Zap it to Sapulpa: Bartlesville guard scores 42 in boys hoops win; BHS girls fall
Not since 2016 had the Bartlesville High School boys basketball team won its Frontier Valley Conference season opener.
Not since prior to 2005 — perhaps never, going back to 1982 — have the Bruins opened their home schedule by scoring 85 points.
And, no Bruin team has scored that many points during Clent Stewart’s eight previous seasons as head coach.
To put it humbly, the BRUINS ARE OFF AND STORMING!
There was one other major bonus from last Friday’s 85-65 rout of the visiting Sapulpa High Chieftains.
Bruin junior guard David Castillo dialed in 42 points — and that wasn’t even his career high. (He canned 43 points, against Ponca City, in January 2021, also at the Bruin Fieldhouse).
As time ran down Friday, it appeared Castillo might be stuck at 39 points. But, with less than two minutes left, Bruin forward Jack Wahl came up with a Sapulpa turnover near midcourt, took a few dribbles and fired the ball to an open Castillo in the left corner. Castillo’s three-pointer skinned the inside of cords with a whipsaw massage for his 42nd point. Seconds later, Stewart emptied his bench.
Sapulpa finished with a couple of three-pointers — one from about 45 feet away at the buzzer. Prior to that, Riley Duong had dropped in Bartlesville’s final bucket.
Bartlesville improved to 1-1 on the season. As far as Stewart was concerned, this was the Bruins spiritual season opener. In their 53-39 loss the week before to South Oak Cliff (Texas), Bartlesville hadn’t played with the fire Stewart had hoped.
That’s what made Friday’s fry fest of Sapulpa went down a lot easier.
“We played so hard,” he said. “I was proud with the effort and the energy they played with. We were the aggressor.”
Although Castillo sparkled like s multi-headed rocket explosion at a July Fourth fireworks show, other Bruins also Burst into flaming moments.
New senior Bruin player Michael Smith III — a transfer from Booker T. Washington — pumped in a high school varsity career-high 23 points. His scoring eruption in the second half helped repel a spirited Sapulpa rally. He also grabbed eight boards.
Aadhi Ayyappan added nine points and some tree-topping blocked shots, Caleb Rogers scored six and provided an imposing presence around the paint and pulled down 10 rebounds, veteran guard Dayton McCall contributed three points and eight rebounds; Duong’s trey were the only points off the bench.
To Sapulpa’s credit, he refused to have it drawers blown off despite the hurricane-intensity of the Bruins. Bartlesville led by eight at the end of the first quarter, 16-8, and pushed its lead to 15 by halftime, 34-19. But, the Bruins ended the third period on a 9-0 run to notch a 23-point lead, 58-35.
Rogers opened the fourth quarter scoring with a bucket to keep the romp rolling forward. Bartlesville built its biggest lead at 68-40, on a Castillo trey.
Sapulpa continued to scrap and would score 30 points in the final period. But, the Bruins answered with 27 points, including eight by Smith and 13 by Castillo.
So-called small moments added up to a wave of pain for Sapulpa — McCall hit a layup in the opening minutes on a drive and bouncing pass from Smith; Ayyappan made the assist and backdoor cut and two-pointer by Smith; Ayyappan blocked a shot just prior to the first quarter buzzer; after Sapulpa had narrow the score to 19-14, Smith nailed two free throws to trigger a 13-5 run; Castillo ripped a trey to open the second half period scoring after Sapulpa had gone to full-court pressure; Ayyappan blocked a layup cleanly out of the bounds; Castillo and Rogers both hot 2-of-2 free throws late in the third period.
And, so on.
Next up, the Bruins play host Tuesday to Bixby and then will attended a prestigious tournament in Missouri.
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LADY BRUINS
Bartlesville High girls faced a tremendous test in Friday’s opener against a Sapulpa team that played in last season’s Class 5A state semifinals.
Even though Sapulpa won, 93-43, the Lady Bruins — coached by Justyn Shaw — displayed determined fight to the final buzzer.
That had to be a positive sign for the program, which is looking to bounce back from last year’s 4-21 record.
Kaelynn Duncan poured in 19 points to lead Bartlesville, followed by Kenzie Denny with eight, Mikka Chambers with 7, Grace McPhail with 5, Emma Zimmerman with two, Kaydence Barnett with two,
Bartlesville clawed and scrapped to keep it close for most the first quarter.
After Sapulpa pushed to a 6-0 lead, Duncan hit a trey to get the Lady Bruins on the board.
That ignited a 7-3 run by the Lady Bruins, including a coast-to-coast layup drive by Barnett.
Sapulpa extended its lead to 11, 18-7, but Bartlesville’s Chambers dropped in a trey to whittle the lead back to a single digit. However, Sapulpa went on a 6-0 run to finish the opening quarter.
Staylee Heard displayed the hot hand for Sapulpa during that run and for a good part of the game.
The second quarter could hardly have been less kind for Bartlesville. Sapulpa blitzed to 43-13 lead on a 19-3 run.
Duncan scored the Lady Bruins’ six points in the second quarter.
Trailing 47-16 at halftime, Bartlesville still kept hustling but just didn’t generate the firepower to challenge Sapulpa.
Alayah Lunn turned in an unsung heroes role for Bartlesville, hustling all over the court and keeping pressure on Sapulpa defensively.
Bartlesville eyes another grueling opportunity Tuesday against Bixby — but the Lady Bruins should be much better matched with the Lady Spartans and benefit from their floor time last Friday
This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: David Castillo scores 42 to help boost BHS basketball team to victory
