Sports
Blowout victory proves Tigers ready
OKLAHOMA CITY -- No one really expected it to be a blowout.
Norman High and Sapulpa have had some big games in recent years, and though Friday's Lady Jaguar Classic semifinal meeting wasn't as important as the 2007 and 2008 state semifinal contests (both won by the Chieftains), it was still supposed to be one of those benchmark games that showed where each program sat in the Class 6A heirarchy.
Well, the Tigers proved they belong at No. 2, and the Chieftains showed why they're in rebuilding mode, as NHS ran away with a 68-40 victory at Westmoore.
"I think the first 16 minutes was maybe as dominating as we've played all year," NHS coach Matilda Mossman said. "Everything was functioning, our defense became our offense and we didn't do much wrong that entire first half."
This isn't the first chance NHS has had to earn some revenge for those semifinal losses, or the 2008 Lady Jaguar Classic loss to Sapulpa in the championship game.
Last year, the Tigers beat the Chieftains in the fifth-place game of the Fort Smith (Ark.) Tournament of Champions.
But Friday's victory was a much different kind of win.
It sent a message.
On the way out of the gym, a Carl Albert fan (the Titans play NHS in the championship game today at 6 p.m.) shook her head as she walked out at halftime, with NHS up 38-11, and said "Oh, man, we have to play Norman."
"We knew Sapulpa was good, and we knew we had to come out and play hard," said Tiger guard Kamra King, who scored a game-high 24 points, 12 in the first quarter. "We knew we had to keep it up all game, and we did ... We just never lost our momentum. It was a very good game."
The Tigers dominated from the start, defensively, offensively, on the boards and even off the bench.
NHS (10-1) outscored Sapulpa 18-4 in the first quarter, and once again, Jeannie Ramon was all over the stat sheet.
Ramon finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds, eight blocked shots and five assists, and Chelsea Key added 12 points and four assists.
"We scored a lot of points and shared the ball well," King said. "Our key was stopping them in transition, and we did exactly that."
The Chieftains (2-2) got a few things going in the third quarter as April Glisson came off the bench and scored nine of her team-high 11 points in the period.
But it was way too little, too late, and for the third straight game NHS was able to get the entire bench extended playing time.
Now the Tigers get ready for the Titans, who have some post presence and will likely put up a bigger fight.
"Tonight, we were the bigger team," Mossman said. "Tomorrow, (Carl Albert) will be the bigger team. We just have to make adjustments and do what we do."
Jeff Johncox 366-3535 jjohncox@normantranscript.com
- Sports
-
-
OU has ‘most physical game yet’
Whitney Palmer knew it would be a tough game. Colorado College always brings its best when it faces Oklahoma....
-
Day gets his nose out front in Boston
NORTON, Mass. — The final hole gave Jason Day a one-shot lead in the Deutsche Bank Championship. The final hour gave him a good idea of what he might expect for the Labor Day finish....
-
OU plagued by disappointing defense, weak showing by former standouts
Oklahoma is off to a 1-0 start, but it hardly felt that way Saturday night. What was supposed to be a season-opening breeze against Utah State turned into a cliffhanger, with the Sooners prevailing 31-24 at Owen Field....
-
Great Scot? Murray goes down at US Open
NEW YORK — Any time now, Andy Murray will break through and become Britain’s next Grand Slam champion. Or so the theory goes....
-
QB Potts throws 4 TDs in Tech win
LUBBOCK, Texas — Taylor Potts threw for 359 yards and four touchdowns to lead Texas Tech over SMU 35-27 and give Tommy Tuberville a victory Sunday in his first game as Red Raiders coach....
-
Southmoore tops Edmond North in season opener
EDMOND — Despite a slow start and two days late, Southmoore opened its 2010 season with a 40-19 victory over Edmond North onSaturday at UCO’s Wantland Stadium....
-
Clash is best at Harve Collins
Maybe they should hold the Crosstown Clash at Harve Collins Field every year. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it’s too crowded, there’s not enough parking, there’s not enough seats. But, man, the excitement in that stadium Friday night was palpable....
-
Brookhaven Run sees new 5K state record
The 25th annual Brookhaven Run took place Saturday morning in Norman. Aron Rono of Santa Fe, N.M. collected $2,000 by winning the race and setting a new 5K state record with a 13:51 finish time....
-
No love lost: Sharapova blanks teen Capra
NEW YORK — Maria Sharapova knows the story all too well: An unknown American kid shows up at the U.S. Open, upsets a seeded player, gains some buzz and belief, then gets a shot at Sharapova in the third round....
-
Thome powers Twins past Rangers 12-4
MINNEAPOLIS — Jim Thome has the classic slugger’s swing, a hard uppercut that rarely yields a cheap home run. He’s sure getting the most out of his first season with Minnesota, too....
- More Sports Headlines
-
OU has ‘most physical game yet’
