By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
The Warriors got hot at the right time Friday night.
After struggling from the field and the free-throw line for most of the night, Okarche drilled three of its final four shots and went 3-for-4 from the charity stripe down the stretch to pull out a 65-61 season-opening win over Class 2A Preston.
Senior Kaleb Harris drilled his second three-pointer of the night to tie the game with 2:48 remaining. Junior Logan Kroener followed with a deuce with 1:35 to take a 63-61 lead and the Warriors never looked back, icing the game with a pair of Kroener free throws.
Okarche started slow, missing 12 of its first 17 shots from the field and its first seven attempts from the free-throw line to fall into a 18-15 deficit after the first quarter. Harris and Kroener combined for nine points in the period before replicating their scoring production with nine combined points again in the second, helping the Warriors even the score at the break. Harris finished with a game-high 23 points while Kroener chipped in 15.
Junior Joseph Schaefer helped keep things close in the third quarter as Okarche continued to struggle from the floor. Shaefer scored six of his eight points in the period while drilling three of four shot-attempts. He also finished with six rebounds, including three on the offensive end. The Warriors lost the rebound battle, 34-29, but limited Preston to just seven offensive boards.
Harris and Kroener spurred Okarche in the final eight minutes, combining for 13 of the team’s 17 points, including the game-tying and game-winning shots. The duo also grabbed nine rebounds and 10 steals while Harris led all players with six assists.
The Warriors didn’t let their offensive struggles carry over to the defensive end. They forced 32 turnovers with 14 steals and a blocked shot. They also held the Pirates to just 3-for-12 shooting from three-point range and pulled down 12 offensive rebounds. The team’s ability to lock down made up for its 19-for-55 shooting performance that included a combined 5-for-25 from three-point range and 16-for-32 from the free-throw line.
The win was not only the first of the season for Okarche, but also the first-ever in the school’s new, state of the art gymnasium. Prior to the game, the team, program and school honored the late coach Ray West. West passed away in August and was the school’s all-time and state’s active wins leader.
The Warriors return to action Tuesday to host Calumet before hitting the road the following Tuesday to take on Harding Fine Arts Academy in Oklahoma City. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. following the girls games.
