By Chuck Reherman, Sports Editor – Earning a little payback.
Southwest Covenant went into their second home game of the season looking to avenge an earlier tournament loss to Oklahoma City Crooked Oak.
The Patriots earned that payback and did it in impressive fashion.
SWCS ran out to a 23-3 lead to open the game and rolled to a 55-28 win over the Rufnex.
The Patriots had lost to Crooked Oak 62-55 in the Crusader Classic last week at Christian Heritage Academy. But, in the second meeting, it was all the Patriots, who after taking the 20-point first quarter lead, never trailed by less than 20 the rest of the night.
“It was definitely a nice payback night,” SWCS head coach Kevin Cobbs said. “We played well, we played real well. The best thing about the game was we started off really well and got the ball into the hole from the paint early with toughness and the fiwith confidence shooting the ball.
“It was not what happened the first time we played them,” he said. “We missed a ton of three’s and this game we came in and established an inside presence then worked our way out. That made a difference.
“Our defense played very smart, we didn’t run at them and give them the drive. We played smart on defense and that was the difference.
The Patriots went to the inside game from the opening tip. That tip went to Will Haas who drove for a quick layup, was fouled and hit the free throw.
Bryce Brown and Sam Webb hit shots in the lane to open a 7-0 lead. Crooked Oak did make it a 7-3 game, but the Patriot defense did not give up another point in the final five minutes of the quarter.
Haas stole the ball and scored, then hit a second shot and a pair of treys from Kellly Young opened a 23-3 lead.
Grayson Wilbanks added the third Patriot trey and a Tim Kramer shot opened a 28-3 lead.
A Keith Cole trey and a pair of free throws helped close out the first half and a 38-9 lead.
Crooked Oak did try to get a rally started in the second half, cutting the lead to 38-14. But, the Patriots went on an 11-0 run to push the lead to 49-14.
Haas had started the run with a trey and Young capped it with a three to open the 35-point lead.
It was the first game that the Patriots had Webb, a three-year starter, back in the line-up. He may have had only two points, but he pulled in some key rebounds and turned in a solid effort on defense.
“Sam is a difference maker,” Cobbs said. ‘He is a fantastic athlete and he is the guy that makes our team go. He is our team leader and does so much for us.
“Sam is definitely the difference maker for us,” he added.
Crooked Oak coach David Doss did not start the same line-up he did in the first meeting.
“He (Doss) had some guys get into trouble and he brought them in off the bench,” Cobbs said. “But, I don’t think it would have mattered. I respect him, he was trying to prove a point to them.
“But, even when they were in, we took it to them and I was good with that” he added. “I was afraid they would make a run at us. They upped their energy in the third quarter, but we matched that.”
Haas led the Patriot scoring with 16 points. Young added nine points, Kramer had six and Cole, Cole Gatlin and Brown all had five points.
