Five Takeaways: Coweta vs. Claremore
Coweta 60 Claremore 56
In a night where you could not tell whose gym it was because of the traveling contingency of Claremore fans. The Claremore fans were loud throughout the game and showed a lot of pride in one of the biggest early-season matchups in the state. In the first quarter, both teams shot the ball well. It was a back and forth the first quarter which Coweta ended up taking the advantage. The second quarter belonged to the Zebras as they held the Tigers to 8 points in the quarter and shot the ball well from the perimeter. The third quarter was fairly even as both teams scored a lot of points in the paint. The fourth quarter was the most entertaining. Coweta stretched their lead to 7 at one point and the Claremore crept back within 2 with 30 seconds left in the game. Down the stretch, Coweta could not ice the game from the line as they shot 6-14 from the line in the fourth quarter. The Zebras had a chance to win when they missed a shot with 20 seconds left on the clock and then a foul stretched the lead for the Tigers as they took the night 60-56.
The Surprise
The surprise of the night goes to Gavin Underwood 2018 Guard. Underwood had a big-time game for the Tigers in their season opener. Underwood had a game-high 19 points in a big win in their Top 20 Matchup with Claremore. Underwood is a guard that can turn a game on its head at any moment. He showed his quality and if an MVP award was given out he would have won it. He hit big shots when the Tigers needed them tonight and showed a clutch factor that might be huge for the Tigers this season. He was consistent all night and is a guy that Small Colleges might want to keep an eye on throughout the year.
The Big Man
The big men in the game took over in the third quarter on. 2019 Post Andrew Keathley had a big second half scoring all 13 of his points in the final two periods. He scored 7 of his points in the third and looked very strong. Keathley looked the best overall player on the court in the game for Coweta and used his size and length (6’7) to affect the game in ways that do not show up in the stats.
He’s A Freshmen
While his older brother may have been the best player on the court, Caison Hartloff 2021 Guard had a big game for Claremore. He put in a big performance in his first ever high school game. Caison scored 14 points and showed a lot of poise when he hit some clutch shots for the Zebras late in the second half. Caison has a lot of potential and was easily one of the best players on the court. Caison is a player that people should keep their eye on.
The Best
Layton Hartloff 2018 Forward was easily the most talented player on the court. Tonight Layton may not have won the MVP award but he did turn in an impressive performance. He shot the ball well from distance whether he was guarded closely or not. His best run in the game was late in the second quarter when he hit three 3’s in a row to finish the half. Layton finished the game with 18 points. Layton is NCAA Division II quality player and schools should be keeping an eye on him as he looks to have a big year for the Zebras.
Senior Leadership
The Tigers were led tonight on the court by 2018 Guard Braden Norris. While Norris did not light up the stat sheet, he turned in a solid performance. He hit shots when he was left open and used his leadership to impact the game. Norris finished the game with 9 points. Keshun Blair 2018 Wing also had a big impact on the game that would not be noticed on the stat sheet. Blair showed leadership on the night and played tough defense against a good Zebra team. He forced the Zebras to take contested shots and forced turnovers throughout the night.