Warriors overcome Echo Dome deficit

Aaron West said his team wasn’t in the right mindset entering Friday night’s game.

Fairview made sure the Okarche Warriors got there really quick.

Despite falling behind 16-0, Okarche roared back to beat Fairview 63-60 on the road.

“We weren’t focused,” West said of his team entering the Three Rivers Conference contest.

“But we found a way.” The Warriors began their comeback in the first quarter and trailed by just seven points by its end.

They were still down six at halftime, but made their move in the third.

Okarche outscored the Yellowjackets 20-12 to take the lead.

It grew to as many as nine points late in the game.

“They played well and came out fast against us,” West said of the opponents. “They’re a really solid team and, with the right draw, I think they can make a good run in the 2A playoffs.”

One was at the free throw line.

Okarche was 18 of 22 from the charity stripe while Fairview made just 9 of 17.

Easton Roby was 6 of 8 as part of his nine points.

Wyatt Pinkerton and Jett Mueggenborg both went 4 for 4.

Okarche’s attack was mostly balanced.

Mueggenborg did lead the team with 19 points, but six Warriors scored at least six points.

Caden Schieber joined Roby in scoring nine while Hunter Mueggenborg chipped in eight.

Pinkerton and P.K. Harris each scored six and combined for 10 rebounds.

That win gave Okarche a 5-0 record in the conference.

The Warriors came back Saturday night to beat Strother 90-35 at home.

This time, Okarche took command early. It was up 34-8 after a quarter and 59-15 by halftime.

Jett Mueggenborg led five Warriors in double figures with 16 points.

Alex Hawk scored 15 while Hunter Mueggenborg added 14. Pinkerton chipped in 11 and Roby 10.

Okarche was 14 of 26 (53.8 percent) from 3-point range.

Hunter Mueggenborg went 4 of 6 while Pinkerton and Hawk both made all three of their attempts.

Okarche ended the weekend with a 20-2 overall record.

Lady Warriors grab pair of wins

Okarche’s win streak has hit a dozen games and the Lady Warriors have yet to lose this semester.

The two latest wins occurred over the weekend as the Lady Warriors beat Fairview 51-31 on the road Friday night and came back home Saturday to beat Strother 69-25.

ClassA’sseventh-ranked Okarche hasn’t lost since the second day of the Tournament of Champions on Dec. 28.

Since then the Lady Warriors have won a pair of tournaments and now sit at 18-4 overall and 5-0 in the Three Rivers Conference.

Emma Stover and Jadyn Rother combined for 35 points in that conference road win.

Rother scored 10 in the first quarter as the Lady Warriors staked a 13-8 lead.

It was a seven-point game at halftime, but Okarche steadily pulled away in the second half.

Stover scored nine in the fourth as Okarche outscored Fairview 18-10.

She was 7 of 9 from the foul line in the game and led all scorers with 19.

Rother scored 16. Strother is the 17thranked team in Class A and was able to hang with Okarche early.

The Lady Yellowjackets trailed just 15-10 after a quarter, but Okarche used a 20-3 run in the second quarter to put them away.

Jalie Rother scored seven points in that second quarter.

She finished with four 3-pointers and a game-high 18 points.

Stover scored 16 points while Tyson Endres chipped in 13 and Jadyn Rother 10.

McKenzy Gillespie led the visitors with 13 points.