BOYS BASKETBALL: Buffs fall in dramatic Friday night battle
Dec. 4—The Buffs refused to go away quietly.
McAlester (1-1) hosted Oklmulgee (1-1) on Friday night inside Bob Brumley Gymnasium, with the Buffs falling at the buzzer 64-62.
The Bulldogs started things off with a triple, but Adante Holiman responded with one of his own. That was followed by a Garrett Pickett put-back to push the Buffs out front.
The two teams battled it out for the lead, and Adonis Holiman used a three and a layup to extend the McAlester lead. But Okmulgee pushed right back — leading to a 20-16 Bulldog lead after the opening quarter.
In the second quarter, Adonis Holiman found Adante on a fast break to get McAlester moving once again. Adante would later find opportunities to drive the lane, sinking a bucket and two free throws to cut away into the deficit.
But Okmulgee answered the Buffs' scoring, leading to a 38-22 deficit for McAlester at the half.
In the start of the second half, McAlester's defensive efforts held the Bulldogs scoreless in the opening minutes. An Okmulgee triple would break the ice, but the Buffs answered with a Pickett put-back on the other end.
As Okmulgee looked to pull away, an Adante Holiman long-range triple helped the Buffs push right back. Adonis Holiman added one of his own, cutting even more into McAlester's deficit.
Adante Holiman drilled another from near mid-court, and was fed the ball off a steal — which he promptly drained from beyond the arc, sending the crowd into a frenzy.
He'd next get a steal and score, cutting the Okmulgee lead down even further as the Bulldogs led 51-39 after three quarters.
Bryson Martin opened up the final period with a triple, but the Bulldogs answered right back. Later, Adonis Holiman nabbed the ball away from Okmulgee and bolted out for the score.
The back-and-forth battle ensued, with neither team willing to let up.
Martin drained a three from the left side, and the Buffs forced a turnover to regain possession. That led to a Martin score once again, cutting the lead down to eight.
On the next offensive possesion, Adante Holiman cleaned up an errant shot to cut the lead down to six to the roar of the crowd.
The Buffs then forced a turnover and taking back possession with three minutes remaining in the game.
That led Adante Holiman pulling up from deep, draining the three. He next nabbed a rebound, and went coast-to-coast to make it a one-point ballgame.
That's when Jake Forehand drove into traffic, sinking a shot to give McAlester its first lead since the first quarter — with the crowd roaring to its feet.
Adante Holiman would next find himself on the foul line, sinking both to put the Buffs up three. But Okmulgee would find purchase, responding with a triple to tie the game at 62-62.
Adante Holiman would then steal the ball with seconds remaining, but his shot would fall just onto the other side of the rim. That's when Okmulgee nabbed the rebound, and quickly passed the ball down the floor — putting up a shot at the buzzer for the win.
Adante Holiman finished with 29 points, followed by Adonis Holiman with 15 points, Martin with nine points, and Pickett with seven points.
Next up for the Buffs, they'll host Broken Bow on Tuesday inside Bob Brumley Gymnasium, with tipoff set for 8 p.m.
Contact Derek Hatridge at dhatridge@mcalesternews.com.
