Fulton keeps Bulldogs’ perfect season intact with game-winning basket
The Okmulgee varsity basketball program played host to the KIPP-Tulsa Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs this past Monday evening for a pair of regular-season contests at historic Brock Memorial Gymnasium.
The host Okmulgee Lady Bulldogs fell to 1-2 on the year following a 66-22 loss to the visitors in Monday’s opening contest. In the nightcap, the host Okmulgee Bulldogs needed every second to improve to 3-0 on the year, using a late fourth-quarter rally, which included a game-winning basket by senior Jaxsun Fulton with 1.2 seconds remaining, to walk away with a thrilling 59-57 victory.
The Okmulgee cage squads were back in action Thursday at the 2023 Blue Sky Bank Cleveland Invitational Basketball Tournament. The Lady Bulldogs opened tournament play Thursday at 1 p.m. against the Metro Christian Lady Patriots, while the Bulldogs began tournament action Thursday at 5:30 p.m. against Santa Fe South.
In Monday’s girls contest against KIPP-Tulsa, the host Lady Bulldogs trailed 19-3 after one and 27-7 at halftime. The Okmulgee ladies were outscored 31-6 in the third quarter and edged the visitors 9-8 in the final frame to suffer the 66-22 setback.
Daijah Ghoston led the host Lady Bulldogs in scoring with six points, followed by Cora Love and Delazia Hammon with four each and Natori Yates, Caedence Smith, Brylee Edlin, and Victoria Montgomery with two apiece. In Monday’s thrilling boys contest, the Okmulgee gentlemen doubled up on the visitors 18-9 in the opening frame, while KIPP-Tulsa took the second stanza by an 18-13 margin to send the cage battle to the intermission with the host Bulldogs in front by four, 31-27.
The visitors took a 44-41 lead into the final quarter after outscoring the Okmulgee cage squad 17-10 in the third period.
The host Bulldogs trailed 57-53 late in the fourth quarter, then Nolan Yates began the comeback by making one of two free throw attempts with 50 sec- onds remaining in regulation for a 5754 contest. Twenty-two seconds later, Tyler Corn deadlocked the score at 57-57 with a left-corner, game-tying, 3-point basket.
After the Okmulgee defense forced a turnover late in the final frame, the Bulldog offense worked the clock down to the final seconds with Fulton driving towards the basket for the goahead scoring opportunity. Fulton’s shot attempt was slightly off the mark, but the senior standout recorded the offensive rebound and quickly put the putback shot attempt off the glass and through the basket for the go-ahead score with 1.2 seconds left.
After a timeout by the KIPP-Tulsa head coach, the final shot attempt by the visitors was off the mark to award the host Okmulgee Bulldogs the thrilling 59-57 victory.
Fulton was the top scorer for the Okmulgee gentlemen in the win, finishing with a team-best 23 points. Allen Thierry joined Fulton in double figures with 10, followed by Corn with nine, Jeremiah Harley seven, Joseph Robertson six, Malakhi Baccus three, and Yates one.
— Girls Game
KIPP 66, Okmulgee 22
KIPP: 19 – 8 – 31 – 8 (66) Okmulgee: 3 – 4 – 6 – 9 (22) Okmulgee Scoring: Daijah Ghoston 6, Cora Love 4, Dalazia Hammon 4, Natori Yates 2, Caedence Smith 2, Brylee Edlin 2, Victoria Montgomery 2.
— Boys Game
Okmulgee 59, KIPP 57
KIPP: 9 – 18 – 17 – 13 (57) Okmulgee: 18 – 13 – 10 – 18 (59) Okmulgee Scoring: Jaxsun Fulton 23, Allen Thierry 10, Tyler Corn 9, Jeremiah Harley 7, Joseph Robertson 6, Malakhi Baccus 3, Nolan Yates 1.
