West, Warriors hope to gain from losses
Despite 49 from Mueggenborg, Southmoore tops Okarche in 7th place game
![OKARCHE COACH Aaron West’s team went 0-3 at last week’s Tournament of Champions, but he said his squad is already hard at work improving some of the flaws that were exposed. [Photo by Russell Stitt/www.stitt.smugmug.com]](https://www.kingfisherpress.net/sites/kingfisherpress.etypegoogle10.com/files/styles/article400/public/2889adf3c8_Ar00301013.jpg?itok=78_EY_wk "OKARCHE COACH Aaron West’s team went 0-3 at last week’s Tournament of Champions, but he said his squad is already hard at work improving some of the flaws that were exposed. [Photo by Russell Stitt/www.stitt.smugmug.com]")
OKARCHE COACH Aaron West’s team went 0-3 at last week’s Tournament of Champions, but he said his squad is already hard at work improving some of the flaws that were exposed. [Photo by Russell Stitt/www.stitt.smugmug.com]
The numbers said Okarche was going to struggle in the win-loss column.
The numbers were right, but coach Aaron West said there was still a lot to be gained at the Tournament of Champions last week.
That tournament ended for the Warriors on Wednesday in perhaps the most entertaining game of the tournament.
Okarche dropped the seventh- place game to Owasso 97-93, giving the Warriors an 0-3 record at the 60th annual event.
“I think we can take a lot from this experience,” West said after his team entered with a 51-game win streak, but left with a three-game losing skid.
“We found multiple things that we need to work on.”
Okarche’s losses came to Class 5A’s East Central in the opening round, 6A Owasso in the consolation semifinal and then to another 6A foe in the Sabercats on Wednesday.
The two-time defending Class A state champs have an average daily membership of just over 148 students.
The closest of those three teams was East Central’s 1,113 (a difference of 965 students).
Southmoore has 2,004 (1,856 difference) and Owasso - the fifth-largest district in the state - has 3,027 in its high school (difference of 2,879).
More students mean more athletes and Okarche saw them all three days.
“We played multiple Division I athletes,” West said. “There will not be a lot of teams that can simulate that type of defensive pressure and athleticism the rest of the way.
“I think it opened our eyes that we need to get better everyday and people can play with you - or beat you - if you stop working on your craft.”
Southmoore jumped on Okarche quickly and led 28-18 after a quarter.
The Sabercats outscored the Warriors each of the next two quarters as well and was up 15 going into the fourth.
That’s when the Warriors made their charge.
Led by Jett Mueggenborg, Okarche outscored Southmoore 35-24. Mueggenborg scored 26 in the quarter, part of his 49 points overall, which tied him for seventh-most in a single game at the TOC.
Mueggenborg was 16 of 28 from the floor, including 4 of 9 from 3-point range. He also made 13 of 19 free throws.
But Okarche couldn’t slow down Southmoore enough to catch up.
The Sabercats shot 47 percent (33 of 58) for the game.
They had three players score 20 or more points, led by Jasper Chaves’ 25 points and 10 rebounds.
Merrick Gregory added 24 and Tyson Pogi another 20.
Okarche got 12 points from Brett Carnott and 11 from Easton Roby.
Mueggenborg added 8 rebounds and was named to the all-tournament team after averaging 34 points a game.
West said the Warriors have already started working on areas to improve in practice.
“You have to be physical with the basketball and can’t take a possession off,” he said. “Your passes have to be on time and on target. You have to really share and move the basketball quick if you want to get open looks.”
West said his team already knew that coming in, but had it cemented against elite competition.
“If we don’t play this type of competition, it might not have been exposed,” he said. “So I think it’s helping our guys lock in now more than ever. We enjoyed the experience for sure and have grown as a team from participating in it.”