The Game: Tulsa Memorial vs Northside Grizzlies
The Game Coming into the game you could tell that both teams were defending state champions. Tulsa Memorial being the three time defending state champion from Class 5A and Northside being the defending state champions from Arkansas. The atmosphere was…
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Continue ReadingThe Game
Coming into the game you could tell that both teams were defending state champions. Tulsa Memorial being the three time defending state champion from Class 5A and Northside being the defending state champions from Arkansas. The atmosphere was electric. From the warmups on both teams looked focused and locked in. Northside jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter leading by 7 after one. They held onto that lead because of a poor first half shooting performance by the Chargers as they fell down by 18 at the half. The third quarter was almost the exact opposite. The Chargers turned over the Grizzlies to cut a 20 point lead down to 6 with just under 3 minutes to play in the third. However, Northside responded and opened back up an 11 point lead by the end of the quarter. The Chargers could not overcome the circumstances after a big third quarter, foul trouble and missed opportunities ultimately gave the Grizzlies a 64-50 victory.
Tulsa Memorial
Memorial got into a spot that they are not into very often. They started trailing early and struggled to find the bottom of the net. While the shots were not falling for the Chargers they did not lack effort. Led by 2020 Guards Kavon Key, Will Hill and Brayshawn Finch the Chargers forced turnovers and did not back down they played aggressive defense and that caused them to fall into foul trouble early. The foul trouble did not get any better in the second half as Brayshawn Finch fouled out with 6:30 left in the game. Memorial also had to limit time for others because of their foul situation. The bright spot for Memorial is they got down big and did not flinch. They fought through adversity and started to play really well in the second half. They showed a lot of heart and leadership and it will be a big learning experience for the Chargers.
Northside Grizzlies
Northside did not hesitate to find their range. Coming out of the start their first bucket was from 23+ feet and that is what the Grizzlies found working for them. They had a strong first half shooting performance to jump out to their 18-point halftime lead. They shot especially well from downtown. Helped by having such a dominant presence by 2020 Forward Jaylin Williams they worked inside to out. If the shot was not their for him on the interior he kicked to one of the talented guards for them to knock down the trey. The second half did not come as easy for the Grizzlies. They struggled in the third quarter but overcame a big Tulsa Memorial run to keep control of the game. Despite the crowd going crazy the Grizzlies calmed down in the final quarter and was able to down a very good team.
Five Takeaways
The Tulsa Memorial Crowd
Tulsa Memorial is one of the best venues in high school basketball in the state of Oklahoma. Today was no different. Their facilities were great. The intangibles were great. All the little things a host does to make the game special is what to expect from Memorial. The Chargers crowd was something else today. They were loud from the very beginning. They stayed loud and heckled the other teams players to give their team every chance. No matter what the score was they were a factor in the game. They caused confusion and turnovers with their noise. They are one of the best crowds in the state.
Free Throws Win Games
Free throws are big in any game. This game was no different as Tulsa Memorial missed theirs and Northside did not. Tulsa Memorial struggled from the line in the first half as they fell down early. Northside could not miss in the first half. They built their lead off of Tulsa Memorial’s foul trouble. They got to the line at will in the first half and got such a big lead that the Charger’s just could not overcome it.
Kavon Key is Key
When Key is rolling and shooting the ball well the Chargers are in the game. When he struggles the whole team seems to feel that. In the first half of the game Key struggled shooting wise from the court. He brought a bunch of other attributes that every coach loves. He showed leadership in tough moments and brought out the best in his teammates. He lifted up his teammates despite them not agreeing with the officials or missing shots or whatever the adversity was. He showed a lot on the court tonight that will not show up on the stat sheet and that is invaluable to a charger team that is having to replace so much talent from last year’s squad. Key started to find his stroke in the second half and caused turnovers and knocked down big shots for the Chargers. Key finished with 20 points.
Jaylin Williams is the Big Man on Campus
Williams, 2020 Northside Center, was the best player on the court. He played with confidence and did not shy away from the spotlight. It is easy to see why he is one of the most talked about recruits in the nation. He took all of the abuse from the Chargers crowd and seemed to feed off of it. He was all over the court for the Grizzlies. He was killer on the inside with his size and could step out to the perimeter knock down shots from the perimeter. He also made the Chargers shoot from the perimeter because of his length on the defensive side. Williams dominance was displayed with his stats as he ended with 20 points and 16 boards.
Little Things Win Big Games
The statement says it all. If you do the little things your team will win big games. Things like free throws, turnovers, rebounds, effort and all of the fundamentals are what win games. The big little thing tonight was turnovers. The tide of the game followed the turnover battle. In the first half Northside dominated Memorial in the turnover column and continued to force turnovers with their ¾ court pressure. Turnovers and foul trouble got Memorial in hole that was just too big to overcome in the second half. Northside won the game because they handled the heat and responded. They did the little things and beat a really good Charger team.
(Stay tuned into PrepHoops Oklahoma for the Players to Know from this game.)