Panthers lose season finale, 81-73
Panthers lose season finale, 81-73
By Justin Scrimshire
ONL Sports Reporter
The 10th ranked Panthers hosted the 15th ranked Wewoka Tigers for the final game of the 2020 high school basketball regular season and the result was not what Okemah wanted to take into the post season.
The game stayed close throughout the first half, with the Panthers having the advantage at the end of the first quarter, 19-18. Wewoka went on a 7-0 run to close out the second quarter and took a 36-33 lead into halftime. The Panthers would not see the lead for the remainder of the game, briefly tying it early in the third quarter, before Wewoka pulled away for good, handing the Panthers their sixth loss of the season.
Cade Dean led the trio of Panther scorers during the first quarter with 11 points. Ethan Hodgens scored 6 points and Wacey Williams scored 2 as the Panthers clung to a narrow 19-18 lead.
The Panthers continued to lead before Wewoka tied the game with just one-minute left in the second quarter. The Tigers were able to add to that lead in the final seconds of the half and led 36-33 going into halftime.
During the second quarter Wacey Williams scored 4 points, Cade Dean and Kaiden Bear each had 3 points and Kurtis Wilson had 2 points.
The Panthers managed to tie the game back up with just under seven-minutes left in the third quarter before Wewoka started to pull away. In the final two minutes of the third quarter, Okemah was held scoreless during a Wewoka 9-0 run and the Panthers trailed by 13 points, 63-50.
Cade Dean and Kurtis Wilson each had 6 points during the third quarter while Ethan Hodgens scored 3 points and Wacey Williams scored 2 points.
Early in the fourth quarter, Wewoka enjoyed their largest lead of the night, 67-50. The Panthers fought their way back from that 17-point deficit but time was not on their side as the final buzzer sounded with 81-73 on the scoreboard.
Cade Dean led the fourth quarter scorers with 10 points. Kaiden Bear scored 6 points, Wacey Williams scored 3 points and Kurtis Wilson and Makhan Harjo each had 2 points.
The Panthers have a bye during the first round of the district playoffs and will play the winner between Porter and Hulbert in the District 6 championship game on Saturday, February 22nd at 8 p.m. in Porter.
