Buffs blast away from Tulsa CHEF in final day of Tahlequah Tourney
Dec. 9—When the Buffs got going, they weren't going to let anything stand in their way.
McAlester faced off against Tulsa CHEF in the final day of the Tahlequah Tournament Saturday, where the Buffs used a second-half push to seal away the 53-43 win.
CHEF jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, but McAlester used a triple from Brandon Smith and a bucket from Alex Dooney to even up the score. Malachi Wrice and Garrett Pickett added in a pair of scores, while another triple from Smith led to a 14-10 Buffalo lead after the opening quarter.
In the second quarter, a back-and-forth kept the teams even through the period's opening minutes. A 6-0 run from CHEF put it into the slim lead, but the Buffs responded with a 8-0 run with points from Davien Pouncil, Smith, and Dooney to put McAlester up 27-25 at the half.
Smith got the Buffs moving again to start the third prior, with DaVantrae McKendrick adding in back-to-back scores to extend the McAlester lead. CHEF made four quick points, answered by a McAlester run featuring scores from Dooney and Wrice to extend the lead once more on the way to a 37-33 score heading into the final period.
Isaiah Hishaw nabbed a steal and score to start the fourth, with Wrice adding a pair of free throws to create more space away from McAlester's opponent. McKendrick was fouled on a made shot the next time down the floor, sinking the ensuing foul shot for the three-point play.
The Buffs kept their collective foot on the accelerator, with a hook shot by McKendrick and a ferocious jam by Wrice on an inbound play giving McAlester its largest lead of the game. That spark ignited the Buffs in the final minutes, gliding their way into the win.
Smith and McKendrick led the way McAlester with 14 points each, followed by Dooney and Wrice with eight points each, Hishaw with four points, Pickett with three points, and Pouncil with two points.
Next up for McAlester, the Buffs will host Tulsa Edison in the final home game of 2023 on Tuesday at the McAlester Activity Center.
