'We're dangerous when rolling': Oklahoma Christian routs undefeated North Rock Creek
EDMOND — Luke Gray opted to prepare for North Rock Creek prior to game day.
The Saints' three-star forward circled the previously undefeated Cougars on his calendar during a mission trip to Puerto Rico over winter break. Gray sought to bring in the new year in grand style.
Upon tip-off in OCS Gymnasium, he did not disappoint.
Oklahoma Christian School sailed past North Rock Creek 70-36 on Tuesday night behind a dominant performance from Gray, who finished with a game-high 22 points and 19 rebounds.
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"Luke is a true program changer, and that's saying the least," Saints head coach Brandon Weaver said. "From the moment he got here as a freshman, we could see these big leaps he took every single year. He sure looks like he's in store for another big year."
North Rock Creek (11-1) had zero answer for Gray.
The 6-foot-7, 220-pound senior scored the first six points for the Saints, including an electric two-hand alley-oop dunk after a pass from teammate Kyler Brown. OCS (9-1) elevated its intensity after leading by just seven heading into the second quarter.
The Saints sparked a 26-8 run in the second quarter after the Cougars elected to switch into a 2-3 zone to slow down Gray. Holes in the zone created enough space for Brown and Kansas Wesleyan commit Carson Jones to get into rhythm thanks to wide-open looks.
Jones, who finished the night with 19 points, ignited the run with a few buckets at the rim. Soon after, Brown would drain a couple of 3s to help extend OCS' lead to as much as 16 by halftime.
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OCS didn't look back after coming out of the locker room. Gray continued to be a nuisance to North Rock Creek on both ends of the floor — pinning three Cougars layups off the glass in the second half, resulting in further transition points.
"I know that a lot of teams key in on me," Gray said, "so it's awesome to see other guys step up and hit big shots when we need them. Basketball is a team game, so we'll need everybody to help chase the gold ball in March. These kinds of wins are huge for us."
Gray is a three-star prospect according to 247Sports' Composite Score and is the third-ranked player in Oklahoma. He currently has offers from Cal Poly, Liberty, North Carolina, Greensboro, and South Carolina State.
With his performance tonight, Gray is now less than 80 points shy of breaking former OCS and OU star Blake Griffin's scoring record of 1,663 points career points with the Saints.
"When I'm able to get that first shot going, everything else just falls into place," Gray said. "Wins like tonight show how much volume we have on our team and how dangerous we are when rolling. A game like tonight gives us huge momentum heading into the second half of the season for sure."
More: Vote for The Oklahoman's Landmark Fine Homes HS boys athlete of the week for Jan. 2-8
Girls: North Rock Creek 58, Oklahoma Christian 44
North Rock Creek guard Kadence Munn scored a game-high 17 points to push the Cougars past OCS.
The sophomore scored nine of her points in the first half and the Cougars led by 14 points heading into the break. North Rock Creek's stifling defense held the Saints to just two points in the first quarter thanks to a host of forced turnovers, which led to easy transition points in their favor.
Senior Olivia McRay's defense helped lead to her offense on the other end, finishing with 10 points and four rebounds.
North Rock Creek has now won eight of its last nine games and improved to 10-2 on the season in the victory. The Cougars look to keep streaking as they face off in a home matchup with Class 3A's Bethel at 6 p.m. Friday.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school basketball: OCS boys, North Rock Creek girls win
