CPHS Basketball: Jason Clark scores 24 against Bartlesville, next three games canceled

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It’s been a tough week for the Class 6A No. 15 ranked Charles Page High School boys’ basketball team (2-1, 0-1). On Tuesday they suffered a 75-56 upset in their Frontier Valley Conference opener at unranked Bartlesville (1-1, 1-1). On Wednesday they found out they would have to cancel all of their games through the new year.

On Monday the Sandites beat host Inola 56-44 in the first round of the Jerry O’Quin Tournament, and they were slated to play Stilwell in the semifinals on Thursday. They will be opting out of the remainder of that tournament, and will cancel their December 15th conference game at Muskogee due to a positive COVID-19 test on the team. The junior varsity boys game against Muskogee has also been canceled.

The feisty Bruins haven’t had a winning season since joining the FVC in 2014, but that hasn’t stopped them from playing the spoiler and stealing upsets from higher ranked teams almost annually. Neither team has gotten a clean sweep in a season with more than one meeting, and the Bruins’ Tuesday win tied the series at 6-6 in the Eric Savage era. Sand Springs will get the opportunity to avenge the loss on February 5th.

Sand Springs never led by more than three points, and had their last advantage at 12-9 late in the first quarter. Adam Nakvinda scored twelve points in that quarter for the Bruins, including the game-tying three and go-ahead bucket.

Despite playing from behind, the Sandites hung close throughout the first half. Marlo Fox tied it at 22-22 with a three and Cason Savage tied it at 28-28 with another three. Aadhi Ayyappan took the final lead with a three, David Castillo added two from the stripe, and the Bruins took a 33-31 advantage into the locker room after a three from Jason Clark.

Bartlesville put it away in the third quarter, however, outscoring the Sandites 23-11 after hitting three-straight threes to open the half on a 12-point run. They also won the fourth quarter 19-14.

The Sandites were outrebounded, outblocked, outshot, and committed more penalties, but they did win the turnover battle with 11 steals. Bartlesville shot 47% in the field, but the Sandite basket had a lid and they only shot 31%. Both teams did well at the charity stripe.

Jason Clark scored a career-high 24 points, more than his previous two games combined, to lead all scorers, and Fox added 11 points to put two Sandites in double digits. Nakvinda scored a career-high 23 to lead the Bruins, followed by Castillo with 20 and Jordan Carter with 11.

Sand Springs will aim to reopen their season January 5th with a conference road game at No. 20 Bixby (1-0, 1-0). Bartlesville will compete at the Bishop Kelley Invitational Thursday at 8:30 p.m. against the host team.

BHS 75 CPHS 56
1Q: BHS 16-12.
2Q: CPHS 19-17.
3Q: BHS 23-11.
4Q: BHS 19-14.
Free Throws: BHS 16-of-21, CPHS 15-of-20.
Field Goals: BHS 25-of-53, CPHS 18-of-58.
Offensive Rebounds: BHS 9, CPHS 10.
Defensive Rebounds: BHS 30, CPHS 17.
Total Rebounds: BHS 39, CPHS 27.
Steals: BHS 4, CPHS 11.
Blocks: BHS 2, CPHS 1.
Fouls: BHS 19, CPHS 21.

(Sand Springs)
Scoring: Clark 24, Fox 11, Oakley 7, Fisher 5, Shoemaker 5, Savage 3, Hawkins 1.
Offensive Rebounds: Hawkins 3, Fox 2, Fisher 2, Savage 1, Oakley 1, Corona 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Oakley 4, Savage 3, Fisher 3, Hawkins 2, Clark 2, Fox 1, Shoemaker 1, Stone 1.
Total Rebounds: Hawkins 5, Oakley 5, Fisher 5, Savage 4, Fox 3, Clark 2, Shoemaker 1, Corona 1, Stone 1.
Steals: Clark 3, Fox 2, Fisher 2, Hawkins 1, Savage 1, Oakley 1, Shoemaker 1.
Assists: Savage 4, Fox 3, Clark 1, Fisher 1, Shoemaker 1.
Block: Stone 1.
Fouls: Hawkins 3, Clark 3, Savage 3, Oakley 3, Fisher 3, Brockman 3, Stone 2, Coach Savage 1.

(Bartlesville)
Scoring: Nakvinda 23, Castillo 20, Carter 11, Smith 9, Ayyappan 6, Brown 4, Wahl 2.
Fouls: Nakvinda 5, Gilkey 4, Smith 3, Brown 2, Castillo 1, Wahl 1.