D.J. Talton plays tall to boost OKWU men's hoop wins; Lady Eagles fall close
Derrick Talton Jr. (3) looks to the hoop during earlier season action. Talton scored 17 points in the Eagles win over Friends (Kan.) University, 82-58 on Nov. 20, 2024.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
By Mike Tupa
Bartlesville Area Sports Report
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s basketball teams are looking to finish the Thanksgiving month strong as they contemplate December’s tests.
Following is a look at recent action for both.
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OKWU EAGLES
The Eagles (6-2, 3-0) — who are coached by Donnie Bostwick — extended their talons last week to tear past a couple of Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference foes.
On Wednesday (November 20), OKWU fricasseed Friends (Kan.) University, 82-58.
After ripping out to a 47-27 halftime lead, the Eagles cruised to the 24-point triumph.
Derrick Talton Jr. opened up with his most powerful all-around performance this season — 17 points, four rebounds, seven assists and three steals.
Nick Bene added 14 points — on 6-of-7 shooting from the field — and five boards.
The two Jaden’s — Lietzke and Wilson — also made deep impacts. Lietzke pumped in 10 points (4-of-5 shooting from the field) while collecting four boards and three assists. Wilson added eight points and six rebounds.
OKWU’s bench added 31 points — led by Jensen Knowles with eight points.
The team’s long-distance eye was a bit better — 10-of-23 on three-pointers led by Talton with a trio of treys and Bene and Dylan Phillip with two apiece.
OKWU’s indomitable defense held Friends to only 34 percent shooting from the field. Randy Woolf Jr. tallied a team-high 14 points for the opposition, followed by Josh Price with 11.
On Saturday (November 23), OKWU outlasted a tough Kansas Wesleyan University contingent, 78-68, at Salina, Kan.
Going into halftime the Eagles led, 41-35. They battled valiantly in the second half to hammer down the win.
Talton turned in another big game — 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists. He flushed 5-of-5 from the free throw stripe.
Lietzke shot 5-of-6 from the field on his way to a 12-point night. He also cleaned the glass with six boards and didn’t commit a turnover in 30 minutes of play.
Wilson and Yashi McKenzie added eight points apiece for the starting lineup.
Phillip and Temaje Izuagbe came off the bench to contribute eight points each. Nick Benne added five points and six rebounds.
For Kansas Wesleyan, Easton Hunter slew the nets with 34 points — including 5-of-10 dead-eye shooting from downtown. From two-point range he nailed 7-of-9. He also grabbed five rebounds.
Kansas Wesleyan never got closer than seven points the entire second half.
Wilson’s two free throws with 50 seconds left effectively clinched the win.
Oklahoma Wesleyan University’s Gracie Alexander (5) goes to the basketball during earlier season action. Lady Eagles fell in double overtime,82-81 Friends(Kan.) University on Nov. 2024.
BECKY BURCH/Bartlesville Area Sports
OKWU LADY EAGLES
OKWU displayed a competitive flair but went 0-2 last week in conference play.
On Wednesday (November 20), Friends squeezed past OKWU (1-6), 82-81, in double-overtime.
By halftime, the Lady Eagles nursed a four-point lead, 22-17.
Through three quarters, host OKWU still clung to the lead, 36-32.
But Friends erupted for 27 points in the final period to send the game to overtime, 59-59. Both teams scored 10 in the first extra period.
In the second overtime, Friends edged OKWU, 13-12, to secure the win.
Shade Richardson ripped the nets for 23 points — included three three-pointers — to top the Lady Eagles’ scoring sheet.
Rashaan Smith and Zariah Tillman added 13 points each, followed by Tatiana Gilford with 11.
Smith recorded a double-double (11 rebounds).
Haley Meely fell just short of a double-double (eight points and nine assists).
Abigail Barr buried 18 points and seized 10 rebounds to help lead Friends. Taylor Jackson added 13 points and 14 boards.
On Saturday (November 23), a huge first quarter disparity spelled a rugged night for the Lady Eagles.
Kansas Wesleyan University surged to a 24-4 lead in the first 10 minutes and went on to win by 10 points, 83-73. OKWU outscored its opponent by 12 points in the second half, 46-34.
Meely netted 30 points — including three treys and 5-of-5 shooting from the free throw line — to try to rescue the Lady Eagles’ cause.
Smith accumulated 12 points and eight boards, followed by Gracie Alexander (nine points, four rebounds) and Jaelin Glass (eight points, five boards).
OKWU — which is coached by Heidi Messer — shot nearly perfect from the free throw line (12-of-13) and made just seven turnovers.
Boosting Kansas Wesleyan were two 20-point scorers — LaMyah Ricks (22 points) and Angel Lee (21 points).
Lee hit 9-of-12 field goals and Ricks drained five three-pointers.