Edmond Memorial basketball teams take bite out of Bartlesville High in December finale

November and December proved to be a learning ground for the Bartlesville High varsity basketball teams.

Tuesday’s home games against Edmond Memorial were their most painful lessons.

In the boys game at the Bruin Fieldhouse, the Edmond Memorial administered a 55-point knuckle-cracker against the gritty and hard-playing, but outmatched, Bartlesville, which suffered its most lopsided setback of the season.

The Bulldogs sent the Bartlesville girls to the corner with a 58-28 victory — the Lady Bruins’ biggest margin of reversal.

But, out of the ashes of defeat, Bartlesville squads could emerge even stronger as they build on their positives and try to minimize their challenges.

Both Bartlesville basketball teams will be off until Jan. 4, when they host the ConocoPhillips/Arvest Invitational.

Girls: Edmond Memorial 58, Bartlesville 28

Bartlesville (2-4) fell to 1-4 in the district — but this was going to be a tough one to try to turn its season around. Edmond Memorial (5-1, 4-1) returned some key players from last year’s state semifinalist team that finished at 22-5. Ten of the 16 girls on the Bulldogs’ roster Tuesday night were juniors or seniors.

Bartlesville’s active roster on Tuesday included just four seniors and juniors and seven freshmen and sophomores.

The slippery slope began early for Bartlesville, which lacked the necessary height across the board to hang tight with Edmond Memorial. The Bulldogs boasted four players of 5-foot-10 or taller, and another four players listed at 5-foot-9. Bartlesville suited up only one player at six-foot (even) and only two between five-foot-11 and five-foot-10.

Even so, Bartlesville kept it a single-digit game through most of the first quarter. Adrianne Flick buried a backside transition layup — set up by Mikka Chambers’ steal and Alayah Lunn’s dribbling and pass — to pull the Lady Bruins within four, 9-5.

After Edmond Memorial went on a 5-0 run, Bartlesville answered on Chambers’ one-handed floater on a move to just inside the foul line to make it a seven-point game, 14-7.

Moments later on the other end, Chambers took a charge to force a Lady Bulldog turnover. As she got up and dusted herself off, it appeared Bartlesville might generate some momentum.

But, the Lady Bruins gave the ball back seconds later, triggering a 7-0 run by Edmond Memorial to finish the first quarter and lead by 14, 21-7.

Bartlesville endured a scoring drought of almost two minutes to open the second quarter prior to Lunn knocking down a 3-pointer. Edmond Memorial’s Addy Johnson answered with a trey to stretch the margin back to 18, 28-10.

Cassie Snead then let an arc-buster go to bring Bartlesville back within 15, 28-13. However, Bartlesville’s offense then went colder than Frosty’s fingers. Edmond Memorial wrapped up the first half with a 10-0 burst to carry a 38-13 advantage into halftime.

Edmond Memorial’s Taylor Morris coaxed in a scoop layup in the third period, which saw the Lady Bulldogs push their lead out to 32 points, 49-17.

Bartlesville won the fourth quarter scoring honors, 11-9, including a layup-plus-one play by Chambers. Other Bartlesville final-period highlights included Kennedy Nubel absorbing a charge, another Lunn trey, a weakside layup by Flick set up by Nubel’s hook pass from the opposite side of the lane, and a 3-pointer by Emma Zimmerman.

Putting more pressure on the ball was a key in Bartlesville’s improved play in the second half. Chambers led the balanced scoring sheet with eight points. Justyn Shaw coaches the Lady Bruins.

Boys: Edmond Memorial 81, Bartlesville 26

Once again, the Bruins kept a powerful foe in check early but just didn’t keep pace as the game aged.

The turning point in the game occurred when Edmond Memorial went to a tight backcourt press. That resulted in numerous Bruin turnovers and Bulldog transition points that broke the game open.

When the Bruins did advance the ball safely, they did display some sharp-looking motion offense — but missed too many open shots — which allowed the Bulldogs to grow the gap.

Bartlesville finished its pre-Christmas schedule with a 1-4 record — all district games. Edmond Memorial improved to 6-3, 4-1. The Bulldogs returned several players from last year’s 12-11 team that lost out in the first round of the postseason.

Bartlesville won eight games last season and also had a short playoff run.

In Tuesday’s battle, the Bruins displayed plenty of fight, especially early — although their hustle seemed to wane at times in the second half after the hole extended too deep.

Edmond Memorial struck first on a steal and fast-break bucket by Hudson Franz. Bartlesville answered immediately on a secondary transition break, with Nash Zervas hitting Grant Clark on the right wing on a no-look pass for an easy layup.

Moments later, the Bruins got the ball back, resulting in Riley Duong’s 3-pointer to push Bartlesville ahead, 5-2.

Bartlesville would extend its lead to 7-3 on Eli Robertson’s 2-point deposit off a fast break.

With 3:53 left in the first quarter, Duong knocked down two free throws to extend Bartlesville’s lead back to four, 9-5.

But, moments later, Edmond Memorial went into its full-court defense and half-court trap, completely disrupting Bartlesville’s offensive flow.

In fact, after having scored nine points in the first 3:53, the Bruins would need another 12 minutes to tally their next nine points. By the end of the third quarter, Edmond Memorial led, 59-18. Bartlesville’s final eight points were produced on a 3-pointer by Duong, a Clark layup and a cord-snapping triple by Colton Modisette.

For Edmond Memorial, Johnson, Jack Sheriff, Shy Laskey, Taylor Morris and Franz were among those with hot scoring touches.

One of the bright spots for the Bruins — who are coached by Clent Stewart — was the defensive energy of 6-foot-4 Jacob Veit, who blocked multiple shots, altered other attempts and rebounded for the most part with blue-collar zest.

This article originally appeared on Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise: Bartlesville boys, girls basketball teams fall to Edmond Memorial