CPHS Basketball: Sandites fall 71-50 to Southwest Christian Academy

The Class 6A No. 8 ranked Charles Page High School boys’ basketball team (5-1) suffered their first defeat Friday night at the Tulsa Memorial Veterans Arena Invitational. After their first 5-0 start since 2015, the winning streak came to a close with their first-ever loss at the tournament, which they have been attending since 2015.

Sand Springs lost 71-50 to Southwest Christian Academy (6-3) out of Little Rock, Arkansas. The Lions had an average height of more than six inches on the Sandites, and it showed in almost every statistical category. The Southwest roster boasted thirteen players from nine different countries, all above 6’0”, with multiple Division I recruits.

The Sandites were without leading-scorer, 6’4” junior Davon Richardson, and 6’6” sophomore Jaden Hurd got his first varsity start. Cale Savage led the Sandites in scoring for the third time in his career with twelve points. Marlo Fox had ten points as the only other Sandite in double-digits. Senior Kason Hughes came off the bench for a career-best seven points, all in the fourth quarter.

6’10” Western Kentucky-commit Nick Ongenda put the Sandites on notice with a dunk mere seconds into the game, then 6’09” Belarus-native Enoch Boarkye made a three-point play off a foul from Hurd for the 5-0 lead.

Cole Durkee hit a three-pointer to get Sand Springs on the board and Savage hit two from the stripe and one from deep for their only lead of the game. Jathen Mills tied it up and the Lions surged back out front with a ten-point streak before Savage drained another three. Savage and Fox scored four more from the stripe to tie it at 15-15 after one quarter.

Southwest opened the second period with a fourteen-point run and closed on a six-point streak for a staggering 40-24 halftime advantage, led by Ogenda with twelve. Cale Savage also had twelve for the Sandites, but while Southwest had eight players in the scorebook, Sand Springs only had four.

Things didn’t improve for Sand Springs in the third quarter and the Lions went on a 11-3 run to close out the period with a comfortable 56-35 lead. The fourth period was another 15-15 tie.

Sand Springs shot a season-low 33% in the field, but went 13-of-17 at the charity stripe. They were out-rebounded 36 to a season-low seventeen, but came up with ten steals and committed only thirteen fouls.

The Sandites will return to action Saturday at 1:30 p.m. against the HFC (Hoops For Christ) Warriors (6-7) out of Oklahoma City. The Warriors are coming off a 87-56 loss to tournament host 5A No. 1 Memorial (6-2).

SWCA 71 CPHS 50
1Q All 15-15
2Q SWCA 25-9
3Q SWCA 16-11
4Q All 15-15
Free Throws: CPHS 13-of-17, SWCA 9-of-16.
Field Goals: SWCA 27-of-50, CPHS 15-of-45.
Offensive Rebounds: SWCA 7, CPHS 5.
Defensive Rebounds: SWCA 29, CPHS 12.
Total Rebounds: SWCA 36, CPHS 17.
Steals: CPHS 10, SWCA 7.
Blocks: SWCA 5, CPHS 1.
Fouls: CPHS 13, SWCA 18.

(Sand Springs Stats)
Scoring: Cale Savage 12, Fox 10, Minney 8, Durkee 8, Hughes 7, Hurd 4, Hawkins 1.
Offensive Rebounds: Quier 1, Minney 1, Durkee 1, Hurd 1, Hawkins 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Cale Savage 3, Fox 3, Durkee 2, Hurd 2, Hawkins 2, Cason Savage 1.
Total Rebounds: Cale Savage 3, Fox 3, Durkee 3, Hurd 3, Hawkins 2, Quier 1, Minney 1, Cason Savage 1.
Assists: Fox 3, Cale Savage 1, Minney 1, Hawkins 1.
Steals: Hawkins 3, Cale Savage 2, Minney 2, Quier 1, Fox 1, Durkee 1.
Blocks: Hawkins 1.
Fouls: Minney 5, Hurd 4, Fox 2, Durkee 1, Hawkins 1.

(Southwest Christian)
Scoring: Ongenda 14, Sims 11, Krupalija 9, Chen 9, Plotnikov 8, Mijoljcic 6, Boakye 5, Stojanov 4, Gashi 3, Mawein 2.