The Breakdown: Shawnee vs Norman
Shawnee and Norman met in the first round of regionals at Owasso High School. Norman came out hot forcing turnovers with a ¾ court press and they jumped out to a big early lead. However, Shawnee never batted an eyelash. They stayed calm and played their game. They chipped away at the lead and made a game of it in the third quarter where they went to the break with a one-point advantage. Norman and Shawnee both came out swinging in the fourth as they traded blows back and forth. Norman was the last man standing beating Shawnee 79-69.
The Press
Norman came out with a ¾ court press and Shawnee struggled to adjust to it at the beginning of the game. They turned the ball over 3 straight times to start the game and continued to struggle with it throughout the game. When Norman stopped pressing is when Shawnee made their big runs to get back into the game. Shawnee could not handle the pressure of the press and it showed with the amount of turnovers they had.
Carson Meier 2018 Shawnee Guard
Meier struggled in the first quarter. He could not seem to get his shot to fall until the second quarter rolled around Meier caught fire throughout the rest as he led his team in scoring. Meier is a great scorer when things are going good for him, but when he struggles he forces up bad shots. Meier is one of the best-unsigned players in the 2018 Class in the state of Oklahoma. Meier finished the game with 22 points on the night.
Jake Ogle 2018 Norman Forward
Ogle had ice in his veins for Norman. He was the best shooter on the night for Norman and the Tigers found him open on multiple occasions. He was good in transition for the Tigers as they pressed for most of the game. Ogle banged down low and used his size to get buckets but also stepped outside and showed his perimeter range.
Dayten Holman 2018 Norman Guard
Holman and Ogle combined for a majority of the Norman offense. Holman would force turnovers while pressing and get out fast on the break. As the game went on Holman just got better. He showed a clutch factor late in the game when Shawnee closed the lead. He picked up his game. He got better in the later moments and led Norman to victory in this regional matchup. Holman finished the game with a game-high 25 points.
Chase Morris 2018 Shawnee Forward
Morris played his role well for the Shawnee Wolves. He was not flashy and did not light up the score sheet, but he did what was asked of him. He did the dirty work, grabbing rebounds and playing physical defense. He showed his range hitting some open 3-pointers and played tough down low. Morris finished the night with 14 points.