Less than a month after Oklahoma voted not to implement the shot clock for high school basketball,
Weatherford beat
Anadarko 4-2 on Tuesday in a game that will provide plenty off fodder for proponents of timed possessions.
On Jan. 11, the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association's 14 directors deadlocked on a motion to implement a 35-second shot in its four highest classifications beginning in 2024-25. The tie was broken with a no-vote from board president Rex Trent.
Tuesday's low-scoring affair wouldn't have been affected by an affirmative vote but it certainly created a buzz. Some on social media mocked the game of "keep away" while others claim doing what's necessary to win is the goal of each game, no matter how pretty or ugly.
The score was 0-0 after the first quarter. Sophomore
C.J. Nickson, who scored all four points for the Eagles and surpassed the 1,000-point mark for his career, hit two free throws early in the second quarter and a field goal on an inbounds play at the 7:35 mark of the third for Weatherford's only scoring.
"Now, the Weatherford student section (is) taking a nap," Chuck Ramsey, the game broadcaster, said in the third quarter as Anadarko kept possession for more than six minutes.
Anadarko's lone points came, ironically, on a fast break bucket from Braylen Owens with 2:26 left in the game after a Weatherford steal and miss.
And in a turnabout, Weatherford played "stall ball" for the final few minutes after Anadarko scored its lone basket.
The Warriors had a chance to tie or take the lead late in the fourth, but turned the ball over with less than 20 seconds left. After Weatherford missed the front end of a one-and-one, Anadarko had a last-second 3-point shot at the buzzer, but it fell short.
Weatherford has scored 1,208 points on the season.
The box score of Tuesday's game is a curious statistical oddity.
• Nickson went 1 of 3 from the field and 2 for 2 from the free throw line for Weatherford's only points.
• Weatherford (19-1) was 1 of 4 from the field and missed its lone 3-point shot.
•
Ethan Sage grabbed the lone rebound for Weatherford.
• Anadarko took four shots all night, including missing all three 3-point attempts.
• The starting fives for each squad were the only players to play, logging all 32 minutes each.
