Dogs, Lady Dogs unable to overcome early deficits in double-digit setbacks
The Okmulgee varsity basketball program suffered a pair of double-digit losses at home Tuesday evening.
The home defeats came at the hands of the Commandos and Lady Commandos of Tulsa’s Cascia Hall Prepatory Academy.
Tuesday’s regular-season battle with Cascia Hall was originally scheduled to take place January 16 in Tulsa, but was pushed back two weeks and location changed due to inclement weather that blanketed the state on January 13 and 14.
Both Okmulgee cage squads found themselves in early double-digit deficits and were unable to overcome the sluggish offensive start to suffer defeats of 62-30 and 7150, respectively, to their foes from Cascia Hall.
The Okmulgee squads are scheduled to return to action Saturday at home against county rival Henryetta in a special 3 p.m. start time at historic Brock Memorial Gymansium. The Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs will also be at home Tuesday against Seminole, then will close out their regular-season schedule with back-to-back road games at Tulsa Central next Friday and Beggs February 13.
In Tuesday’s girls battle with Cascia Hall, the visitors took the opening frame by a 21-8 margin, then outscored the host Lady Bulldogs 19-2 in the second quarter to send the teams to the halftime break with Okmulgee down by 30 points, 40-10.
The Okmulgee ladies attempted to overcome the huge deficit in the second half, but were outscored 22-20 in the final two periods to suffer the 62-30 setback.
Delazia Hammon led the Lady Bulldogs in the scoring column with eight points. The other Okmulgee players to produce points in the home loss were Kalacee Rangel, Cora Love, and Timara Stacy with four apiece, Caedence Smith three, Victoria Montgomery, Cyann Powell, and Mallory Rivas two each, and Natori Yates one.
In Tuesday’s boys showdown with Cascia Hall, the Bulldogs found themselves in an early 21-4 deficit after the first eight minutes of action. The Okmulgee cage squad caught fire offensively in the second period, outscoring the Class 3A No. 4 Commandos 19-8 in the frame for a 6-point halftime deficit, 29-23.
The Bulldogs were unable to get any closer in the second half, as Cascia Hall took the final two quarters by margins of 22-12 and 2015, respectively, to hand the Okmulgee gentlemen the 71-50 defeat.
The Bulldogs were led in scoring by the senior duo of Allen Thierry and Jaxsun Fulton with 18 and 13 points, respectively. Other Okmulgee scorers on Tuesday were Malakhi Baccus with six, Nolan Yates five, Jeremiah Harley four, and Larry Yahola and Joseph Robertson two apiece.
— Girls Game
Cascia Hall 62, Okmulgee 30
Cascia Hall: 21 – 19 – 15 – 7 (62) Okmulgee: 8 – 2 – 10 – 10 (30) Okmulgee Scoring: Delazia Hammon 8, Kalacee Rangel 4, Cora Love 4, Timara Stacy 4, Caedence Smith 3, Victoria Montgomery 2, Cyann Powell 2, Mallory Rivas 2, Natori Yates 1.
— Boys Game
Cascia Hall 71, Okmulgee 50
Cascia Hall: 21 – 8 – 22 – 20 (71) Okmulgee: 4 – 19 – 12 – 15 (50) Okmulgee Scoring: Allen Thierry 18, Jaxsun Fulton 13, Malakhi Baccus 6, Nolan Yates 5, Jeremiah Harley 4, Larry Yahola 2, Joseph Robertson 2.
