'We can be scary': How Edmond North's 'Big Three' came up large in road win over Piedmont

PIEDMONT — Chiante' Tramble had been anticipating this night for a few days.

The three-star guard was highly aware of Piedmont's 7-0 record heading into the matchup. For Tramble and the Huskies, the contest was the perfect test to see how their defense would match up in a showdown with one of the hottest teams in the state.

Edmond North put on a masterclass defensively, passing their initial assessment with flying colors.

The Huskies (5-0, 5-0 District 6A-1) remained undefeated in their 64-48 win over Piedmont on the road in a showdown between two of the state's only three unbeaten schools. They've kicked off the 2023-24 season looking to replicate the glory they captured a season ago as they won their second consecutive Class 6A state championship.

"In the first couple of games we've had, we started out slow in the first half," Tramble said following the game. "So today, we knew we wanted to come out and pounce on them from the opening tip to set the tone for the rest of the game."

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Tramble, a recent Independence Community College commit, transferred to Edmond North from Moore in June and has seamlessly meshed into the team's defensive identity despite being the new kid on the block.

"Chiante' has been fantastic from the moment he arrived here," Edmond North head coach Scott Norris said.

"He's a great leader that's got a tremendous basketball IQ. He's really the one that's been focused on our preparation heading into games and he's shown it in our first few games through his communication on the floor. He's also been our best lockdown defender, which I was surprised about, to be honest.

Matters were back and forth to start the game. Quick buckets from Tramble out the gate gave Edmond North an early 10-2 lead midway through the first quarter. The Wildcats would respond with their own flavor to end the quarter as guard Braeden Lloyd helped spark an 11-6 run for Piedmont to round out the period.

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With three-star forward Dylan Warlick in foul trouble, the Huskies needed a spark after buckets from Wildcats guard Walker Kennedy knotted up the contest at 20. Tramble would then catch fire again before halftime, knocking down two three-pointers in transition after ripping up Piedmont guards on ensuing possessions.

Despite their four-point lead heading into the locker room, the Edmond North acknowledged they could kick their effort into another gear.

"We had some breakdowns and a couple of live ball turnovers that they turned into layups on the other end," Norris said. "The main key for us coming out of halftime was limiting turnovers. We began beating ourselves in some ways, but we responded in a big way in the second half, and I think the guys did a great job of executing when we needed to most."

Edmond North stormed out of the halftime break on a 14-2 run, which helped separate them from the Wildcats. Senior forward Bryce Potts came alive in the second half and scored the team's first nine points of the third quarter.

Potts and Warlick's motor defensively on switches helped turn away shots at the rim from Piedmont guards -- leading to further points in transition for the Huskies.

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Edmond North's electric trio of Tramble, Potts and Warlick combined for 48 of the Huskies' 64 points on the night. Tramble ended the night with 16 points, five assists and a couple of steals while Potts finished with a game-high 18 points. In defiance of his foul trouble early in the first half, Warlick scored 12 of his 14 points in the second half to lift the Huskies to its fourth double-digit win.

"I think that we shouldn't have a different mindset going into these big games — we should have the same exact mindset," Potts said. "No matter who we play and were we play them at, we need to come out in sync as a team to get better as the season progresses. Sticking to that mindset every single game is something I believe this team can do because when we're all locked in, we can be scary."

Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school boys basketball: Edmond North beats Piedmont