CPHS Basketball: Undefeated Boys win 10th-straight at Ponca City, Minney/Fox score 20 each

Josh Minney guards a player at the Enid Holiday Classic. (Photo: Scott Emigh). Minney scored a team-high 20 points against Ponca City Saturday evening.

The undefeated Class 6A No. 6 ranked Charles Page High School boys’ basketball team improved to 10-0 Saturday evening at Allen Robson Field House with a non-conference 58-54 shootout against Ponca City (4-7). 

Junior Marlo Fox and senior Josh Minney led the Sandites with 20 points apiece. It was Fox’s eighth time leading the team this season, and his fourth 20-point game. It was Minney’s first time leading the team this year, and his season-best performance.

Minney kicked off the game with a contested layup, but the Wildcats were quick to respond. Justin Thompson scored one on a steal, put back another, then drilled a three for a 9-4 advantage before the Sandites found their rhythm. Jaeden Hurd, Cason Savage, Davon Richardson, and Minney went on an eight-point run for the lead before Ponca tied it up at 12-12 to end the quarter. 

The Wildcats took an 18-14 lead against the Sandite second string before Fox rejoined the game and scored nine. Anthony Gazaway scored a free throw to break up to the run, but Minney and Hurd closed out the half at 28-21. 

Fox made a three-point play to start the second half with their first double-digit lead, and the game soon devolved into a three-point shootout led by Gazaway with four. There were six threes and two traditional threes in the third quarter alone, then Issac Valencia and Steven Faulkner hit back to back threes to start the fourth quarter 48-41. 

Yet another three from Faulkner made it 52-51 with 3:41 to play, then Justin Thompson took the Wildcats’ first lead of the half with a three at 1:38. Cason Savage quickly tied it up and Hurd made the go-ahead basket. Thompson fouled out to send Fox to the line with thirteen seconds, but Fox made both shots to put the game out of reach at 58-54. 

Gazaway led all scorers with 22 points, followed by Faulkner and Thompson with 11 apiece.

Sand Springs will return to action Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. with a huge Frontier Valley Conference home game against No. 8 Jenks (6-1, 1-1). The Sandites are 2-0 in conference action, while Jenks’s only loss of the season is to top-ranked Booker T. Washington. Ponca City will host U.S. Grant (2-8) Friday the 17th at 7:30 p.m.

CPHS 58 POHI 54
1Q: All 12-12.
2Q: CPHS 16-9.
3Q: CPHS 20-17.
4Q: POHI 16-10.

Free Throws: CPHS 10-of-15, POHI 4-of-6.
Field Goals: CPHS 22-of-49, POHI 19-of-44.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 6, POHI 6.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 17, POHI 20.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 23, POHI 26.
Steals: CPHS 10, POHI 3.
Blocks: CPHS 3, POHI 6.
Fouls: CPHS 9, POHI 12.

(Sand Springs stats)
Scoring: Fox 20, Minney 20, Hurd 8, Savage 6, Richardson 4.
Offensive Rebounds: Fox 2, Hurd 2, Richardson 1, Minney 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Richardson 5, Minney 4, Hurd 3, Hawkins 2, Fox 1, Savage 1, Stone 1.
Total Rebounds: Richardson 6, Minney 5, Hurd 5, Fox 3, Hawkins 2, Savage 1, Stone 1.
Steals: Richardson 3, Minney 3, Savage 2, Fox 1, Hurd 1.
Assists: Fox 2, Richardson 2, Savage 2, Minney 1, Hurd 1.
Blocks: Richardson 2, Fox 1.
Fouls: Fox 4, Richardson 2, Savage 1, Hurd 1, Hawkins 1.

(Ponca City partial stats)
Scoring: Gazaway 22, Thompson 11, Faulkner 11, Crandall 3, Valencia 3, Dye 2, Porter 2.
Fouls: Thompson 5, Valencia 3, Faulkner 2, Crandall 2, Seals 1, Gazaway 1, Dye 1.