, no matter their record.”
Fairview was 8-7 after the win. All but one loss is to a team ranked in the top-10 of their respective class.
Acord scored 10 and Nabavi nine for the Wildcats.
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Something had to give on Thursday.
Hennessey entered the game at Cashion with a sixgame losing skid.
The host team, meanwhile, had its own winless streak of four games.
It didn’t reach five. On the bulk of a massive first quarter, Cashion prevailed 50-37.
The Lady Wildcats found themselves up 25-8 after a quarter and pushed it to a 19-point advantage by halftime.
They moved their season record to 7-11 and confer-ence mark to 2-2.
Sophomore Madison Westerhoff led the team with 17 points.
Lauren Jenkins scored 15 and Megan Shafer 12.
Hennessey was paced by Yuridia Rios’ 12 points.
The Lady Eagles are now 7-10 and 0-5.
Cashion’s two most previous losses came in the last week including 46-29 to 3A’s ninth-ranked Alva at the Skordle Festival last Saturday.
Cashion got out to a 15-9 lead, but Alva held the Lady Wildcats to just seven points over the next two quarters and entered the fourth with a five-point lead.
The Ladybugs closed it with a 19-7 run.
Jenkins scored 13 for Cashion.
Fairview visited Tuesday and went home a 46-38 victor.
The Lady Jackets used a 12-2 second-quarter run to build a lead Cashion couldn’t overcome.
Lauren Jenkins scored 20 points to pace Cashion while Shafer notched 11.