Eisenhower's RJ Fisher looks to make a pass during a recent intracity game. The senior led the Eagles to an easy win over the Bishop McGuinness JV team in the first round of the Shortgrass Tournament.
It is once again tournament time for high school basketball teams in Lawton, with both MacArthur squads and the Eisenhower boys advancing to the semifinals of their respective brackets.
The Mac girls began Thursday's action with newfound energy, defeating Cache by a 51-43 score in the first round of the "Sweet Pea" Newcastle Tournament, setting up a matchup with tourney host and Class 4A No. 14 Newcastle at 7 p.m. Friday for a spot in the championship round. The Racers beat Heritage Hall, 55-30.
Meanwhile, the Highlander boys cruised by inter-state foe Houston HCYA, 84-54, in the 46th Annual Clester Harrington Shortgrass Tournament in Altus and will play 3A No. 2 Star-Spencer at 6:30 p.m. Friday in the semis. The Bobcats thrashed OKC Storm South.
The Ike boys experienced similar success in Jackson County on the opposite side of the bracket, handling Bishop McGuinness' JV in an 87-31 decision. The 5A No. 4 Eagles have an opportunity to score another victory when they take on Altus in the Shortgrass nightcap at 8 p.m.
Mac girls scrape past Cache
The fire is finally back for the Mac girls.
Mac, No. 6 in 5A, has experienced energy problems recently, but the Highlanders overcame their struggles against Cache, returning to their old ways in an exciting 51-43 victory. The win was Mac's second of the week, improving its record to 9-4 on the season.
Highlanders coach David Vann said his team showed signs of problems early in the contest, but the girls maintained their poise.
"We were like we were before the Christmas Break," Vann said. "We were running, and we were getting out on the break. We kinda got a little shaky toward the end with some turnovers, but overall, I was proud of the girls."
McKenzie Washington (17) and Sydney Gunter (10) combined for more than half of Mac's offensive production, but the Highlanders resorted to unconventional methods late in the game.
Nearly every starter fouled out in the fourth quarter, forcing the Highlanders to rely on the bench to seal the victory.
"We kind of got a little worried, but the girls who came off the bench did a great job — they helped us out," Vann said. "But we put up 51 points, and that's the most important part."
Sydney Bolin led Cache with 13 points.
Mac now turns its attention to a talented Newcastle squad. The Racers (10-4) split their past four games and hold 1-4 record against teams in the Top 20 of their respective classes, which bodes well for the Highlanders.
"They are well-coached," Vann said. "Playing against a team that's pretty good usually brings out the best in us, so hopefully we'll come out and be ready to go. We should be able to win that game, too."
Mac boys throttle Texas homeschool
The Mac boys are finding their groove at the right time.
The Highlanders (9-4) suffered a 32-point loss to Eisenhower after a fourth quarter collapse just last week, but they have since taken the necessary steps to make sure a similar outcome doesn't occur again.
Mac showed its unshakable resolved against Houston HCYA, disposing of the Texas homeschool in a dominating 84-54 performance at the Shortgrass Tournament.
Mac trailed by five early in the contest, but a defensive switch and the offense settling down was all it took for the Highlanders to blow it open. Mac led by nine points at halftime, but went on to outscore Warriors in the second half, 49-28.
"It is really hard to get motivated to play when it's 2 p.m. and there's seven people in the stands, but we got going and switched our defense a little bit," Mac coach Marco Gagliardi said. "When we switched to a different defense, I felt like our energy picked up and we got a few steals."
Nearly every Highlander got in on the action, with 11 of the 12 players finding the basket at least once. Sep Reese led the way with 23 points, while Nasir Kemper added 12 points and Danquez Dawsey contributed 10.
"We had a contribution from everybody," Gagliardi said. "It was really balanced scoring."
Ike boys blast McGuinness JV squad
Being the No. 1 seed in a tournament has its perks.
The Ike boys know all about that, as they crushed an outmanned Bishop McGuinness JV squad, 81-37, in the Shortgrass on Thursday.
The Eagles (9-1) are averaging 91 points through four games in 2018. They managed 69 points per game prior to the new year.
Although he enjoys when his team is tested on the court, Ike coach Todd Millwee said his team deserved an easier game after running the gauntlet for most of the season.
"We feel like we earned the top seed, and getting to play one of the lower seeds in tournaments is one of the benefits of that," Millwee said. "It's kind of hard, mentally, to get your guys up for playing a JV team when they're used to playing a topped-ranked team every night, but I was proud of the way the guys came out and communicated."
Antonio Gordon (20), Kenneth Graham (11) and Kinyon Parker (10) all scored in double figures. RJ Fisher also had a big game, coming up one point shy of a triple-double with nine points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists.