Okarche splits with Preston

Okarche got a win on the scoreboard but suffered a loss in its lineup all in one night.

The Lady Warriors controlled the second half last Friday to pull away from Preston 57-48 at home.

Emma Stover scored 16 of her game-high 25 points in the second half to help break open what was a tie game at halftime.

However, senior Karsyn Vallerand also went down with a knee injury during the game.

Vallerand had already missed time in her career with a torn ACL, but this injury was to her “other” knee.

Early indications were this injury wasn’t an ACL, but could involve the PCL and meniscus, according to coach Haley Mitchel.

“We’ll know more later this week after an MRI,” Mitchel said.

A back-and-forth first half saw Okarche begin to heat up in the second quarter.

Six different Lady Warriors combined for 15 points.

Five more scored in the third quarter as Okarche outscored the Lady Pirates 21-16, but it was another aspect of the game that spurred Okarche.

“We started to rebound the ball a lot better in the second half and I feel like that’s what started to turn it in our favor,” Mitchel said.

Stover scored 10 points in the third and had half of her team’s 12 fourth-quarter points.

Adyson Arms scored nine points for the Lady Warriors and Jalie Rother scored eight.

3-point shoot woes doom Warriors in loss

Okarche and Preston were close to even in nearly every statistical category last Friday in the basketball season opener for both teams.

Except one.

The visiting Pirates knocked down 10 3-point field goals to just three for Okarche.

That resulted in a 72-58 victory for Preston.

“We’ve got to be able to make more shots,” coach Aaron West said after his team went 3 for 19 (15.8 percent) from beyond the arc.

The Warriors fell behind early as Preston built an 18- 10 lead after a quarter and then pushed it to 39-28 by halftime.

It was a 19-point advantage after three quarters.

Okarche struggled to slow down Malachi Ligons and Jervais Smith.

Ligons scored 26 points and Smith 20.

The Warriors were able to force 20 turnovers and scored 20 points off of them.

However, they also committed 18 of them.

The Warriors, who shot 42 percent overall, were led by Evan Endres 13 points before he fouled out.

Hunter Mueggenborg scored 11 and P.K. Harris added 10.

Brayden Stover scored eight points to go with five rebounds and five assists.