Tahlequah/Coweta aftermath plus MLC notes

Just a couple of thoughts and notes following Tuesday night's action in the Metro Lakes Conference.
First up, a look back at the Tahlequah/Coweta games:

• Tahlequah/Coweta girls game review: My prediction of Tahlequah winning 50-44 was a tad bit off — missing the total points by a wide margin. But I still picked the right winner. ... As for the game, neither team could find the bottom of the basket, resulting in Tahlequah shooting 25 percent (11 of 44) and Coweta at a measly 11.9 percent (5 of 42). Of Coweta's five fields goals, Lindsay Nowlin recorded three of them with all coming after halftime. ... After allowing Nowlin to get 27 points in the first meeting, I thought Tahlequah did a much better job of shutting Nowlin down on Tuesday night. Yes, she ended up with a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds), but she had to work for every single bit of that. ... As for Class 5A No. 17 Tahlequah, now 7-6 overall and 3-3 in the Metro Lakes Conference, it got the Lady Tigers within a half game of Skiatook, who currently owns third place in the standings. Tahlequah might have to win some more ugly games along the way, but I don't think the Lady Tigers will mind if it gets them a No. 2 or 3 seed in a regional tournament in late February. ... And I know Randee O'Donnell was frustrated last night, scoring only eight points on 2 of 18 shooting. But the freshman guard for Tahlequah did the right thing in continuing to shoot the ball. Her team relies on her to score, so she has to keep putting it up. ... Going forward, Tahlequah was some pretty good depth inside, being able to go with Erica Sampson, Jessie Patrick, Vanessa Rivas and Casey Beaston. While Patrick might be the best scorer, all four can rebound and do some dirty work on the block.
• Tahlequah/Coweta boys game review: This one might sting for awhile for Tahlequah. The Tigers were able to take advantage of Coweta's lack of interest — or so it appeared — by leading the majority of the game. But in clutch situations, Coweta made the bigger plays, coming up with a key offensive rebound by Trevor Sumpter, which ended up being the game-winning play for 5A No. 11 Coweta. ... I wasn't terribly impressed with Coweta on offense. I thought, at times, it was just a matter of four players posting up behind the 3-point line while Zach Norris tried to create off the dribble. The Tigers have some decent size, but they don't seem interested in getting the ball on the block. ... Despite the loss, Tahlequah's Big 3 (Lain Wright, Spencer Risenhoover and Courtland Glock) established themselves as the key core of the Tigers. Risenhoover and Glock controlled the paint, and they'll need to do so if Tahlequah wants to get anywhere near .500 before season's end. ... With games against Skiatook, Pryor and Collinsville coming up, Tahlequah (3-10, 1-5) must take advantage, winning games against the teams at the bottom of the standings in the Metro Lakes Conference.

 Here are some Metro Lakes Conference news and notes from last night:

•  Claremore established itself as the girls team to beat in the MLC. Behind Jordan Schultz's 30 points, the Lady Zebras moved to 6-1 in the league and 11-3 overall.
• The shocker of the night came when Collinsville's girls beat Skiatook, 53-42. Collinsville managed to limit Skiatook's Correy Moyer to nine points.
• The most impressive performance of the night was turned in by Claremore's boys, beating Bishop Kelley 92-78. Northeastern State signee Alex Miller tallied 38 points as the Zebras moved to 7-0 in the conference and 12-1 overall. Coweta is now the only other unbeaten team in league play, sporting a 6-0 mark.
• The other boys game played on Tuesday night was a 52-39 victory by Skiatook over Collinsville.

Metro Lakes Conference at a glance
Metro Lakes Conference standings

                 Conf    Ovr
Girls        W-L    W-L
Claremore    6-1    11-3
Bishop Kelley    5-2    8-6
Skiatook    4-3    9-8
Tahlequah    3-3    7-6
Collinsville    3-4    5-9
Coweta        2-4    6-6
Pryor        0-6    3-12

Tuesday's Games
Tahlequah 30, Coweta 28
Claremore 45, Bishop Kelley 39
Collinsville 53, Skiatook 42

Friday's Games
Tahlequah at Bishop Kelley
Pryor at Skiatook
Coweta at Claremore

Saturday's Game
Oologah at Collinsville


                 Conf    Ovr
Boys        W-L    W-L
Claremore    7-0    12-1
Coweta        6-0    12-3
Bishop Kelley    5-1    7-7
Skiatook    3-4    4-13
Pryor        2-4    4-8
Tahlequah    1-5    3-10
Collinsville    0-7    1-14

Tuesday's Games
Coweta 50, Tahlequah 48, OT
Claremore 92, Bishop Kelley 78
Skiatook 52, Collinsville 39

Friday's Games
Tahlequah at Bishop Kelley
Pryor at Skiatook
Coweta at Claremore

Saturday's Game
Oologah at Collinsville