Sydney Pennington scores 22 as No. 3 Lady Sandites fall 61-57 to No. 9 Owasso

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 3 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (14-1) traveled to No. 9 Owasso (12-5) Friday night in a battle for the top spot in the Frontier Valley Conference, and the home team toppled the previously undefeated Lady Sandites 61-57 in a down-to-the-wire shootout.

Owasso 61 CPHS 57

1Q CPHS 18-11
2Q Owasso 17-8
3Q Owasso 14-12
4Q All 19-19

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Pennington 22, Regalado 11, Johnson 11, Kersgieter 8, McGee 5. (Owasso) Milton 29, Bhinhar 11, Williams 11, Culley 10.

Free Throws:
(Sand Springs) 13-of-17
(Owasso) 15-of-18
2PTs:
(Sand Springs) 17-of-30
(Owasso) 17-of-34
3PTs:
(Sand Springs) 3-of-16
(Owasso) 4-of-11
Fouls: (Sand Springs) 14 (Owasso) 14

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Pennington 2, Regalado 2, Johnson 1, Kersgieter 1.
Defensive Rebounds: McGee 8, Pennington 4, Regalado 3, Taber 2, Johnson 1, Kersgieter 1.
Steals: Johnson 2, Kersgieter 2, Pennington 1, Regalado 1.
Assists: McGee 2, Kersgieter 2, Pennington 1.
Blocks: Regalado 1.
Fouls: McGee 4, Johnson 4, Kersgieter 3, Pennington 2, Regalado 1.

The Sandites were lacking starting junior Gloria Mutiri, sitting out with a sprained ankle, and it showed. The Ohio State University-committed volleyballer averages 10.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The 6'1" center was replaced by 5'9" sophomore Isabella Regalado. Regalado pulled in 5 rebounds for the night, but her size left her with only one block, while Mutiri is notorious for spiking several throughout the night. 

Sand Springs rolled to an 18-11 first period lead with Sydney Pennington scoring 6 to lead all scorers.

The second period was an entirely different story, however, as the Rams came from behind for a 28-26 lead, guided by Terryn Milton with ten points. Sand Springs gave up three free throws to Milton early in the period and she didn't miss a shot. Owasso benefited from a pair of late turnovers for three-straight field goals from Milton, Mya Bhinhar, and Sierra Williams.

The Lady Sandites average a 24-17 halftime lead and hadn't trailed all season till that point.

Things didn't start out much better in the second half as Leiloni Culley scored the opening basket and built a 34-28 lead with a pair of free throws. It was back and forth from there, but Williams ended the period with a layup for a 42-38 advantage.

Kierra McGee hit a three point basket to start the final stanza. Bhinhar hit a pair from the charity stripe, Regalado did the same, then Pennington hit a layup for the 45-44 lead.

Culley took the lead right back, however, and the Rams wouldn't relinquish it till there was less than thirty seconds left. Pennington was a beast for the Lady Sandites in the fourth quarter with twelve points, the most scored by any player on either team in a single period. 

The last two minutes felt like a whole quarter. Milton hit a pair of ones to make it 57-53. Pennington added a pair of her own. The teams exchanged steals, then Owasso burned a timeout with 47 seconds left. A traveling call gave Sand Springs the ball. Destiny Johnson took the first shot, missed, Pennington rebounded, missed, rebounded again and sent it home to tie it up with 30 seconds remaining.

Then Johnson fouled Milton. The Lady Ram hit a pair with 22 seconds left, then Nylia Finch picked off a steal to seal the deal. Culley put the final points on the board and the Rams had toppled a giant.

Both teams are now 7-1 in conference standings.

The Lady Sandites will return to action next Tuesday at Jenks (5-10), then will host 5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (5-9) that Friday. Owasso will travel to No. 19 Sapulpa (6-8) next Tuesday and will host Muskogee (6-8) next Friday.

Oklahoma Men's High School Basketball: Week Ten Rankings and Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

No. 1 Union (Last week No. 1)

Union (15-0) has continued their undefeated season by hammering the only other undefeated team in their conference and winning their home tournament. They knocked off No. 9 Muskogee (11-2) 78-42 on Tuesday, then topped Holland Hall (8-8) 79-51, 5A No. 6 East Central (9-7) 74-39, and No. 10 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4) 61-53 at the Jenks/Union Tournament. The Redskins received 28 first-place votes.

Ethan Chargois averaged 25 points between the four games and broke 30 against Holland Hall and Santa Fe. Mo Garcia led the team against East Central with 19 and Adrian Rodriguez added 18. 

The Redskins hold the 12 offense, No. 1 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to No. 20 Sand Springs (7-8) Tuesday, then will host No. 13 Sapulpa (9-3) on Friday. 

The picks:
Union 59 CPHS 54.
Union 64 Sapulpa 56.

No. 2 Edmond North (2)

Edmond North (14-1) is the only other team still receiving first-place votes, with two. The Huskies topped No. 17 Mustang (8-6) last Tuesday, then swept the Carl Albert Tournament. They defeated 2A No. 19 Millwood (5-11) 85-49, No. 14 Norman (8-7) 78-63, and 5A No. 1 Carl Albert (14-1) 70-64.

Will Boyd scored a team-high 22 points against Millwood, while Marques Wilson scored 23 against Norman and 20 against Carl Albert. The Huskies hold the No. 3 offense, No. 12 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday at No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4).

The pick: EDN 63 ESF 60.

No. 3 Midwest City (3)

Midwest City (13-3) had a solid week, topping No. 7 Putnam City West (8-7) 90-62, Bixby (7-8) 86-47, and No. 14 Norman (8-7) 60-52, but falling 88-73 to 5A No. 1 Carl Albert (14-1). Keyshawn Embery led his team throughout the tournament with 35 points per game.

The Bombers hold the No. 2 offense and No. 5 margin of victory in Class 6A and will return to action Tuesday at Choctaw before hosting Enid on Friday. 

The picks:
MWC 80 Choctaw 50.
MWC 80 Enid 55

No. 4 Putnam City North (6) 

Putnam City North (12-4) went undefeated last week, beating 5A No. 14 Del City (7-9) 75-57 in a conference game and 62-59 in a tournament. They also hammered Edmond Memorial (7-8) 48-30 and topped No. 4 Westmoore (14-2) 59-48 to win the Bruce Gray Tournament. 

The Panthers hold the No. 6 offense and No. 11 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday at No. 10 Putnam City West (8-7). 

The pick: PCN 66 PCW 62.

No. 5 Westmoore (4)

Westmoore (14-2) picked up three wins over unranked opponents last week before falling 59-48 to No. 6 Putnam City North (12-4). They defeated Stillwater (8-8) 75-64, Ponca City (1-10) 70-25, and Putnam City (7-9) 65-49 and placed second at the Deer Creek Invitational.

The Jaguars hold the No. 4 offense, No. 6 defense, and No. 2 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday when they host No. 17 Mustang (8-6). 

The pick: Westmoore 58 Mustang 49.

No. 6 Norman North (5)

Norman North (9-3) picked up a trio of wins last week, but also an upset by an unranked team. They topped Deer Creek (6-9) 86-54, Coweta (5-10) 99-39, and 5A No. 3 El Reno (12-2) 72-63, but fell 80-77 to Stillwater (8-8). All-American Trae Young led the scoring in all four games, averaging 42.

The Timberwolves hold the No. 1 offense and No. 1 margin of victory in Class 6A and will return to action Friday at Edmond Memorial (7-8).

The pick: NN 75 EDM 50.

No. 7 Muskogee (9)

Muskogee (11-2) rebounded from a harsh 78-42 loss to No. 1 Union (15-0) by going undefeated at the John Nobles Tournament. They defeated New Way Christian 92-63, No. 20 Moore (7-8) 78-62, and No. 11 Broken Arrow (10-5) 60-57. Brooks Haddock averaged 18 points per game while Tyreece Berry contributed 15. 

The Roughers hold the No. 5 offense and No. 8 margin of victory in Class 6A and will host No. 18 Bartlesville (9-6) Tuesday before traveling to a rematch at Broken Arrow on Friday.

The picks:
Muskogee 60 Bartlesville 56.
Muskogee 57 BA 55.

No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (10)

Edmond Santa Fe (10-4) picked up a trio of wins last week before falling 61-53 to No. 1 Union (15-0) in the Jenks/Union Tournament finals. They defeated No. 12 Yukon (10-5) 79-72, Jenks (2-11) 64-49, and No. 8 Booker T. Washington (11-4) 63-60.

The Wolves hold the No. 14 offense, No. 7 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 14 Norman (8-7) Tuesday and No. 2 Edmond North (14-1) Friday.

The pick: ESF 59 Norman 57.

No. 9 Booker T. Washington (8)

Booker T. Washington (11-4) picked up a pair of quality wins last week and one close loss. They defeated Sunrise Christian Academy 60-35 and 5A No. 6 East Central (9-7) 56-48, but fell 63-60 to No. 10 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4). 

The Hornets hold the No. 10 offense, No. 16 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host Daniel Webster (5-12) Friday. 

The pick: BTW 70 Webster 45.

No. 10 Putnam City West (7)

Putnam City West (8-7) lost their only game last week, falling 90-62 to No. 3 Midwest City (13-3). The Patriots hold the No. 13 offense and No. 19 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday at No. 4 Putnam City North (12-4).

No. 11 Broken Arrow (11)

Broken Arrow (10-5) had a solid week, picking up three wins before falling 60-57 to No. 9 Muskogee (11-2) in the John Nobles Invitational finals. They defeated Jenks (2-10) 46-38 earlier in the week, then won their first two tournament games 75-29 and 51-41 over Harding Charter (11-7) and 3A No. 2 Douglass (11-3), respectively. Tony Hall led all scorers against Muskogee with 18 points. 

The Tigers hold the No. 18 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Tuesday at No. 16 Owasso (9-6), then will host a rematch with Muskogee on Friday. 

The pick: BA 53 Owasso 52.

No. 12 Yukon (12)

Yukon (10-5) fell 79-72 to No. 10 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4) early last week, then swept the Sweet Pea Classic, defeating Classen SAS (0-10) 95-55, 4A No. 12 Blanchard (12-4) 64-62, and 4A No. 3 Ada (12-2) 63-43. 

The Millers hold the No. 9 offense, No. 18 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Friday when they host No. 19 Stillwater (8-8). 

The pick: Yukon 61 Stillwater 55.

No. 13 Sapulpa (13)

Sapulpa (9-3) dropped a 60-55 upset to Stillwater (8-8) last week, but topped No. 18 Sand Springs (7-8) 72-68, Coweta (5-10) 64-53, and Choctaw (5-8) 70-59. Keenan Balance led the team with 23 points per game, followed by Julian Smith with 17 and freshman Trey Phipps with 13.

The Chieftains hold the No. 8 offense and No. 16 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host Bixby (7-8) on Tuesday, then will travel to No. 1 Union on Friday. 

The pick: Sapulpa 63 Bixby 59.

No. 14 Norman (14)

Norman (8-7) is coming off a so-so week with two wins and two losses. They topped Southmoore (3-12) 63-44 and 5A No. 13 Ardmore (8-9) 62-45, but fell 60-52 to No. 3 Midwest City (13-3) and 78-63 to No. 2 Edmond North (14-1). 

The Tigers hold the No. 15 offense, No. 10 defense, and No. 14 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Tuesday at No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (10-4), then will travel to Moore (7-8) Friday.

The pick: Norman 60 Moore 54.

No. 15 Lawton (15)

Lawton (10-4) went undefeated last week, topping 5A No. 16 Bishop McGuinness (5-9) 65-54 in a Tuesday night conference game, then swept the Altus Shortgrass Tournament. They defeated 5A No. 10 Lawton MacArthur (10-5) 64-60, HCYA Houston, Texas 82-37, and 3A No. 5 Star-Spencer (8-5) 64-57. 

The Wolverines hold the No. 11 offense and No. 17 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to 5A No. 5 Lawton Eisenhower (7-4) Tuesday, then will visit Choctaw (5-8) Friday. 

The picks:
Ike 65 Lawton 63
Lawton 61 Choctaw 60.

No. 16 Owasso (16)

Owasso (9-6) had a good week, topping Bixby (7-8) 62-50 and taking second place at the Interstate Classic. They defeated the Booker T. Washington JV team 62-29 and No. 18 Sand Springs (7-8) 58-56 before falling 53-46 to Bishop Miege.

The Rams hold the No. 4 defense and No. 15 margin of victory in Class 6A and will host No. 11 Broken Arrow (10-5) Tuesday and No. 20 Sand Springs Friday. 

The pick: CPHS 55 Owasso 54.

No. 17 Mustang (17)

Mustang (8-6) split games last week, falling 55-45 to No. 2 Edmond North (14-1) and 52-37 to Putnam City (7-9), but topping Ponca City (1-10) 47-40 and Deer Creek (6-9) 48-46. The Broncos hold the No. 3 defense in Class 6A and will return to action Tuesday at Moore (7-8) and Friday at No. 5 Westmoore (14-2). 

The pick: Mustang 54 Moore 51.

No. 18 Bartlesville (19)

Bartlesville (8-6) won a conference game at 5A No. 14 Bishop Kelley (6-6) 64-57 Tuesday, then went 2-1 at the Interstate Classic. They topped No. 18 Sand Springs (7-8) 63-53 and the Wichita Defenders 76-50, but fell 60-39 to Bishop Meige. Baron Tanner posted a season-high 28 points against Kelley.

The Bruins hold the No. 9 defense in Class 6A and will return to action Tuesday at No. 7 Muskogee (11-2) before hosting Jenks (2-10) on Friday. 

The pick: Bartlesville 59 Jenks 53.

No. 19 Stillwater (unranked)

Stillwater (8-8) had their best week of the season and cracked the rankings for the first time this year. They posted an impressive 75-64 performance against No. 4 Westmoore (14-2), then topped No. 13 Sapulpa (9-3) 60-55, No. 5 Norman North (9-3) 80-77, and 5A No. 8 Shawnee (8-4) 48-46.

The Pioneers hold the No. 11 defense in Class 6A and will return to action Friday at No. 12 Yukon (10-5).

No. 20 Sand Springs (18)

Sand Springs (7-8) had a rough week, topping Field Kindley 64-57, but falling 72-68 to No. 13 Sapulpa (9-3, 58-56 to No. 16 Owasso (9-6), and 63-53 to No. 19 Bartlesville (8-6). Junior Colt Savage averaged 25.5 points per game and Kyle Keener added 16.

The Sandites hold the No. 16 offense, No. 8 defense, and No. 13 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 1 Union (15-0) Tuesday, then will travel to Owasso for a rematch on Friday. 

Dropped out: Moore (20)

Conference Strength:

1. Big Ten (50.4)
2. Central Oklahoma (48)
3. Frontier Valley (45.5)
4. Green Country (41.2)
5. All-City (29.18)

No. 1 Union fends off late rally by No. 20 Sand Springs, Colt Savage scores 20

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 20 ranked Charles Page High School boys basketball team (7-9 overall, 1-6 conference) hosted No. 1 Union (16-0, 7-0) Tuesday night at the Ed Dubie Field-House and gave the undefeated Redskins a run for their money.

Union 75 CPHS 63

1Q Union 22-10
2Q Union 16-12
3Q CPHS 20-12
4Q Union 25-21

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Colt Savage 20, Keener 18, Cale Savage 11, Garbey 10, Taber 4. (Union) Chargois 22, Rodriguez 17, Jamerson 14, Garcia 12, McQuarters 4, Flood 4, Johnson 2. 

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Keener 8, Garbey 1, Colt Savage 1, Taber 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Colt Savage 1, Wash 3, Taber 1, Keener 1, Durkee 1, Golightly 1, Price 1. 
Steals: Taber 2, Keener 1.
Assists: Colt Savage 3, Taber 2, Garbey 1.
Blocks: Keener 3.
Fouls: Taber 4, Garbey 3, Colt Savage 2, Cale Savage 2, Price 2, Golightly 1, Keener 1.

The Sandites never led, but hung right behind their foes for half of the first quarter. Jacob Garbey and Kyle Keener posted the first points of the game for Sand Springs. Union led 11-5 after a pair of free throws from Mo Garcia and a field goal from McQuarters, but Colt Savage went three-for-three from the charity stripe to pull it back in close.

Then Union lit it up. Adrian Rodriguez scored eight points in the final minutes and Ethan Chargois got in on the action with a field goal. Keener hit a layup to end the period, but the Sandites trailed 22-10.

Keener started off the second quarter with another layup, but Union went right back to work with three baskets from Flood and a two from Jamerson. Sophomore Cale Savage cut into the lead with a pair of threes, but the Redskins furthered the divide to 38-22 by half time.

Chargois came out of the break pumped and hit back-to-back layups, but then Sand Springs decided to play one of their best quarters of the season. Colt Savage sank a three, Keener hit a layup and a pair of free throws, then Savage added yet another three to cut it to 42-32. Chargois got on the board once again after a Union timeout, but then Sand Springs went right back to work with goals from Keener, Colt Savage, and Josh Taber to make it 44-38. Rodriguez sank a two-pointer and a bonus shot, but Keener got the last goal of the quarter and entered the fourth period 50-42. 

The Sandites outscored the Redskins 20-13 on field goals in the fourth quarter, but the Redskins made the most of their free throw opportunities and scored 12 points from the charity stripe to retain their lead. Overall, Union was 21-of-28 on free throws for the evening, which may very well be what won them the game.

Chargois led all scorers with 22 points, followed closely by Colt Savage with 20, Keener with 18, and Rodriguez with 17. 

The Redskins will travel to No. 13 Sapulpa (9-3) Friday, while the Sandites will travel to No. 16 Owasso (10-6). Owasso prevailed over the Sandites 58-56 this past weekend at the Coffeyville Interstate Classic. 

No. 3 Lady Sandites throttle Union 78-58, Kersgieter and Johnson score 17 apiece

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

CPHS 78 Union 58

1Q CPHS 28-13
2Q CPHS 19-14
3Q CPHS 23-10
4Q Union 21-8

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Kersgieter 17, Johnson 17, Pennington 14, Mutiri 13, McGee 7, Regalado 7, Collins 2, Taber 1. (Union) Malham 14, Thomas 8, Knapp 7, Choice 5, Moyer 5, Miller 4, Collins 4, Benson 4, Majidi 3, Burgess 2, Banks 1, Carr 1.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Mutiri 4, Johnson 2, Kersgieter 1, Regalado 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Mutiri 5, Kersgieter 4, Johnson 3, Taber 3, Pennington 1, McGee 1, Regalado 1, Grant 1, Solis 1. 
Steals: Pennington 3, Kersgieter 3, Mutiri 2, Taber 2, Johnson 1, McGee 1, Collins 1, Solis 1.
Assists: Kersgieter 5, Taber 2, Pennington 1, Johnson 1, McGee 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 1, Kersgieter 1, Johnson 1.
Fouls: Kersgieter 3, Johnson 3, Pennington 2, McGee 2, Regalado 2, Taber 2, Mutiri 1, Collins 1.

The No. 3 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (14-0) continued their incredible season with a 78-58 victory over the No. 13 Union Redskins (9-6) Tuesday evening at the Ed Dubie Field-house. The Lady Sandites are one of only two undefeated teams left in Class 6A and they don't show any signs of dropping a game any time soon. The girls led by as much as 35-points before running the bench in the final stanza. Head Coach Dustin Morrow didn't play a single starter for the final six minutes and still rolled to a double-digit victory.

The Lady Sandites missed their first couple of shots and let Sadie Moyer draw first blood with a three-point field goal, but then they opened the floodgates. Gloria Mutiri and Sydney Pennington both posted two and Destiny Johnson scored five to make it 9-3 before DeAsia Thomas hit two from the charity stripe. From there the Sandites went on yet another nine-point run with three-straight goals by Kierra McGee before Thomas broke it up with a two to make it 18-7.

Holly Kersgieter scored five and Isabella Regalado sank her first three-pointer of the night to make it 27-9 before letting the Redskins back into contention. Union scored six-straight, but Mutiri got in the last word, 28-13. The second quarter was a tad closer, though still in the Sandites' favor and the home team carried a 47-27 advantage into half time, led by Kersgieter with 12 points and 7 assists and Mutiri with 11 points and 8 rebounds.

Johnson stole the show in the third quarter, scoring eight points in the first two minutes. Mutiri scored another basket but left the game with a hurt ankle three minutes into the half. By the end of the third quarter the Sandites were up 70-37. Johnson added two more baskets early in the fourth quarter, but by the 6:00 minute mark the last of the starters were retired for the evening. The Redskins won the fourth quarter 21-8, but were too far gone to make a comeback. 

Kersgieter and Johnson led all scorers with 17 points apiece, followed by Pennington with 14 and Taylor Malham with 14 for the Redskins. Eight Sandites got in the scorebook and twelve saw action, while twelve players posted points for the Redskins. Sand Springs will return to action Friday night at No. 9 Owasso (11-5), who just topped No. 14 Broken Arrow (9-7) 48-41 tonight. Union will host No. 19 Sapulpa (6-9) Friday night. 

Oklahoma Girls High School Basketball: Week Ten Rankings and Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The official week-ten rankings have been released by the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association and there's still three teams vying for the top spot. Three teams received first-place votes, two are undefeated overall, and five are undefeated in Class 6A. Last week we were 15-3 with our picks and sit at 82% this season.

No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (Previously No. 1)

Edmond Santa Fe (15-0) retained the top spot for the third-straight week and received their highest number of first-place votes to-date, with 26. The Wolves went undefeated at the John Nobles Tournament this weekend, defeating Southmoore (3-13) 59-28, No. 20 Ponca City (7-5) 64-47, and No. 6 Norman North (9-4) 55-42. 

Santa Fe holds the No. 6 offense, No. 3 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in Class 6A and will return to action Tuesday when they host No. 11 Norman (11-4) and Thursday when they host No. 17 Edmond North (9-6).

The picks:
ESF 50 Norman 44.
ESF 50 EDN 44.

No. 2 Choctaw (2)

Choctaw (12-1) is still undefeated in Class 6A and pulled in four first-place votes after hammering Putnam City (7-9) 71-43. The Yellowjackets hold the No. 1 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 1 margin of victory in 6A and will play three games this week. They will host No. 12 Midwest City (10-6) Tuesday and Lawton (3-8) Thursday, then will travel to Putnam City North (2-13) on Friday.

The picks:
Choctaw 54 MWC 41
Choctaw 70 Lawton 40
Choctaw 62 PCN 39

No. 3 Sand Springs (3)

Charles Page High School (13-0) pulled in a first-place vote for the sixth-straight week after going undefeated at the Coffeyville Interstate Classic. Kierra McGee led with 12 in a 67-15 win over Field Kindley and 14 in a 68-21 victory over Nathan Hale, while Destiny Johnson topped the team with 16 in the 53-39 Championship victory over Life Prep Academy. 

The Lady Sandites hold the No. 4 offense, No. 1 defense, and No. 2 margin of victory in 6A and will host No. 13 Union (9-5) Tuesday before traveling to No. 9 Owasso (10-5) on Friday. 

The picks:
CPHS 54 Union 44
CPHS 54 Owasso 42

No. 4 Deer Creek (5)

Deer Creek (14-1) is still undefeated in Class 6A and swept their home tournament this past weekend. They defeated No. 6 Norman North (9-4) 44-41 earlier in the week, then topped Putnam City North (2-13) 73-33, Putnam City (7-9) 56-52, and No. 14 Mustang (8-6) 70-48 at the Bruce Gray Invitational. 

The Antlers hold the No. 7 offense, No. 8 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to Southmoore this Friday. 

The pick: DC 54 Southmoore 40

No. 5 Putnam City West (4)

Putnam City West (14-2) is still undefeated in Class 6A, but suffered their second loss of the season at the Jenks/Union Invitational this weekend. Earlier in the week they topped No. 12 Midwest City (10-6), then they overcame Jenks (3-10) 62-52 before falling 59-49 to 3A No. 3 Holland Hall (16-0). In the consolation finals they topped the OKC Storm 62-46. Ce'Nara Skanes led the Patriots throughout the week with an average of 22 points per game.

The Lady Pats hold the No. 2 offense, No. 16 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to Putnam City North (2-13) this Friday. 

The pick: PCW 80 PCN 43

No. 6 Booker T. Washington (7)

Booker T. Washington (13-4) came in runner-up this weekend at the Union/Jenks Tournament, defeating No. 15 Broken Arrow (9-6) 33-29 and the OKC Storm 59-30 before falling 50-38 to 3A No. 3 Holland Hall (16-0). 

The Hornets hold the No. 5 offense, No. 4 defense, and No. 5 margin of victory in Class 6A and will host Daniel Webster (2-13) this Friday.

The pick: BTW 75 Webster 21.

No. 7 Norman North (6)

Norman North (9-4) fell 44-41 to No. 5 Deer Creek (14-1) and came in runner-up at the John Nobles Tournament, topping Lawton (3-8) 63-23 and Moore (8-7) 58-54, but falling 55-42 to No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (15-0). The Timberwolves hold the No. 10 offense, No. 10 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in Class 6A and will travel to No. 10 Edmond Memorial (11-5) Friday and No. 18 Yukon (10-5) Saturday.

The picks:
NN 48 EDM 44
NN 50 Yukon 47

No. 8 Westmoore (9)

Westmoore (13-4) went undefeated last week with several quality wins. They defeated Stillwater (4-12) 62-39, then won the Carl Albert Titan Classic. They topped 5A No. 11 host Carl Albert (9-6) 86-42, 5A No. 14 Del City (6-10) 73-56, and No. 12 Midwest City (10-6) 51-39.

The Jaguars hold the No. 3 offense, No. 14 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 15 Mustang (8-6) Friday.

The pick: Westmoore 55 Mustang 46

No. 9 Owasso (10)

Owasso (10-5) picked up a 51-43 victory over Bixby (4-10) last week, led by Terryn Milton with 22 points. The Rams hold the No. 18 offense and No. 19 margin of victory in Class 6A and will host No. 14 Broken Arrow (9-6) Tuesday and No. 3 Sand Springs (13-0) Friday. 

The pick: Owasso 44 Broken Arrow 43.

No. 10 Edmond Memorial (11)

Edmond Memorial (11-5) topped Moore (8-7) 52-48 last week before competing in the Bruce Grey Tournament at Deer Creek. They topped the Deer Creek JV 39-24, fell 48-37 to No. 14 Mustang (8-6), then topped Putnam City (7-9) 56-37. 

The Bulldogs hold the No. 11 defense and No. 18 margin of victory in Class 6A and will host No. 7 Norman North (9-4) on Friday.

No. 11 Norman (8)

Norman (11-4) split wins last week, topping Southmoore (3-13) 57-38 and 5A No. 14 Del City (6-10) 38-33, but falling 36-35 to No. 12 Midwest City (10-6) and 54-50 to 5A No. 11 Carl Albert (9-6) in overtime. Bethany Franks led the Tigers against Carl Albert with 19 points.

The Tigers hold the No. 12 offense, No. 9 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Tuesday when they travel to No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (15-0) and No. 19 Moore (8-7) on Friday.

The pick: Norman 49 Moore 44.

No. 12 Midwest City (12)

Midwest City (10-6) split wins last week, topping Millwood (9-7) 41-38 and No. 8 Norman (11-4) 36-35, but falling 52-40 to No. 4 Putnam City West (14-2) and 51-39 to No. 9 Westmoore (13-4). The Bombers hold the No. 13 defense and No. 16 margin of victory in Class 6A and will travel to No. 2 Choctaw (12-1) Tuesday and will host Enid (5-10) Friday and 5A No. 14 Del City (6-10) Saturday. 

The picks:
MWC 55 Enid 25.
MWC 50 Del City 43.

No. 13 Union (13)

Union (9-5) topped Muskogee (5-8) 57-45 early last week, but had a rough time at their home tournament. They fell 53-49 to OKC Storm, and 39-32 to No. 15 Broken Arrow (9-6) before overcoming Jenks (3-10) 55-42. Taylor Malham averaged 16 points per game and posted 28 against Muskogee.

The Redskins hold the No. 14 offense, No. 20 defense, and No. 14 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to No. 3 Sand Springs (13-0)  and will host No. 19 Sapulpa (6-8) Friday. 

The pick: Union 52 Sapulpa 46.

No. 14 Broken Arrow (15)

Broken Arrow (9-6) topped three conference foes last week. They defeated Jenks (3-10) 45-34, then competed at the Union/Jenks Tournament where they fell 33-29 to No. 7 Booker T. Washington (13-4) but topped No. 13 Union (9-5) 39-32 and No. 19 Sapulpa (6-8) 49-46. Jalise Smallwood averaged 11 points per game including 22 against Jenks.

The Tigers hold the No. 6 defense in Class 6A and will travel to No. 9 Owasso (10-5) Tuesday before hosting Muskogee (5-8) on Friday. 

The pick: Broken Arrow 49 Muskogee 48.

No. 15 Mustang (14)

Mustang (8-6) topped No. 18 Edmond North (9-6) 55-52 earlier in the week, then came in second at the Deer Creek Tournament. They defeated 5A No. 20 Bishop McGuinness (8-6) 63-41 and No. 11 Edmond Memorial (11-5) 48-37 but fell 70-48 to the host team.

The Broncos hold the No. 17 offense, No. 18 defense, and No. 15 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Tuesday at No. 19 Moore (8-7), then will travel to No. 8 Westmoore (13-4) on Friday. 

The pick: Mustang 47 Moore 46.

No. 16 Bartlesville (16)

Bartlesville (8-6) topped 5A No. 15 Bishop Kelley (5-8) 52-22 and took second in the Fort Gibson Tournament. They defeated Okay (13-7) 58-15 and 4A No. 5 Broken Bow (11-4) 47-43 before falling 43-29 to 4A No. 1 Ft. Gibson (14-0). Jena Williams averaged 14 points per game and Lauren Richter had 11.

The Bruins hold the No. 5 defense and No. 12 margin of victory in Class 6A and will travel to Muskogee (5-8) Tuesday before hosting Jenks (3-10) on Friday.

The picks:
Bartlesville 48 Muskogee 44.
Bartlesville 52 Jenks 41.

No. 17 Edmond North (18)

Edmond North (9-6) fell 55-52 to No. 14 Mustang (8-6) last week, but swept the NEO Tournament. They blew out Miami (1-11) 80-28, topped 4A No. 11 Roland (13-3) 49-37, and edged out Coweta (6-9) 45-44. 

The Huskies hold the No. 11 offense, No. 12 defense, and No. 11 margin of victory in 6A. They will travel to No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (15-0) Friday. 

No. 18 Yukon (17)

Yukon (10-5) fell 59-32 to No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (15-0) early last week, but swept the Jones Tournament. They topped John Marshall (5-9) 68-45, Bethel (8-8) 62-34, and 3A No. 17 Jones (10-2) 47-42. 

The Millerettes hold the No. 16 offense, No. 17 defense, and No. 15 margin of victory in 6A and will host Stillwater (4-12) Friday.

The pick: Yukon 59 Stillwater 43.

No. 19 (tied) Moore (unranked)

Moore (8-7) fell 52-48 to No. 11 Edmond Memorial (11-5) and 58-53 to No. 6 Norman North (9-4), but topped Durant (4-10) 56-37 and No. 20 Ponca City (7-5) 52-51. The Lions hold the No. 20 offense and No. 19 defense in 6A and will host No. 15 Mustang (8-6) Tuesday and No. 11 Norman (11-4) Friday. 

No. 19 (tied) Sapulpa (19)

Sapulpa (6-8) had a rough go over the last week, falling 61-36 to No. 3 Sand Springs (13-0), 55-44 to 3A No. 3 Holland Hall (16-0), and 49-46 to No. 15 Broken Arrow (9-6), but picked up a 64-50 win over Jenks (3-10). Kiarra Brooks averaged 11 points per game, followed by Taylor Dement and Ray Osborn with 9 apiece.

The Chieftains hold the No. 19 offense in 6A and will host Bixby (4-10) Tuesday before traveling to No. 13 Union (9-5) Friday. 

Dropped Out: Ponca City (20)

Frontier Valley Conference Men's Basketball Standings, Week Nine

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The 2016-2017 season is well under way and the Frontier Valley Conference is as competitive as ever. Eight out of ten FVC teams are ranked within their divisions and the Union Redskins are currently the undefeated unanimous pick as the No. 1 team in the state. They are also the only remaining team undefeated in conference play. The FVC is currently ranked third out of the five 6A conferences in overall strength.

No. 1 Union (12-0, 6-0) holds the best defense in the whole state, allowing only 48 points per game, on average. They have the third-ranked offense in the conference and win by an average of 15.8 points. In the last two weeks they have topped Bishop Kelley 65-42, Owasso 62-39, and Muskogee 78-42. SMU-commit Ethan Chargois scored 22 against both Kelley and Muskogee, but sat out Owasso with a hand injury. In that game Mo Garcia stepped up to lead the team with 20 points. 

No. 9 Muskogee (8-2, 5-1) holds the second-best offense in the conference and the fourth-highest margin of victory. In the last two weeks they have topped Sand Springs 47-42 and Jenks 85-59, but were just hammered 78-42 by Union in what was expected to be a somewhat close match. Brooks Haddock has been the consistent top dog this season and posted 27 against Jenks, but could only muster a team-best 12 against the Redskins. Tyreece Berry has been back in action since the new year and led the team with 18 against Sand Springs. 

No. 13 Sapulpa (7-2, 4-1) has the top-rated offense in the conference, averaging more than 68 points per game. Both of their conference games this year have been close ones, 59-57 over Broken Arrow and 72-68 over Sand Springs. Keenan Balance led the Chieftains to a come-from-behind victory over their archrivals from Sand Springs with 23 points, closely followed by Keenan Balance with 21. Balance also posted a team-best 20 points against Broken Arrow.

No. 11 Broken Arrow (8-4, 4-2) holds the second-best offense in the conference, third in the state, allowing only 49.1 points per game for the third-best margin of victory in the FVC. The Tigers have had a tough start to 2017, falling 59-57 to Sapulpa and only topping Jenks 46-38 in a game that saw the entire starting line benched by a frustrated head coach. Make no mistake, the powerhouse program is still a solid contender for the conference title if they can over come Muskogee next week. 

No. 19 Bartlesville (6-5, 3-2) is middle of the pack both offensively and defensively, but has still managed to come out on top more often than not. The Bruins fell 76-68 to Bixby in triple overtime last week and had their game against Sapulpa canceled due to weather, but got back in the win column Tuesday with a 64-57 victory over Bishop Kelley. Barron Tanner has been the top dog in both of the last two games, scoring 23 against Bixby and 28 against Kelley. 

5A No. 14 Bishop Kelley (4-6, 2-4) has done a good job keeping up with the 6A public school competitors, but dropped both of their last two conference games. The Comets hold the fourth-best defense in the FVC, but fell 65-42 to Union and 64-57 to Bartlesville. Ryan Gendron posted 18 against Bartlesville, closely followed by Alex Woodruff with 17. 

No. 16 Owasso (7-5, 2-4) got off to a rough start with four straight losses to start the season, but have been making a solid comeback since the new year. After topping 5A No. 6 East Central (8-5) and No. 8 Booker T. Washington (9-3) to sweep the Skiatook Invitational, the Rams returned to conference play with a bang. They defeated Jenks 66-52 and Bixby 62-50, but fell 62-39 to Union. Jake Thompson posted 10 against both Jenks and Union, with 15 against Bixby. Josh Proctor led the team with 16 against Jenks and 13 against Bixby. Courtre led against Bixby with 17 and also had 12 against Jenks. 

Bixby (5-7, 2-4) won a 76-68 triple-overtime shootout with Bartlesville, but fell 76-71 to Sand Springs and 62-50 to Owasso. Will Fiser scored 17 against Bartlesville, 22 against Sand Springs, and 11 against Owasso. 

No. 18 Sand Springs (6-6, 1-5) notched their first conference win with a 76-71 performance against Bixby, but fell 47-42 to Muskogee and 72-68 to Sapulpa after leading for most of the game. The Sandites have the fourth-best offense and third-best defense in the conference. Colt Savage posted 20 against Muskogee and Sapulpa and 34 against Bixby. Jacob Garbey had 21 against Bixby and Kyle Keener had 21 against Sapulpa. 

Jenks (1-9, 0-6) is still looking for their first conference win, despite a 21-point performance from Cole Surrett against Owasso and a 17-point performance from Eli Harris against Broken Arrow. The Trojans fell 66-52 to Owasso, 85-59 to Muskogee, and 46-38 to Broken Arrow. 

Conference Strength:

1. Big Ten (51.5)
2. Central Oklahoma (48)
3. Frontier Valley (45.4)
4. Green Country (43.1)
5. All-City 32.09

FVC Leading Scorers (points-per-game)

1. Colt Savage (Sand Springs) 21.2
2. Brooks Haddock (Muskogee) 20.7
3. Keenan Balance (Sapulpa) 19.9
4. Eli Harris (Jenks) 19.7
5. Caleb Huffman (Broken Arrow) 18.9
6. Julian Smith (Sapulpa) 17.1
7. Ethan Chargois (Union) 17.1
8. Kyle Keener (Sand Springs) 16.6
9. TyReece Berry (Muskogee) 16.3
10. Josh Proctor (Owasso) 15.8

January conference schedule:
1/24 Union @ Sand Springs
1/24 Bartlesville @ Muskogee
1/24 Broken Arrow @ Owasso
1/24 Bixby @ Sapulpa
1/24 Bishop Kelley @ Jenks
1/27 Sapulpa @ Union
1/27 Muskogee @ Broken Arrow
1/27 Sand Springs @ Owasso
1/27 Jenks @ Bartlesville
1/27 Bishop Kelley @ Bixby
1/31 Bixby @ Union
1/31 Muskogee @ Bishop Kelley
1/31 Broken Arrow @ Bartlesville
1/31 Owasso @ Sapulpa
1/31 Sand Springs @ Jenks