Putnam North defense shuts down Keeley Parks, Norman to win Joe Lawson Tournament

NORMAN — Nevaeh Sanchez readily accepted the challenge.

Tasked with defending Norman girls’ basketball standout Keeley Parks – who poured in a whopping 51 points one night earlier — the 5-foot-5 Putnam City North guard knew that her team’s best chance of upending the defending Class 6A state runner-up was containing Parks as much as possible.

“Just had the mindset of just going in and just not letting that happen tonight,” Sanchez said after the Panthers stifled Norman, 44-35, in the finals of the Joe Lawson Tournament Saturday night at Norman North High School. “Yeah, I’m small, but I had to come with it. And I came with it. … Making sure she doesn’t touch the ball as much because her touching it, nine out of ten (times) she is going to get a good shot off and tonight, I just had to limit that. I feel like I did a really good job.”

“A really good job” is a tremendous understatement. By applying additional defensive pressure to Parks, Sanchez and her teammates forced Norman’s other players — none of which had varsity playing experience before this season — to shoulder more of the scoring load.

The plan worked to perfection. Parks managed 16 points with just two 3-point baskets, both before halftime. No other Norman player managed more than seven points.

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“Our whole goal was, ‘Make the other four on the court beat us,’” fourth-year Putnam City North Coach Logan Martin said. “If they did that, then OK, but we were going to try and wear her down and take her out of it as much as possible. She is a great player, so we we knew she would still get some, for sure. But yep, limit her touches.”

The victory offered further evidence that a rebound season for Putnam City North girls’ basketball is afoot. After playing .500 ball two years ago and finishing with a losing record last season, the Panthers returned all five starters and have opened the season with wins in five of six games, including a road triumph Dec. 1 at Mustang.

“Last year, we really learned how to play with each other,” PC North junior guard Nykaiya Dillard said. “This year, it’s just us now so we have learned each other and how to work with each other on the court.”

Dillard led PC North with 14 points, while senior Alaysia Burrough added 12. Sophomore Tehlia Kutsoati and junior Nini Geretta round out the group of five returning starters for the Panthers, which are also receiving valuable contributions off the bench from junior Raya Shawaeb and a pair of freshmen in Demy Howard and Richiya Miller.

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All eight players contributed points against Norman. Only Geretta (5-10) stands taller than 5-8.

“They just play hard and they’re quick and they like to battle,” Martin said. “They have been really fun, trying to speed people up and they enjoy playing that way.”

PC North used a 10-3 burst in the second quarter to claim the lead for good, highlighted by seven-straight points from Dillard. The Panthers’ advantage got as large as 15 early in the fourth quarter at 40-25 when Sanchez drilled a 3-pointer.

PC North will try to win its sixth game in a row when it hosts Capitol Hill on Tuesday.

“Staying consistent,” Sanchez said. “Every single day in the gym. Just being consistent, pushing each other and going harder. Making each other want to push each other and just go hard every single day.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school basketball: Putnam North beats Norman