Bartlesville girls beat conference rival Enid; boys fall in nightcap
The Bartlesville High School girl’s bench erupts into cheers after a play during the Lady Bruins 42-39 win over Enid on December 20, 2024. (Photos are available for purchase at https://beckyburch.zenfolio.com.)
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Bartlesville High School’s Hudson Eads (4) looks to pass the ball during the Bruins 46-28 loss to Enid on December 20, 2024. (Photos are available for purchase at https://beckyburch.zenfolio.com.)
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
BARTLESVILLE AREA SPORTS REPORT
Both Bartlesville High School basketball teams displayed plenty of positives but only the Lady Bruins came away with a victory during action last week in Bartlesville against Enid teams.
Paced by Alayah Lunn with double-digit scoring, the Bartlesville girls knocked off their Enid rivals, 42-39, in a Frontier Valley Conference showdown.
In the boys game, the Bartlesville Bruins (1-6, 0-4) put on a superb first-half defensive performance but came up short at the end, 46-28.
Bartlesville held Enid (3-4, 2-2) to only 20 points in the first half.
But the visiting Plainsmen jump-started their attack with a 10-4 spurt to open the third quarter and slowly pulled away.
Following are more details.
Bartlesville High School’s Michael Kent (14) steals the ball during the Bruins 46-28 loss to Enid on December 20, 2024. (Photos are available for purchase at https://beckyburch.zenfolio.com.)
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
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BOYS: Enid 46, Bartlesville 28
With Nash Zervas scoring six early points Bartlesville trailed by only one point at the end of the first quarter, 9-8.
Enid quickly pushed out to an eight-point lead to start the second quarter, 16-8, but a bucket by Daeton Stevens fired up the Bruins and they trailed by only seven at halftime.
Bartlesville — which is coached by Tommy DeSalme — quickly got within six points, 21-15, on a basket by Dennis Duncan shortly into the third quarter.
But once again the Bruins went into a brief scoring lull, allowing Enid to push out to a 13-point advantage, 28-15.
Stevens and Hudson Eads then nailed back-to-back buckets — Eads a triple — to chop Enid’s advantage down to 10 points, 30-20.
At the sunset of the third quarter Enid led by just nine points, 32-23, thanks to another Eads’ three-pointer.
The Bruins managed just five points in the final period — including Eads’ third trey (and 11th point overall) — and Enid powered to the 18-point win.
Bartlesville High School’s Jordan Turner (22) brings the ball up the court during the Bruins 46-28 loss to Enid on December 20, 2024. (Photos are available for purchase at https://beckyburch.zenfolio.com.)
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
Bartlesville High School’s Alayah Lunn (4) goes to the basket during the Lady Bruins 42-39 win over Enid on December 20, 2024. (Photos are available for purchase at https://beckyburch.zenfolio.com.)
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
GIRLS: Bartlesville 42, Enid 39
Despite offensive struggles, the Lady Bruins (4-2, 2-2) simply refused to lose.
They could have gone down big early if not for Lunn and gun.
Lunn dropped in three three-pointers to score nine of Bartlesville’s first 15 points and hold Enid to just a four-point lead, 19-15.
Bartlesville then burst into the lead on a trey by Cadence Gray, a steal-and-layup by Sami Sheaffer and a three-point by Kennedy Nubel, 24-19.
The Lady Bruins still led at halftime, 24-21.
But Enid (3-3, 1-3) wasn’t done and scrapped back into the lead. Bartlesville tied it up, 28-28, on Nubel’s putback. After Enid answered, Sheaffer scored to make the score even again, 30-30.
Bartlesville finally squeezed back into the lead, 36-35, on Emma Zimmerman’s bucket.
The Lady Bruins’ mulching defense — who are coached by Justyn Shaw — swallowed up Enid’s offense in the fourth quarter to allow only four points.
Nubel’s free throws put Bartlesville on top for good, 40-48,
During its first six games Bartlesville held three opponents to fewer than 40 points.