By Blake Colston
Sports Editor
GARBER – Okarche’s trip to Garber’s NextEra Energy Resources Invitational ended on a strong note Saturday.
The third-ranked Lady Warriors edged bitter rival, Cashion (No. 15 in 2A) 50-47 behind a game-high 20 points from Emma Stover.
“We’ll always take a win over Cashion,” head coach Haley Mitchel said.
Playing their third game in as many days, Mitchel said her team didn’t have its normal amount of energy, but gutted out the win.
“We were tired and had some silly turnovers, but we played with a lot of heart,” she said.
The win moved OHS to 10-1 on the season, a day after No. 5 Hooker (2A) handed Okarche its first loss, 55-51. Jalie Rother and Addyson Arms each scored 11 points to lead the Lady Warriors.
“We played really well against them, but we missed some free throws and had some turnovers late in the game,” Mitchel said.
Okarche opened the tournament Thursday with a 72-38 rout of Class A No. 20 Ripley. Stover led four Lady Warriors in double figures with 18.
The victory marked the ninth time in 11 games that Okarche had held its opponent under 50 points. By comparison, Okarche allowed 50 or more six times in 11 games last season. The Lady Warriors are, primarily, playing zone defense that extends into a full court press. They’ll occasionally sprinkle in some man-to-man defense, too.
“I have definitely seen a major improvement in our defense this year. (The girls) have done a lot better job of making that a priority,” Mitchel said.
The full court pressure – and the turnovers that are created from it – are leading to easy baskets for the Lady Warriors offensively. They’re averaging just less than 64 points per game while holding the opposition to an average of 35.4 points.
“A big priority for us is to take care of the ball. No silly turnovers, no weak possessions where we shoot the ball too fast,” Mitchel said.
Okarche plays at 2A No. 14 Watonga (5-1) Friday night.
