What's the key to Putnam North girls basketball's major turnaround? 'Defensive intensity.'
Putnam North’s girls basketball team has an effective recipe for curbing the momentum of rising opponents.
In December, the Panthers stopped Norman only one day after Keeley Parks set the Tigers’ single-game record of 51 points. On Friday, Putnam North dispatched a Mustang squad that had only one week earlier defeated its Sweet Pea Invitational opponents by an average margin of 36.3 points.
The Panthers’ 47-32 home victory broke the Broncos’ six-game win streak. What’s their key to playing spoiler?
The first half held the answers. Putnam North limited Mustang to 10 points before halftime, including a mere two in the second quarter.
“We talked about defensive intensity and playing fast and making that our focus, regardless of our offense,” Putnam North coach Logan Martin said.
More: A look at Oklahoma City's girls high school basketball Fab 10 rankings for Jan. 25
Martin understands how to manage her lineup full of guards. With no one above 5-foot-10, Putnam North isn’t the type of team to lurk near the basket and dominate with blocks. They don’t have to be.
The Panthers have established their identity as scrappy, quick defenders, applying pressure in the backcourt and throwing different matchups at opponents. Senior guard Nevaeh Sanchez and junior guard Nini Geretta worked together to bottle up Parker Simonsen, Mustang’s Sweet Pea Invitational MVP.
“That’s kind of the nice thing with our team,” Martin said. “We’re all guards, and for the most part, we can all switch off and guard the ball pretty well.”
This approach has fueled a massive turnaround. Only one year ago, Putnam North went through the highs and lows of a 9-13 season. This year, the Panthers are 14-3, and their second victory against Mustang puts them in second place in District 6A-I, trailing only Edmond North.
More: Vote: Oklahoma City area girls high school athletes of week, Jan. 23
Sophomore guard Tehlia Kutsoati, who played varsity as a freshman, has noticed the exponential improvement while elevating her personal game.
“Everybody’s energy is great,” Kutsoati said. “And this team, I feel like we can do something special.”
Kutsoati added all eight of her points in the second half, energizing her team with an and-one. Nykaiya Dillard led the Panthers with 10 points, and Sanchez had eight.
Seven players scored as the Panthers constantly moved the ball. With a balanced offense, every regular contributor has the chance to be a star.
It also means all of the Panthers have to make sacrifices for their teammates.
“That’s something we’ve talked to them (about) a lot is, ‘Don’t get too high or too low,’” Martin said. “Because it may not be your night tonight, but you just don’t know whose it is. Try to take the focus off of your scoring, and focus on the team success.”
Although the Panthers’ offense waned late in the first half, their stout defense saved them as they outscored Mustang 6-2 in the second quarter. Cherish Haywood led the Broncos with 12 points and seven rebounds, but fellow offensive leader Mya Alston played limited minutes off the bench.
Throughout the game, the Broncos (13-5) also brought defensive intensity. The opponents continued to trade steals in the fourth quarter, but the Panthers stuck with the challenge.
“Our talking, our communication helped us really lock in on defense,” Kutsoati said.
More: A look at Oklahoma City's boys high school basketball Fab 10 rankings for Jan. 24
Boys basketball: Mustang 61, Putnam North 58
Khai Brown didn’t let Mustang leave with an easy win.
Brown stockpiled a game-high 25 points for Putnam North, but Mustang squeezed out a 61-58 victory.
The Broncos (13-5) cruised to an early lead and headed into halftime up 39-26. Then Brown and the Panthers (8-9) made it a one-possession game in the fourth quarter, but their shots didn’t fall in the final seconds. Roman Miller led Mustang with 21 points, and Tyson Pogi followed with 20.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: What's the key to Putnam North girls basketball's major turnaround?
