It was a shocking night for Eisenhower basketball.
The Eagles were swept by Choctaw in a pair of road contests, a result not many expected given how well Ike has played recently. The girls suffered a harsh 60-37 loss, and the Yellowjackets surprised the boys with a nail-biting 62-61 win.
The Eagles will try to get back into the win column Friday with yet another road contest as they travel to Oklahoma City to take on Putnam City North. The action starts at 6 p.m. with the girls, and the boys will follow the conclusion with a 7:30 p.m. tip.
Elsewhere, Lawton High dropped a pair of contests to Midwest City. The girls fell to the Bombers, 59-31, and the boys were handled by a score of 83-54.
Choctaw defense smothers Ike girls
It was a rare off off night for the Ike girls.
Choctaw challenged the Eagles early and often, but Ike failed to answer in the surprising loss. It was the Eagles' lowest point production this season, having averaged 63.5 points per game coming into Tuesday. The previous low came in a 54-42 loss to Deer Creek in the Lady Jag Classic on Jan. 6.
It was a stark contrast from when the teams played each other on Dec. 15 at Ike's home gym. The Eagles won that contest, 55-41.
Ike coach Daniel Wall said his team failed to execute on both ends, for it committed more than 15 turnovers and was beaten on the glass. Furthermore, Ginger Reece and Jaeda Reed, who normally take care of most of the scoring load for the Eagles, were held to nine points combined.
"We didn't box out well, and they got way too many second-chance opportunities," Wall said.
"They're a really good shooting team, and they capitalized on (their opportunities). When you play a top-ranked 6A team and you don't play good defense or rebound, coupled with the fact we couldn't throw it in the ocean at times, it's tough.
Naomi Smith led Ike with 11 points.
Ike boys upset after lackluster performance
Ike couldn't catch a break.
If having a rough offensive night wasn't enough, the Eagles lost four of their five starters late in the fourth quarter in a tough 62-61 loss to Choctaw. Ike has now lost two-straight games for the first time this season — the first coming in a 75-68 loss to 5A No. 1 Memorial in the 'Prep Hoops Oklahoma' East vs. West Showcase on Saturday.
Point guard RJ Fisher, who returned to the lineup after missing the East vs. West Showcase for a college football visit to the Air Force Academy, was expected to give the Eagles the spark they needed, but even he wasn't immune to fouling out. As a result, he finished with only nine points in his re-debut.
Joining Fisher on the bench in the fourth were Antonio Gordon, Mark Berry and Kenneth Graham, who combined for 28 points. Kevin Farmer led the team with 13 points.
Despite a majority of the starting lineup missing the final few minutes, the bench nearly pulled out the victory.
The Eagles hit a shot with only three seconds remaining to take a 61-60 lead, but an untimely foul sent the Yellowjackets to the free throw line with less than a second left. Choctaw hit both, sealing the upset as Kinyon Parker's desperation 3-pointer fell short at the buzzer. Ike beat the Yellowjackets earlier this season, 72-56.
Eagles coach Todd Millwee said his team failed to adjust to the way the game was officiated. "It was called close, we had a few surprise fouls, and we didn't respond well," Millwee said. "You never know if the refs are going to call it close or if they're going to let you play, but that's our fault for not adjusting and not having composure."
Next on the schedule for Ike is Putnam City North, the No. 3 team in 6A. Millwee said the Eagles must learn from their recent funk if they are to recover and regain some momentum in the closing weeks of the regular season.
"How you respond shows the character of a team," Millwee said. "It could pull you together and get you really focused, so it'll be a big couple of days of practice for us. We haven't had a road stretch like this yet where we play a bunch of good teams on the road, which is what you have to do in the playoffs."