Indians finish as runner-up at Stephens County Tournament
The Comanche Indians stayed close to the Class 3A No. 4 ranked Marlow Outlaws for a half, but the Outlaws seized the momentum in the second half as Marlow won the Stephens County Tournament, 43-22, at Central High on Saturday.
It was an electric atmosphere in the Central High gym as the two rivals took the floor to a full house.
The scoring did not match the enthusiasm in the first half as the teams combined for just 23 points in a low-scoring 13-10 affair at halftime.
The Indians led at the 5:22 mark in the first quarter on a three-pointer by Jeremy Crisp and that lead held for three minutes before Marlow’s Jace Gilbert answered with a three to give the Outlaws the lead back for good.
Marlow led 10-6 at the end of the first quarter, but the first points of the second quarter did not come until the 3:16 mark on a basket by Comanche’s Landon Ellis. It was just one of three field goals in the quarter.
Ellis was named to the all-tournament team along with teammate Jeremy Crisp. Dillon Ellis was named the recipient of the Six Man Award.
It was noted at halftime that the lowest scoring boys’ championship game was a 25-22 win for Marlow over Comanche in 1940 and it looked like it might get challenged on Saturday.
The Outlaws, though, finally were able to crack Comanche’s defense in the third quarter, opening the half on a 14-2 run that sealed the Indians’ fate. Marlow would go on to take a 27-14 lead into the fourth quarter.
Comanche’s Cason Morris scored on a putback to open the fourth quarter to cut the lead to 27-16, but Marlow would answer with an 8-0 run to put the game out of reach.
Scoring
Marlow (11-1): Josiah Johnson, 17; Jace Gilbert, 8; Avrey Payne, 7; Blayd Harris, 4; Will Bergner, 4; Kaden Harris, 2; Mason Holding, 1
Comanche (7-6): Cason Morris, 6; Landon Ellis, 4; Briar Blair, 4; Jeremy Crisp, 3; Dillon Elllis, 3; Corbin Bowen, 2
Thursday
Comanche 44,
Velma-Alma 40
The Indians started out hot and then survived a late charge by Velma-Alma, ranked No. 9 in Class A, to advance to the finals of the Stephens County Tournament on Thursday with a 44-40 win. The Indians did everything right in the early going, jumping out to a 10-1 lead in the opening quarter before taking a 14-7 lead into the second.
The second quarter was more of the same with Comanche scoring the first 11 points of the quarter to build a 23-7 lead behind the hot hand of Dillon Ellis, who scored six of his game-high 19 points in the stretch. Comanche would go on to take a 27-10 halftime lead and they would need every point of that lead in the second half.
In the third quarter, a basket by Dillon Ellis with 3:33 to go pushed the Indians lead to 20 points at 35-15.
The Comets, though, got a spark and closed out the quarter on an 8-1 run to cut the lead to 36-23 heading into the fourth quarter. Velma-Alma continued to chip away at Comanche’s lead in the fourth quarter, scoring the first eight points to cut the lead to 36-31 with 2:25 left in the game. Dillon Ellis, though, hit two big jumpers on the Indians next two trips down the floor to push the lead to 40-31 with 1:35 left.
Comanche would struggle from the free-throw line down the stretch, starting off 1-for-6 from the line, allowing the Comets to stay close.
With 19 seconds left, Jeremy Crisp hit 1-of-2 free throws to push the lead to 42-37 and then after an unsuccessful trip down the floor by the Comets, Dillon Ellis put the game away with two free throws with seven seconds left to give Comanche a seven-point advantage.
Velma-Alma’s Tyler Stewart closed out the game with a three-pointer at the buzzer to make the final, 44-40.
Scoring
Comanche (7-5): Dillon Ellis, 19; Mason Kulbeth, 7; Landon Ellis, 6; Xander Dodd, 4; Myles Ellis, 3; Jeremy Crisp, 3; Cason Morris, 2
Velma-Alma (11-3): Tyler Stewart, 19; Crue Garrett, 11; Cameron Wiggins, 5; Tristan Wainscott, 4; Langston Walker, 1
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