News and Notes: Broken Arrow returns home
By Staff Reports
Monday, January 14, 2013
Broken Arrow will host Union
on Tuesday. It will be the first
game in Broken Arrow’s gym
since renovations that included
installing portable baskets and
new scoreboards.
The 6A No. 4 Tigers practiced
in their home gym last
Wednesday for the first time
in three weeks. Broken Arrow
coach Rusty Stecker likes what
he has seen during a sevengame
winning streak.
“We’re headed in the right
direction,” Stecker said. “We’ve
just got to keep improving on
a daily basis. What I like most
about our team is how they pull
for each other on the court and
off the court. Our chemistry is
extremely good. There is a lot of
ball movement and unselfishness.
“It’s a group of kids that get
along well and there’s not any
kind of internal battles. They
like each other, they play hard
for each other and play well as
a team.”
Fresh start: After 10 losses,
Sand Springs picked up its first
win of the season, 60-54, over
Vinita in the Skiatook Invitational
on Friday. A 17-0 run in
the fourth quarter broke open a
tie game.
“Those first five minutes of
the fourth quarter were probably
the best we’ve played as
a team this season,” Sandites
coach Mike Bynum said. “We
needed this win.”
The Sandites viewed the Skiatook
tournament as a relaunch
of the season.
“During Christmas break,
we emphasized starting over
again,” Bynum said. “We made
a bunch of changes both in
philosophy and basketball.“
Sand Springs’ leading scorer
is junior Ashton Palmer, who
averages 17 points.
“He is a student of the game,”
Bynum said. “He is a very intelligent
basketball player and one I
can rely on. He’s our go-to guy.”
Coaching milestones: Fort
Gibson’s Gary Hendrix picked
up his 500th career coaching
victory Friday and Burlington’s
Randy Turney his 600th boys
win Saturday. Earlier this season,
Verdigris’ Randy Upshaw
reached 500 career wins and
Putnam City’s A.D. Burtschi
picked up his 700th win.
Impact player: Wagoner junior
center Ya’Aquoob King saw his
first action of the season in the
Oologah tournament and had
19 blocks in three games to help
the Bulldogs finish third. The
6-6 King was sidelined due to a
broken wrist.
Big game: Achille’s Austin
Beene set an unofficial school
record with 45 points and 10
rebounds plus six assists in an
80-77 loss to Victory Life last
Tuesday. Beene averages 28.5
points.
TPS adds pre-sale games: Tulsa Public Schools announced
that tickets for McLain’s home
games against Hale on Thursday,
Webster on Friday and Edison
on Jan. 29 will be available
only on a pre-sold basis. Tickets
must be purchased in advance
from those participating
schools. Other pre-sold games
are McLain at Memorial on Feb.
1 and Booker T. Washington at
Central on Feb. 8.
Associated Images:
Union’s Shawn Olden grabs a rebound during the Redskins’ game against Roland during the Tournament of Champions on Dec. 29. JAMES GIBBARD / Tulsa World
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