Oklahoma HS basketball takeaways: Laci Steele scores 30 for Edmond North; Westmoore's 12-game streak ends
Edmond North snapped Westmoore’s 12-game win streak.
The defending state champions prevailed in a Friday showdown of the top Class 6A West boys basketball teams. The Huskies defeated the Jaguars, 65-55, in Siberian Gym, securing a homecoming night sweep.
The top-ranked Edmond North girls routed Westmoore, 78-31, to keep their undefeated record intact.
Here are some takeaways from other key Friday night high school basketball games:
More:Douglass once was an Oklahoma basketball power. Terry McMorris has Trojans dreaming big again.
Laci Steele steals the show
The Westmoore girls stayed close to Edmond North (18-0) throughout the first quarter, but Laci Steele always had an answer.
Steele, a standout senior forward, added 10 of the Huskies’ 14 first-quarter points. The N.C. State signee also stood out defensively, swiping the ball from the Jaguars (8-10) and converting those steals into baskets. She finished with a game-high 30 points, and fellow senior Elle Papahronis followed with 22.
After the victory, the spotlight continued to shine on Steele. Before the boys basketball game, she received the Nate Fleming Oklahoma AAU Athlete of the Year Award. The honor is named for the Edmond North graduate and Oklahoma State basketball player who died in a 2001 plane crash, the tragedy that led to OSU’s “Remember the 10” memorial tradition.
More:A look at Oklahoma City’s girls high school basketball Fab 10 rankings for Feb. 3
T.O. Barrett preserves win at free-throw line
The Huskies (15-2) saw their enormous lead dwindle to three points.
Edmond North carried a 46-27 advantage into the fourth quarter, but Garrett Loper took over, pumping new energy into the Westmoore squad.
Fortunately for the Huskies, T.O. Barrett preserved their lead, and he didn’t need fancy highlight plays to do it. The junior guard consistently hit free-throws down the stretch, adding all eight of his fourth-quarter points at the stripe. Barrett said he wasn’t trying to draw fouls – it just happened, and he made the shots his team needed for the win.
Barrett finished with 17 points, while junior forward Dylan Warlick led Edmond North with 22. The Huskies outsized the Jaguars (15-3) considerably, but their height didn’t stop Westmoore from making a gritty comeback attempt.
“We fought through it,” Barrett said. “They were physical. They made some strong runs and hit some big shots, but we pushed through it. Our experience showed a little bit, and we came out with the W.”
More:A look at Oklahoma City's boys high school basketball Fab 10 rankings for Feb. 3
Highlights around the metro
● The Class 4A Douglass boys basketball team toppled Class 5A Del City, 52-45. Senior wing Terry McMorris, a move-in from Del City, had 17 points and six rebounds.
● The Weatherford boys basketball team ended Kingfisher’s 80-game home win streak. The Eagles took down the Yellowjackets, 51-47, in overtime.
● Destiny Christian’s boys basketball team defeated Southeast, 86-75. Senior forward Sentinel Moore poured in 34 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
—Hallie Hart, Staff writer
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school basketball scores, results, takeaways for Feb. 3
