December 25, 2021 Issue, Page 4 of 8

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4 December 25, 2021 Sports Trojans claim 5-County Consolation Title By Kerry Hookstra ter. Jaxon Beck buried a pair of throw while Beck and Whinery the way. Colt Randall drained ton. Tourney Game Three treys on his way to a game high hit a field goal apiece. The final a three with a two by Zachary Final frame play was all Ca- Canute took a 12-9 lead in Canute opened play in the 25 points. Colt Randall added frame featured a three and a Potter. nute with a 20-8 run. Whinery 5-County Conference Tourna- a deuce. two from Beck with a trey and The second went to the Tro- led with a basket and three the first quarter. Jaxon Beck ment at Sentinel Dec. 7 against A 19-8 charge marked the a free throw each from Potter jans 12-10 behind a 3-point gift shots. Aiden Brown had set the pace with two baskets. Hammon. The Warriors pre- Trojan second stanza. Beck and Whinery. shot and a basket from Colby a bucket and 2-2 at the line Colby Maddox and Zachary vailed 64-53. Moving to the went off for two threes and Torrance and Land led the Maddox. Potter added a trey while Chaydon Fite buried a Consolation Semi-finals Dec. three twos. Zachary Potter Warriors with 22 and 19 re- with a deuce from Jake Estes trey along with a field goal each Potter buried a trey apiece with 10 the Trojans handed out a drained a trey plus a deuce and spectively. Beck took game and 2-2 free throws by Beck. from Beck, Estes, and Shelton. a deuce from Colt Randall. 54-34 defeat to Leedey. The Kyron Whinery hit a basket. high at 25 while Potter added Canute took a 22-14 advantage Puffinbarger hit 11 to pace The second went to the Tro- Consolation Championship Canute trailed 32-27 at half- 14 for Canute. Whinery put in to halftime. the Bison. Beck tossed down saw Canute dominate Chey- time. eight with six from Randall. In the third the score was 13 to again lead all scorers with jans 16-8 behind a three and enne/Reydon 70-40 Dec. 11. Both the third and fourth Trojans-Leedey/Tourney tied 12-12 with the Trojans 10 from Maddox. Others scor- two twos from Maddox. Whin- Trojans-Hammon/Tourney periods saw Hammon with a Game Two getting another 3-point shot ing for the Trojans included: ery hit a 3-point shot while Game One 16-13 advantage. In the third A 10-4 first quarter lead was and bucket from Maddox. Beck Potter-7, Randall-5, Whin- Canute was put in a hole Potter paced the Trojans with enough to give Canute control put in a pair of field goals with ery-5, Brown-4, Estes-4, Fite- Aiden Brown, Potter, and Ran- early on as the Warriors went a 3-point shot and a bucket. of the contest. Jaxon Beck bur- 2-2 charity shots by Potter and 3, and Shelton-3. dall added a bucket each. After on a 23-8 run in the first quar- Randall had a trey and free ied a trey and a deuce to lead one from the line for Bill Shel- Trojans-Cheyenne/Reydon- two periods of play Canute was on top 28-17. Trojans drop nail biter, 2-1 for week A pair of treys and a deuce fueled a 26-12 third stanza run by the Trojans. Maddox tossed in a three and two twos By Kerry Hookstra trey, an old fashioned 3-point led by Jaxon Beck and Colt by Randall. Trojans 15-10. Whinery found with a 3-point shot and a field play, and a field goal from Ran- Randall who buried a trey and Wright put in 15 to lead the range for two buckets goal from Beck and a basket by Canute opened the week dall. Zachary Potter buried a a deuce apiece. Zachary Potter Duke. Beck tossed down 23 to and an old fashioned 3-point Brown. Dec. 14 with a trip to Arapaho- trey with a deuce from Whin- drained a three also. lead all scorers with 16 from Butler and despite a furious ery. In the second the Trojans Randall and 12 by Maddox to play. Jaxon Beck and Shelton In the final frame Canute comeback in the last minute of Fourth frame play featured went on a 25-13 run behind a put three Trojans in double fig- drained a three each with a two prevailed 16-11. Brown and play fell 45-44. Duke came to a 15-13 margin for the Trojans three and two twos from Ran- ures. Others scoring were; Pot- from Brown. town Dec. 16 and the Trojans but they could not overcome dall. Colby Maddox drained a ter-7, Whinery-5, Fite-3, and Potter drained a trey and a In the fourth the Eagles took the contest 68-49. Canute the Indian lead. Randall stayed pair of treys with a three and Brown-2. deuce apiece to lead the charge hosted Burns Flat-Dill City hot with a three and an old a two by Kyron Whinery. Beck Trojans/Burns Flat-Dill City led 19-13. Randall hit a trey with a free throw from Brown. Dec. 17 and won 53-46. fashioned 3-point play. Potter added a 3-point shot while Canute went out to a 10-6 with three free throws. Beck Trojans/Arapaho-Butler hit a basket and 2-2 from the Aiden Brown and Potter put in first quarter margin. Colby Beck and Randall hit a basket and Potter added a field goal The Indians led 9-7 in the line while Aiden Brown put in a basket each. Maddox and Zachary Pot- each with a gift toss for Bill ter buried a trey apiece while apiece with 2-2 at the line from first quarter. Kyron Whin- a bucket and a free throw with Canute was up 38-31 at half- Shelton. ery buried a trey and a deuce. a field goal by Maddox. time. Aiden Brown and Colt Randall Whinery and one by Brown for Jaxon Beck hit a basket for Ca- Donelson tossed in 16 to Third period play went to were good for a deuce each. Rogers tossed in 20 for the Canute. nute. lead the Indians. Game high the Trojans 17-9. Beck explod- The second saw a 15-11 lead Bears and took game high. Flores had 15 to lead BFDC A 10-8 lead went to the Tro- went to Randall with 17. ed to bury four treys. Maddox for the Trojans. Brown had the and all scorers. Brown tossed Randall and Maddox rang up jans. Colt Randall had a pair Others scoring for Ca- added one more and Randall hot hand with a three and two of buckets while Beck and nute were; Potter-7, Whin- hit a deuce. twos. Potter, Bill Shelton, and down 12 to pace the Trojans. 18 and 17 respectively with Colby Maddox drained a three ery-7, Beck-5, Maddox-5, and Final frame action featured a Kyron Whinnery added a bas- Others scoring included: 10 apiece by Beck and Brown apiece. The game was tied 17- Brown-3. 13-9 Canute advantage. Beck, ket apiece with 2-2 free throws to put four Trojans in double Whinery-11, Randall-10, Pot- 17 at halftime. Trojans-Duke Chayden Fite, and Maddox by Randall. Canute took a 25- In the third Arapaho-Butler The Tigers went out to an drained a three each with two 17 advantage to halftime. ter-7, Beck-5, Shelton-5, and figures. Whinery added three prevailed 15-12. Canute got a 18-13 advantage. Canute was from Potter and 2-2 free throw Third period play went to the Maddox-3. along with one from Shelton. The Graham Jam Thunder Respond to Heartbreaker With 2 Straight Wins By Graham Dudley The Oklahoma City Thunder had a Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous- Or so we thought. The Pelicans, out free-throw shoot- statement to make when they returned Alexander who led the team with 23 of timeouts, quickly inbounded for a er, and his two to the FedEx Forum in Memphis on points. final shot for Devonte Graham — and misses kept the Monday, Dec. 20. Morant and Gilgeous-Alexander he hit it. The ball banked in from 60 score at 103-101. Three weeks prior, they had been traded buckets down the stretch, but feet away as time expired, silencing With one last embarrassed off the floor in the most with 16 seconds left OKC found itself the exuberant Paycom Center crowd play to run, lopsided loss in NBA history, a 73- up by one and inbounding the ball and leaving SGA devastated. Oklahoma City point blowout. This time the Thunder from midcourt. The Thunder players It was the longest game-winning inbounded to had a full complement of healthy play- lined up in a row to make their next buzzer-beater in decades. Mike Muscala, ers and something to prove. moves unpredictable; when SGA "It sucks for sure," Gilgeous- who passed off to At first it seemed like the Grizzlies slashed to the basket, Josh Giddey Alexander said after the game. "But SGA at the top of were going to outdo themselves and found him in stride and Gilgeous- it's basketball, it's life. Sometimes the arc. run away with the game again. Alexander nailed a crucial layup to put things don't go your way. All you can His defender Oklahoma City got down big in a OKC up 98-95. do is control what you can control, and sagged, not Shai Gilgeous-Alexander celebrates after shoot- hurry, scoring only two points in the Memphis had a chance. With 1.5 we gave it our all tonight." expecting the 3. ing a 3-point basket at the buzzer to defeat the first 6 minutes of game action while seconds left and trailing by three, the Oklahoma City had two days off Shai performed LA Clippers at Paycom Center. Oklahoma City Memphis racked up 16. Grizzlies inbounded for one final, des- after the heartbreaker before matching his signature step- won 104-103. Photo: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY But the Thunder calmed down and perate heave. But Dillon Brooks' 60- up with the LA Clippers at home. Los back and Sports started scoring. They trailed by as footer fell well short of the basket, and Angeles, playing without Paul George launched from much as 16 in the second quarter but OKC held on for a 102-99 win. or Kawhi Leonard, presented a prime well behind the line. Wednesday, Dec. 22, for a home stormed back and tied the game before Brooks' shot felt like a bad memory. bounce-back opportunity. And with The shot went down, the buzzer game against Denver before traveling halftime. Fortunately, it had a much different OKC leading for the vast majority of blared, the fans cheered and Shai to Phoenix the following night. Then, The second half was a heavyweight outcome than the heave last the game, it seemed they were going danced. He'd hit a clutch 3 for the sec- after a break for Christmas, OKC bout, as OKC traded punches with the Wednesday. to do just that. ond straight game, and left no time for returns on Sunday, Dec. 26 for yet Grizzlies and especially Ja Morant, That night, on Dec. 15 against the But the Clippers took the lead in the the Clippers to respond as the Pelicans another matchup with the Pelicans at Memphis' superstar guard who Pelicans, Gilgeous-Alexander nailed a final minutes, and looked to extend a had. the Paycom Center. returned Monday after missing 12 stepback 3 in the final seconds to tie two-point margin when OKC fouled With two gritty victories after the I hope you all enjoy family, friends games with a knee sprain. Morant had the game at 110. It was a huge bucket, Justise Winslow intentionally with 7.8 New Orleans game, OKC improved and Thunder basketball this week. a solid return, notching 16 points and the last of his 33 points that night, and seconds to play. its record to 10-19. Until next time, Merry Christmas and eight assists, but he was one-upped by sent the game to overtime. Fortunately, Winslow is a terrible The Thunder return to the floor on Thunder Up!