Union gets past Jenks for 6A area title
BY BARRY LEWIS World Sports Writer
Saturday, March 02, 2013
3/02/13 at 6:01 AM
CATOOSA - Union multi-sport standout Jeffery Mead was tired of losing to rival Jenks entering their showdown in a Class 6A area tournament title game on Friday night.
Mead had lost his last three games against Jenks starting with a setback in the state football semifinals last November and continuing in basketball as Jenks swept the two-game regular season series.
"We needed one win to get to state and we didn't want to play tomorrow," Mead said.
Mead, a 6-7 junior, led the defending state champion Redskins back to the state tournament that starts next Thursday in Tulsa as he had 27 points and seven rebounds in 12th-ranked Union's 70-57 victory over No. 5 Jenks at the Catoosa Indians Activity Center.
"He's elevated his game," Union coach Rudy Garcia said. "He's a big-time guy and we expect that out of him."
Josh Palmer added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Redskins (16-9).
John Jones and Steven Parker had 14 points each for Jenks (19-7), which will have another chance to qualify for the state tournament when it meets No. 17 Booker T. Washington at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Catoosa. The Hornets, with 29 points and 14 rebounds from Juwan Parker, advanced to the area consolation final with a 70-59 victory over No. 9 Bartlesville.
"In those first two games we had opportunities," Garcia said. "We had leads in those games, we just didn't make plays at times that would've allowed us to win."
Mead had 13 points and Palmer scored 12 in the first half to help the Redskins take a 34-27 lead into intermission. Union was in control for most of the second half and its lead was 60-49 midway through the fourth quarter, but Jenks tried to rally. Parker's trey and two free throws cut Union's lead to 62-57 with 1:56 left, but Union answered with a Mead layup on a pass from Alex Barton and Shawn Olden sank two free throws. Mead's dunk with 52 seconds left put an exclamation point on the Redskins' victory.
B.T. Washington 70, Bartlesville 59: Parker had 17 points in the third quarter to help the Hornets stretch their lead to 55-46. He finished 11-of-16 from the field.
"Juwan Parker wasn't ready to be done," Hornets coach Joe Redmond said, "When he's going like that we're awfully tough to beat."
Jakob Hartsock, who led Bartlesville (16-7) with 22 points and eight rebounds, sank consecutive treys to cut the Bruins' deficit to 59-54 midway through the fourth quarter before the Hornets (16-9) pulled away.
The Hornets, who lost both area games last year to fall short of the state tournament, bounced back from a 56-55 loss to Owasso last Saturday.
UNION 70, JENKS 57
| Jenks |
13 |
14 |
15 |
15 |
- |
57 |
| Union |
16 |
18 |
15 |
21 |
- |
70 |
Jenks (19-7): Jones 14, Parker 14, Seidel 12, Phillips 12, Clark 3, Prince 2.
Union (16-9): Mead 27, Palmer 18. Davis 7, Olden 7, Meier 5, Barton 3, Wannemacher 3.
B.T. WASHINGTON 70, BARTLESVILLE 59
| Bartlesville |
12 |
16 |
18 |
13 |
- |
59 |
| B.T. Washington |
19 |
15 |
21 |
15 |
- |
70 |
Bartlesville (16-7): Hartsock 22, Castillo 12, Smith 11, Bart 5, Shoemaker 5, Crowder 4.
B.T. Washington (16-9): Parker 29, Sims 19, Clark 8, Miller 6, Tease 6, Bitson 2.
Original Print Headline: Union gets past Jenks
Barry Lewis 918-581-8393
barry.lewis@tulsaworld.com
Associated Images:
Jenks' Luke Phillips (left) takes a shot under pressure from Union's Jeff Mead. MATT BARNARD/Tulsa World
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