Minus standout player, Bixby's girls rally past Sapulpa
BY MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Saturday, January 19, 2013
1/19/13 at 5:39 AM
BIXBY - The Bixby girls played without one of their big guns Friday night, but they still had another weapon on the floor.
With forward Stevi Parker sidelined by a nagging foot injury, guard Christina Devers scored 26 points, rallying the Class 6A No. 2 Spartans to a 41-39 win over No. 17 Sapulpa in Frontier Conference action at Whitey Ford Sports Complex.
"(Parker's) a big part of our offense, but we're not just a two-player team. We're a well-rounded team and I think that showed tonight," Devers said. The Central Arkansas signee also had nine rebounds and three steals.
Allie Alvstad chipped in seven points and six rebounds and Lexi Williams had a key steal for the Spartans, who trailed by as many as 12 points in the first half.
In boys action, senior guard Breyden Fivecoats scored 20 points and the Spartans pulled away in the second half to beat the Chieftains 53-43.
Bixby 41, Sapulpa 39 (girls): The Spartans had every reason to think they were goners after falling into a 23-11 hole in the second quarter.
With the 6-foot Parker, a University of Tulsa signee, out of action, the Chieftains controlled the boards and tormented the Spartans with pressure defenses, eventually forcing 23 turnovers.
But Devers provided an offensive spark and the Spartans (11-2, 6-1) held the Chieftains (6-7, 4-3) to only three points and no field goals over the final nine minutes.
"I liked the resiliency I saw from our team tonight. We didn't go away," Bixby coach Melody Stewart said. She said Parker's injury status is day-to-day.
Devers scored nine of the Spartans' 12 fourth-quarter points, tying the game at 39 with 4:09 left. But the go-ahead basket came from Brianna Reinholz, who scored on a backdoor cut with a pass from Alvstad with 1:30 left.
Sapulpa, which missed all nine attempts from the field in the fourth quarter, tried to work for a tying basket but was forced to foul after Williams' steal with 31.5 seconds left. The Spartans missed from the line, but the Chieftains could only manage a 3-pointer that fell short at the buzzer.
Brice Calip and April Glisson scored 17 and 10 to pace the Chieftains.
Bixby 53, Sapulpa 43 (boys): Fivecoats found room to drive through the Chieftains and scored 12 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter.
"Breyden is capable of having those kinds of games," coach Scott Padek said. "He's really our best athlete. He does a good job of driving and we did a good job of getting him the ball in the middle of the floor."
Junior 6-foot-7 Mitch Solomon added 15 for the Spartans (6-7, 2-5). Sammy Gottsch hit four 3-pointers and scored 14 to lead the Chieftains (3-9, 1-6).
BIXBY 41, SAPULPA 39 (girls)
| Sapulpa |
10 |
15 |
11 |
3 |
- |
39 |
| Bixby |
10 |
9 |
10 |
12 |
- |
41 |
Sapulpa: Calip 17, Glisson 10, Streater 8, Kerchee 2, Bacon 2.
Bixby: Devers 26, Alvstad 7, Reinholz 4, Williams 3, Knox 1.
BIXBY 53, SAPULPA 43
| Sapulpa |
13 |
7 |
4 |
19 |
- |
43 |
| Bixby |
15 |
8 |
12 |
18 |
- |
53 |
Sapulpa: Gottsch 14, B. Johnson 11, Marshall 10, Zachary 7, S. Johnson 1.
Bixby: Fivecoats 20, Solomon 15, York 11, Wilson 6, Warren 1.
Original Print Headline: Minus Parker, Bixby's girls rally past Sapulpa
Mike Brown 918-581-8390
mike.brown@tulsaworld.com
