BOYS BASKETBALL: Hornets fall in area battle

Derek Hatridge, McAlester News-Capital, Okla.
·2 min read

Feb. 25—Stuart and Velma-Alma faced off during Thursday's opening round of the Class A Area IV tournmanet, with the Comets holding off a late-game surge by the Hornets in a 53-43 win.

The Hornets opened the game by trading buckets with the Comets. Both teams battled to put themselves on top, with the lead swaying back and forth. But a scoring run would put Velma-Alma on top 17-10 after the first.

In the second quarter, the Comets tried to create more space, but the Hornets kept the fight and roared back every time — with Stuart being down by just six points heading into the locker room.

The Hornets worked quickly to get their offense going in the second half. But for every shot made by Stuart, Velma-Alma answered in kind to keep pace.

But the Hornets stayed focused and resilient and a late-quarter three point shot pulled Stuart back within eight points heading into the final period.

Continuing with that energy, Stuart drilled another triple to swing even more momentum its way at the beginning of the fourth. The Hornets also turned up the pressure defensively, working to create opportunities on both ends of the floor.

Later in the quarter, the Hornets nailed another three to cut the deficit to five points. As the time dwindled down, Stuart was forced to foul to stop the clock and put pressure on the Comets at the free throw line.

But despite their best efforts, the Hornets were just held off by the Comets as they edged out the win.

Here are the scores and upcoming game times for Class A-B area tournament basketball:

BOYS

CLASS A

AREA IV AT SHAWNEE

THURSDAY

G1: Velma-Alma vs. Stuart, 3 p.m.

G2: Allen vs. Tushka, 8 p.m.

FRIDAY

G3: Winner G1 vs. Winner G2, 3 p.m.

G4: Hydro-Eakly vs. Wright City, 8 p.m. (Winner advances to state)

SATURDAY

G5: Winner G3 vs. Loser G4, 8 p.m. (Winner advances to state)

CLASS B

AREA II AT STROUD

THURSDAY

G1: Glencoe vs. Leflore, 3 p.m.

G2: Webbers Falls vs. Red Oak, 8 p.m.

FRIDAY

G3: Winner G1 vs. Winner G2, 3 p.m.

G4: Lomega vs. Pittsburg, 8 p.m. (Winner advances to state)

SATURDAY

G5: Winner G3 vs. Loser G4, 8 p.m. (Winner advances to state)

Contact Derek Hatridge at dhatridge@mcalesternews.com.