TofC Notebook: Filling the scorecard
BY MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Monday, December 31, 2012
12/31/12 at 3:46 AM
Cushing senior Che'Ron Lewis enjoyed one of the greatest individual games in girls TofC history Saturday, going for 28 points and 18 rebounds in a 57-53, third-place win over Jenks.
Her rebound total was the fourth-highest in the 14-year history of the girls tourney. Her 28 points tied for the No. 10 individual game.
Lewis also tied Sapulpa's Alyssia Brewer (2007) for the second-highest three-game rebounding total with 42. She came into the tournament averaging 12.5 rebounds.
"She's a rebounding machine," coach Brad Crace said.
Suspended: Edison coach Michael Parish said suspending senior guard Don Simmons for Saturday's third-place game against Booker T. Washington "was the right thing to do."
Simmons, who scored 45 points in two games, was involved in a brief exchange with officials while headed to the locker room after the Eagles' semifinal loss to Roland.
"He was probably feeling mixed emotions over seeing a family member ejected from the arena during the game and having a technical foul called against him," Parish said.
Simmons received a technical foul for taunting after hitting a 3-pointer that gave Edison the lead early in the third quarter. The technical also counted as his fourth personal foul, and he sat out the remainder of the third quarter before returning to score 10 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter.
Parish said Simmons also will be held out of the next game, vs. Central on Jan. 8.
Collecting hardware: Verdigris won the consolation (fifth-place) trophies on both girls and boys sides. The boys team downed Class A No. 1 Weleetka 63-44 Saturday and the girls beat Erick 34-29.
Cade Upshaw and Blake Battenfield finished sixth and seventh in tournament scoring with 51 and 48 points, and were chosen All-Tournament second team.
Said Battenfield: "I remember watching (former Verdigris standout Rotnei Clarke) play here when I was in middle school. I always wanted to play in this tournament, so it was a dream come true."
