Oklahoma HS basketball: OCS shows playoff-ready identity, Bixby's Parker Friedrichsen scores 51

To stay afloat as one of many top Class 4A postseason contenders, the Oklahoma Christian School boys basketball team needs resolve in close games.

Four days before jumping into playoffs, the Saints had an opportunity to dig deep and find that grit. OCS claimed a 66-62 victory against Bethany on Tuesday night at home, clawing back from a deficit to end the regular season on a 13-game win streak.

OCS coach Brandon Weaver said regardless of the outcome, he loved this challenge.

A gutsy win made it sweeter.

“They really tested what we were about,” Weaver said. “And there was a point probably in the fourth quarter where we were like, ‘Guys, are we gonna fold in this moment, or are we gonna fight back?’ And I was really proud of the toughness our guys showed.”

Although Bethany (13-9) efficiently distributed the ball and led 52-47 at the end of the third quarter, Luke Gray was continually giving OCS a chance. The junior phenom accounted for 17 of the Saints’ 28 first-half points.

In the second half, the Saints capitalized on turnovers and added balance to their offense. Tdohasan Sunray finished with 10 points to go with his crucial rebounding efforts. Carson Jones scored seven of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, including the free throws that iced the win.

“After a good first half, the defense tries to pick you up a little bit more, so it was good to watch everyone else be able to help me,” Gray said. “I know we have so many good scorers on this team, so it was good. It just shows our depth and how good we are defensively as well.”

The Saints head into the postseason with only two blemishes on their resume: a loss to undefeated Class 2A wonder Dale and another to Class 4A Crossings Christian, a team they later defeated.

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Bixby's Parker Friedrichsen posts 51-point game

Parker Friedrichsen reached 2,000 career points and kept going.

The Bixby senior poured in 51 points as his team routed Sapulpa, 92-52, on Tuesday night.

Friedrichsen, a four-star guard in 247Sports Composite’s rankings, has led the Spartans to an 18-4 record. Although his college decision remains uncertain, he has interest from many suitors.

Friedrichsen committed to Oklahoma State last March but decommitted in May. He then flipped to Notre Dame in September, but with the news of a coaching change, Friedrichsen opened up his options again. His offers include Creighton, Davidson, Purdue, Wake Forest and Cincinnati.

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Tip-ins

▪ The Bethany girls basketball team dominated OCS, 81-22, to end the regular season. Nationally-ranked sophomore Keziah Lofton had 26 points while junior Zya Vann added 18. The Bronchos enter the postseason 22-1 with the lone loss to Tuttle, a team they could encounter again.

▪ Four undefeated teams remain in Oklahoma high school basketball: Class 6A Broken Arrow (boys), Class 6A Edmond North (girls), Class 2A Dale (boys) and Class B South Coffeyville (girls). Because none of these teams will meet in the state tournament, all four could win championships and end the year with perfect records.

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma HS basketball: Gray, OCS show playoff-ready identity