Statewide Standouts with Coliseum Goals

Monday night featured several ranked matchups. The stars did not disappoint as we are beginning to see contenders separate themselves from other teams within their classification. At this point in the season, roles are clearly defined and the top players from each team understand just how important it is that they show up and impact games. Let's look at who performed the best yesterday.    Maxwell finished with 19 points against Madill (4A). The Comets have now won seven in a row. The senior guard has been leading the way recently for his squad. Offensively against the Wildcats, Maxwell did a little bit of everything. He used his strength and athleticism early to punish smaller defenders inside, while also getting to his spots in the mid-range and pulling up over the opposition. Takeylon provided 15 before the end of the third quarter. Maxwell shot the ball from outside with confidence as the game rolled on, if the Comets can get consistent shooting from him to compliment his ability to attack the basket, look for them to continue their winning ways.     Another evening rematch pitted Roland heading to Sequoyah Tahlequah. These two teams met in Roland to start the season, with the Rangers winning by just three points. Roland had won five in a row coming in and looked to continue playing well. Owens was a big reason why the Rangers jumped all over Indians early and never looked back. The sophomore seems to play his best in the toughest matchups. His ability to keep opposing defenders on their heels was evident early and often. Owens showed an ability to blow past defenders, which set up his outside shot. From there, he continued to play aggressively, getting downhill and finding teammates while also putting his floater to good use as help defenders tried to impede his drives to the basket. Owens does an incredible job of letting the game come to him while also being aggressive when he reads the defense. When he is decisive early in games, his teammates gain a lot of confidence and seem to follow his lead.     The Tigers were able to get revenge over the Indians on Monday night. This was the first loss of the season for Catoosa. Fort Gibson improved to 18-4 on the season with the win. Hackett dominated inside and one of the reasons why was the ability of his teammates to limit turnovers with post feeds inside. Hackett not only played with force as both a scorer and rebounder but also showed great touch when finishing over multiple defenders. Catoosa was forced to utilize a full court press to try to force turnovers and the Fort Gibson guards routinely broke the pressure to find Hackett ahead of everyone for dunks. Coming out of the halftime break, the junior score eight straight points to close the door on any potential comeback.     The Longhorns entered the evening winning seven of their last eight games. Thompson has been on a roll and continued to take his play to another level against Wagoner. After pouring in 40 points against Adair, the senior was at it again with another impressive effort from 3-point land. Thompson has been averaging over three makes per game this month per contest. The lefty is at his best in catch-and-shoot situations. His ability to read screens against the Bulldogs allowed him to get his feet set and create opportunities to elevate with space. His teammates did an outstanding job of making it a point to get him the ball early, as they jumped out to a big lead. The 42-point victory on the road shows how well this team is playing currently. The prior matchup between these two in early January finished just 51-50 in favor of the Longhorns.     Southward helped to stop a two game skid for his club. The Tigers were able to improve to 15-8 with a win over a good Kiefer team. The sophomore started the game hot from deep, hitting his first two attempts. Southward rebounded well on the defensive effort, providing multiple efforts to track down balls both inside and outside of the arc. His ability pull up over the top of defenders was also on display as he rounded out the contest with 21 points. Trey will be crucial for his team in the postseason as he can shoot with high efficiency when his feet are set.     Felmlee showed an assertive mindset against Kiefer. The junior routinely took what the defense gave him and converted at the foul stripe. His ability to get into the paint and get fouled was something that really stood out in the game. The Trojans cut the lead to just seven but Darren stepped back to hit a back-breaking 3-pointer from the top of the key as the third quarter buzzer sounded. The Tigers kept control from that point on and cruised to a 66-53 victory. Another key in the win, was his ability to see the defense and find the open man. Whether it was pitching the ball ahead in transition or utilizing "no look" passes in the half court, Felmlee was outstanding with the ball in his hands.

Monday night featured several ranked matchups. The stars did not disappoint as we are beginning to see contenders separate themselves from other teams within their classification. At this point in the season, roles are clearly defined and the top players from each team understand just how important it is that they show up and impact games. Let's look at who performed the best yesterday.