The Morris varsity basketball program came away with a split decision Tuesday night at Liberty (Mounds) High School.
The Lady Eagles, who entered Tuesday’s road game fresh off a sixth-place finish at last weekend’s Warner Eagle Cherokee Classic, returned to the win column on Tuesday with a 46-25 shellacking of the host Lady Tigers.
The Eagles, who also finished sixth at Warner last weekend, were unable to complete the road sweep, falling to the Class A No. 13 Liberty Tigers 67-55 in the nightcap.
The Morris squads were back in action Thursday evening, welcoming their arch rivals, the Henryetta Golden Knights and Lady Knights, to the Don Shoemake Sports Complex for a pair of county roundball contests.
Following Thursday’s showdown with Henryetta, the Eagles and Lady Eagles are scheduled to travel to Kellyville on January 16.
In Tuesday’s girls battle at Liberty (Mounds), the visitors came out of the opening frame with a narrow 11-10 advantage, then blanked the host Lady Tigers 13-0 in the second period for a commanding 24-10 halftime lead.
The Lady Eagles took the third quarter by a 10-3 margin to extend their lead to 21 points – 3423 – with eight minutes remaining in regulation.
The Morris ladies kept their 21-point margin at the end of regulation after both teams tallied 12 points in the final stanza with the Lady Eagles walking off the Lady Tigers’ gym floor with the 46-25 decision.
Fire Clark was the top scorer for the Morris ladies on Tuesday, finishing with a game-high 17 points. Lillian Giddens also recorded double-digit scoring for the Lady Eagles in the road win with an 11-point performance. Other Morris offensive contributors in the decisive win were Asiah Barnett with seven, Taylor Phillips five, and Kaylynn Lukenbill and Alexis Schell four apiece.
In Tuesday’s boys contest, the Eagles found themselves in an early double-digit deficit after being outscored 24-10 in the opening period. The host Tigers extended their lead to 40-15 at halftime after a 16-5 advantage in the second frame.
The Morris gentlemen attempted to overcome the huge deficit in the final two quarters of regulation, but only managed to cut the Liberty lead to 12 in the second half, outscoring the host Tigers by margins of 23-12 and 17-15, respectively, to wind up on the short end of a 67-55 outcome.
The Eagles were led offensively by Race Casey, who finished with a team-best 20 points. Tre Robinson joined Case in double figures on Tuesday with 10. Other Morris scorers in the road contest were Gage Adkins and Koen Burgess six apiece, Bobby Baker four, Robert Woods three, and Xavier Harjo, Braden Sparks, and Steven Bender two each.
— Girls Game Morris 46, Liberty (Mounds) 25 Morris: 11 – 13 – 10 – 12 (46) Liberty: 10 – 0 – 3 – 12 (25) Morris Scoring: Fire Clark 15, Lillian Giddens 11, Asiah Barnett 7, Taylor Phillips 5, Kaylynn Lukenbill 4, Alexis Schell 4.
— Boys Game
Liberty (Mounds) 67, Morris 55 Morris: 10 – 5 – 23 – 17 (55) Liberty: 24 – 16 – 12 – 15 (67) Morris Scoring: Race Casey 20, Tre Robinson 10, Gage Adkins 6, Koen Burgess 6, Bobby Baker 4, Robert Woods 3, Xavier Harjo 2, Braden Sparks 2, Steven Bender 2.
