Deer Creek’s Key Players From the Bishop McGuinness Tournament
Deer Creek lost in the consolation game to Santa Fe at the Bishop McGuinness Classic, but that isn’t a knock to how tough this team is. On Friday night, they played a Norman team that has underachieved this season and…
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Continue ReadingDeer Creek lost in the consolation game to Santa Fe at the Bishop McGuinness Classic, but that isn’t a knock to how tough this team is. On Friday night, they played a Norman team that has underachieved this season and trailed through the majority of the game. It was their tenacious mentality that kept them competitive throughout.
When talking about their tenacity, two players really stuck out: Junior guard Mason Blackburn and senior guard Jerry Tullis.
Blackburn was the most consistent for the Antlers on Friday night. He wasn’t necessarily a killer on the offensive end but he consistently hit shots to keep Deer Creek within arms reach of a Norman team that struggled offensively. Blackburn ended Friday’s game with 11 points and in the fourth quarter added 3 steals to help secure the comeback victory for the Antlers.
Tullis did a spectacular job doing the same thing, except his 11 points were backloaded until the final two quarters where he compiled 7 of his 11 points, most of which came in clutch situations where the Antlers desperately needed some offense.
Being the lead senior on the team, Tullis was looked to for leadership and provided that down the stretch, by making smart decisions and keeping his team calm during their second-half surge against Norman.
Deer Creek is 6-6 on the season but that isn’t reflective of how tough they are and how hard they play. Expect for Blackburn and Tullis to take Deer Creek some distance in the playoffs.