What Sapulpa’s win over BTW means for the Chieftains
The Sapulpa Chieftains escaped Booker T. Washington with an 80-72 win against the first-ranked Hornets on Tuesday night. The result was a slew of quick judgements and conclusions from folks across the State. And while the ensuing stream of Twitter-users…
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Continue ReadingThe Sapulpa Chieftains escaped Booker T. Washington with an 80-72 win against the first-ranked Hornets on Tuesday night. The result was a slew of quick judgements and conclusions from folks across the State. And while the ensuing stream of Twitter-users providing their expert analysis in my mentions was exhausting, I do want to give some legitimacy to a few of those conclusions.
If you’ve followed the aftermath of this game, you may have an idea of how the game went. You also may have read my earlier column about how the outcome affects Booker T. Washington. If that’s the case, you know that my first observation is that the Hornets did not lose the game as much as Sapulpa won. While Booker T. Washington certainly had its share of blunders, Sapulpa deserves all the credit for the way it showed up Tuesday night.
My second observation draws from the first; Sapulpa’s high-tempo style of play was a key factor in the win. I call it like this: the only way to beat an explosive team – like Booker T. Washington – is to match that intensity. I wasn’t surprised when the Hornets won the tip and fired first at Sapulpa. What did shock me was the way Sapulpa fired right back at BTW. Even more captivating was the way Sapulpa continued to out-fire the Hornets. I knew that Sapulpa was a great team with plenty of upside. With one of the most talented back-courts in the state, nobody can question whether or not the Chiefs can play. However, I wasn’t expecting them to play BTW’s high-tempo, high-flying game. Furthermore, I had no foregone conclusion when I walked into the gym that Sapulpa would play the Hornets’ game better than they would.
Shooting was huge for Sapulpa as well. Sapulpa’s Camryn Dennis and Hunter Hoggatt shot the lights out, thanks in part to Jacoby Durant and Julian Smith‘s great passing and rotating. As a team, the Chieftains hit 9 total 3-pointers, with Dennis and Hoggatt each contributing 3 apiece. Meanwhile, BTW just couldn’t get the shot to fall as they ended the night with 3 total team 3s. They say you live and die by the three, and it’s pretty safe to say Sapulpa thrived by the 3.
These things considered, the win for Sapulpa becomes less diluted and more legitimized. The Chieftains made a statement Tuesday night that they’re tired of being underrated by many. They won a fair game against an unbelievably-talented team. I don’t count it as a fluke, but a proclamation from the Chieftains. They want everybody to know exactly who they are and should further be heralded as one of the top competitors in the East. The Chieftains will have an opportunity to capitalize on this win in the Bishop Kelley Tournament this weekend.