Warriors earn big comeback win
Okarche erases 15-point deficit to defeat OCA; McDowell dominant for OHS girls
OKARCHE’S Kaleb Harris (above) drives toward the basket during his team’s homecoming win against Oklahoma Christian Academy last week. Harris was crowned homecoming king prior to the game.
The Lady Warriors’ Rachel McDowell (right) scored 28 points in her team’s victory. She scored 19 in the third quarter. [Photos by Russell Stitt/www.stitt.smugmug.com
Aaron West said it was like watching two different teams.
The Okarche boys basketball coach watched his Warriors dig themselves a 15-point deficit last Friday night only to come away with a 54-44 homecoming win against Oklahoma Christian Academy.
“It was a tale of two halves,” West said. “We were two completely different teams.”
Behind Tyler Toth, OCA raced out to a 16-6 fi rst-quarter lead and saw it grow to 29-14 at one point.
Toth had 12 points in that dominant fi rst quarter as the Eagles took advantage of Okarche miscues.
Okarche was able to close the half with a 5-0 run and then dominated the second half.
It began in the third quarter as Okarche cut its deficit to three points and then outscored OCA 19-6 in the fourth.
“We stopped turning it over, played good defense, created turnovers and boxed out well,” West said of the second half. “We were hanging on by a string in that fi rst half.”
The Warriors got 16 points from Logan Kroener, all after the fi rst quarter.
Kaleb Harris went 4 of 6 from the foul line in the fourth and finished with 11.
KobyMingusandLandon Goble scored eight apiece.
Toth led OCA with 14 points. He managed just two points over the fi nal three quarters, including none in the second half.
“The guys never quit. They played with heart and passion out there,” West said. “They refused to lose.”
Okarche is 3-2 after its second straight win.
McDowell, Lady Warriors take over in 3rd quarter
Okarche mirrored senior Rachel McDowell in its big 74-44 win over Oklahoma Christian Academy last Friday.
They were solid in the first half and dominant in the third quarter.
Okarche held OCA scoreless in the fi rst quarter and led 26-8 at halftime.
Then the Lady Warriors - and McDowell - turned on the afterburners.
Okarche outscored OCA 33-11 in the frame to build up a 59-19 lead.
McDowell scored 19 of her game-high 28 points in the quarter.
She was the only Okarche player in double figures, but nine different Lady Warriors scored.
Ryen Wittrock and Sage Griswold scored nine points apiece. Marlo Hunt and Tyson Endres added seven each.
Prior to the game, Hunt and Harris were crowned homecoming queen and king.