BOYS BASKETBALL: Inola routs shorthanded Verdigris
Jan. 18—VERDIGRIS — When a team is as shorthanded as the Verdigris boys, there is only so much it can do.
The Cardinals had fared well enough in recent weeks without leading scorer Cody Lechlider — who is out with a hip injury — winning three of five games while averaging 56.2 points per game. However, his absence finally caught up to them against Inola.
Verdigris struggled to find points while the Longhorns got contributions from nearly the entire roster, and it showed on the scoreboard as it never led in a 70-37 decision Tuesday night at the Verdigris Activity Center. In all, 12 players scored for Inola and 15 recorded rebounds.
Despite the lopsided score, the teams were fairly even for most of the first half. They were tied at nine after one quarter, and the Cardinals were still within five after a pair of Coy Lemons free throws with 1:50 remaining in the first half.
However, the Class 4A No. 17 Longhorns (9-3) closed the second period with a 7-0 run that was capped by a three-point play from Jaxon Marlin to make it a 30-18 spread at the half, and the rout was on from there.
Inola opened the second half with a 15-1 run and led by 28 (53-25) after the third quarter, and that advantage continued growing in the fourth as coach Clyde Barkley's squad proceeded to score the first eight points of that frame to take an unfathomable 61-25 edge.
It was at that point Verdigris (9-5) finally managed to get some offense going in the form of a 10-2 run with seven points from Austin Boren and three from Lemons, but the Longhorns answered with a 7-2 spurt to end the game.
Lemons led the Cardinals with 10 points, and Tyler Willis was close behind with nine points and three rebounds. Boren also had three boards to go alongside his seven fourth-quarter points.
Braxton Repschlaeger, who is the top scoring option behind Lechlider, was held to three points and one rebound.
Seth Maner was the lead man for Inola, notching 15 points and two rebounds while Logan Hayes added 10 points and five rebounds. Aidan Clark came close to double figures with nine points and four boards, and another four players scored five points or more.
Maner did most of his damage in the third quarter, scoring nine points during that stretch.
Verdigris looks to bounce back in the Port City Classic at Catoosa when it battles Class 5A No. 11 Bishop Kelley at 11:30 a.m. Thursday. Meanwhile, Inola — which outrebounded the Cardinals 38-20 — travels to Fort Gibson for the Old Fort Classic, where it will face Class A No. 4 Okay at 2:30 p.m. Thursday.
INOLA 70, VERDIGRIS 37
INOLA — Seth Maner 15, Logan Hayes 10, Clark 9, Welch 6, Riggs 6, Groff 6, Marlin 5, Flanagan 4, Troyer 3, Thomas 2, Cosper 2, Catron 2.
VERDIGRIS — Coy Lemons 10, Willis 9, Boren 7, Finch 5, Brant Teague 3, Repschlaeger 3.
Inola 9 21 23 17 — 70
Verdigris 9 9 7 12 — 37
3-pointers: Verdigris (4) — Willis 1, Brant Teague 1, Lemons 1, Finch 1. Inola (2) — Maner 1, Troyer 1.
Free throws: Inola 16-20, Verdigris 7-15.
Rebounds: Inola (38) — Welch 5, Hayes 5, Clark 4, Thomas 3, Riggs 3, Groff 2, Marlin 2, Maner 2, Spurlock 2, Troyer 2, Cosper 2, Team 2, Flanagan 1, Pratt 1, Weast 1, Catron 1. Verdigris (20) — Team 5, Brady Teague 3, Willis 3, Boren 3, Large 2, Repschlaeger 1, Brant Teague 1, Scott 1, Kapuchuck 1.
Turnovers: Inola 11, Verdigris 14.
