Sports

UNION CITY – A slow offensive start to each half and gaps in its perimeter defense were a killer combination for Union City High School’s boys basketball team in last week’s 51-43 loss to Class B's 16th-ranked Lookeba-Sickles.

The Panthers raced out to a 19-7 lead after one period as Union City had only four shots and one basket by Braydon Armstrong over the first five minutes. The Tigers did close the gap to eight points briefly in the second period, but trailed 34-24 at break.

UNION CITY – Coming back off a 14-day break, Union City High School’s girls basketball team had the tall task of facing Class B’s third-ranked Lookeba-Sickles.

Union City added to that task by committing 17 second-half turnovers, 10 of which were steals by the Panthers, leading to a 76-32 loss.

The Tigers slipped to 2-3 on the season and 0-3 in the Washita Valley Conference standings.

Lookeba-Sickles used the turnovers to outscore the Tigers 39-18 over the final two periods after building a 37-14 halftime lead.

Redlands Community College women’s basketball team shot 46 percent from the field against Eastern Oklahoma State College, but the Cougars netted only two baskets from behind the 3-point arc in a 102-75 loss.

The setback to the Mountaineers dropped Redlands to 5-4 on the season and 1-2 in the NJCAA Region 2 standings.

The Cougars made 28-of-60 shots including a 2-of-12 effort (17 percent) from long distance. Redlands was 17-of-25 from the free-throw line for 68 percent.

Despite shooting 60 percent from the free-throw line and squandering a double-digit lead in the first half, Redlands Community College men’s basketball team defeated Eastern Oklahoma 84-80.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak as the Cougars improved to 7-5 overall and 2-1 in the NJCAA Region 2 standings.

Redlands built a double-digit lead in the first half before the Mountaineers pressure defense closed the gap to three points in the final five minutes.

However, the Cougars hit several late 3-pointers to push the advantage back to 45-33 at the break.

El Reno High School’s girls basketball team will debut one of the best 1-2 guard punches in Class 5A Friday night when the Indians host Shawnee for the 2021-22 season opener.

Ashlyn Evans-Thompson and Tetona Blackowl are two of the three returning starters off last year’s state semifinal team which went 15-6 and spent most of the COVID-19 shortened season ranked in the top 20.

“A lot of what we do will go through them because they are the best ball handlers and have the most experience,” said El Reno head coach Jennifer Douglas.

Rafe Goucher is living a football player’s American dream.

A dream with humble roots as a ball boy for El Reno High School’s football team. One which later traveled through an All-State career for the same Indians program and is now playing out in Kansas at Emporia State University.

“I would say it’s been as close to a dream as you can get,” said Goucher.

El Reno High School’s boys basketball team hosted Weatherford last week in a varsity, junior varsity scrimmage at Jenks Simmons Field House.

Each period lasted 10 minutes. The Indians won two of the first three periods.

Bouncing back from its first conference loss of the season, Redlands Community College women’s basketball team defeated Paris Junior College last week 74-62.

The 12-point win over the Texas-based college avenged an earlier loss to the Dragons. Redlands is now 5-3 on the season heading into the Thanksgiving holiday break.

The Cougars return to the court Monday for a home twinbill with Eastern Oklahoma State College, with the women’s game set for a 5:30 p.m. tipoff, followed by the men’s game.

El Reno is set to open the 2021-22 basketball season on Dec. 3 at home against Shawnee.

It will also open up Suburban Conference play for the Indians.

CALUMET – It took nearly six minutes for Calumet High School’s boys basketball team to shift its high-powered offense into gear against an upset-minded Hammon squad.

Yet, when the Chieftains hit their stride, it quickly became a runaway 66-44 victory for Calumet.

With its second straight win, Calumet improved to 5-1 overall.

The Chieftains remained at 2-1 in the Washita Valley Conference standings with the non-conference victory over the Warriors.