Bartlesville girls basketball pounces Muskogee; Ponca nips Bruins, Caney Valley sweeps

Happy ‘J’s were here again for the Bartlesville High School girls basketball team.

The Lady Bruins drained six three-point jumpers — and nailed other key perimeter shots — on their way to a 48-31 rout Monday of visiting Muskogee High School.

Mikka Chambers and Emma Zimmerman heated the nets with 18 and 11 points, respectively, to help lead the way. Kennedy Nubel also scored in double figures — and deliver some crucial blocks and rebounds — to help Bartlesville improve to 11-8 and guarantee a non-losing regular season.

In the boys’ game, the Bruins had a brief fourth-quarter drought that allowed Ponca City High School to walk out of the Bruin Fieldhouse with a 46-44 victory.

Following are summaries of these games and other area hoops action Monday.

BOYS: Ponca City 46, Bartlesville 44

For the second time this season, the Wildcats clawed out a one-possession win in Bartlesville. Back in early January, Ponca City nipped the Bruins, 53-50, in the ConocoPhillips/Arvest Tournament.

In Monday’s rematch, the teams unleashed the same kind of intensity.

Trae Collins stirred the cords for 21 points and four Bruins scored five points each — Riley Duong, Eli Robertson, Hudson Eads and Lucas Wilson. Jacob Veit contributed three points to round out Bartlesville’s scoring.

Tay Moore tallied 18 to help elevate the Wildcats to the win.

Neither team generated much offensive firepower early. Ponca City led at the end of the first period, 10-6. Wilson converted on a conventional three-point play while Robertson found the middle of the rim for Bartlesville’s points.

In the second quarter, Collins buried three three-pointers and Eads added another trey as Bartlesville chewed the Wildcats’ lead to one point, 19-18.

Ponca City threatened to pull away with a 28-21 lead partway through the third period. But, the Bruins — who are coached by Clent Stewart — scrapped back to tie the score, 29-29, at the end of the third period, thanks to a flurry of late scoring by Collins (six points) and Wilson (a deuce).

Collins drilled another trey to open the fourth quarter to power Bartlesville (3-16) to its first lead, 32-29. The Bruins seemed to have the momentum and the advantage of Duong coming off the bench after he missed several minutes due to foul issues.

Duong would tie the score again, 36-36, on a two-pointer. But, Ponca City bolted to a 9-1 run to go ahead, 45-37, with time running out. However, Bartlesville made one final salvo, highlighted by Collins’ trey (off a Nash Zervas assist, with 49 seconds left) to make it a three-point game, 45-42.

But, Ponca City (4-14) held on to win by two.

Next up, they travel Tuesday night to Edmond Memorial and will be back home Friday to battle Owasso for Senior Night.

GIRLS: Bartlesville 48, Muskogee 31

For the second-straight game, the Lady Bruins surged to an early lead and kept on pushing hard.

They started out by going up 9-0, including three-pointers by Chambers and Nubel. By the end of the first quarter Bartlesville led, 13-6.

Muskogee dug in to remain within striking distance but Bartlesville — which is coached by Justyn Shaw — refused to hear footsteps. Zimmerman zipped in two free throws to re-establish a seven-point lead midway through the second period, 20-13.

After Muskogee closed to within three, 20-17, Alayah Lunn and Nubel (off a Chambers’ assist) helped get Bartlesville’s offense clicking again to make it a five-point lead, 24-19.

Chambers closed out the half with two free throws to make it a nine-point bulge, 28-19.  Points returned to a trickle in the third quarter as Muskogee snuck to within six points, 32-26.

Muskogee would make it a four-point game early in the fourth quarter, 33-29. But, Chambers and Zimmerman scored back-to-back buckets to re-energize the Bartlesville offensive attack.

Lunn (eight points) and Chambers finished off the scoring with three-pointers on consecutive possessions. Adrianne Flick also hit a crucial free throw earlier in the quarter that helped switch the momentum.

With a win in their three remaining games (at Edmond Memorial, home vs. Owasso, and at Sand Springs) Bartlesville can clinch its first winning record since the 2018-19 campaign.

Caney Valley teams

BOYS: Caney Valley 54, Barnsdall 49 — Caney Valley grappled to its 12th win (12-7) and improved to 7-5 in its last 12 games. Barnsdall fell to 9-11. On Tuesday, Caney Valley hosts Nowata and Barnsdall hosts Hominy.

GIRLS: Caney Valley 53, Barnsdall 26 — Caney Valley (12-7) continued its torrid last-season run. The Lady Trojans improved to 9-1 in their last 10 games. Caney Valley also limited an opponent to less than 30 points for the third-straight game and fifth time this season. A much-improve Barnsdall team fell to 11-9.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Area hoops: Bartlesville girls beat Muskogee; Ponca nips Bruins' heels