The Central High School basketball teams celebrated homecoming by sweeping the Savanna squads on Feb. 9 at Warner Event Center as the Tigers started the night with a 64-30 rout of the ’Dawgs, followed by the Lady Tigers doing likewise to the Lady Bulldogs with a 50-23 victory.
On Thursday night on Chris Gillespie Court at Ray Henson Gymnasium at Talihina High School, the Central squads split their contests with the host Talihina teams as the Tigers beat the Golden Tigers 47-38, but the Lady Tigers fell 34-25.
In the boys’ win over Savanna, the Tigers (138) clawed their way to a 22-8 lead over the ’Dawgs after a quarter and kept on clawing.
For the game, the Tigers put a trio of players into double figures, led by Gavin Randolph and Noah Buzzard, who was co-homecoming king, each with a gamehigh 17 points, while Josh Brunk, the other co-homecoming king, added 12 points. Aiden Cawhorn scored seven points, followed by Kage Poindexter with five points and Jake Woods, Brycen Chandler-Eisman and Kaw-Liga Lewis with two points apiece.
In the girls’ victory over Savanna, the Lady Tigers (12-10) jumped out to a 15-4 lead after a period en route to a 23-7 halftime advantage and a 36-22 lead after three quarters.
For the game, homecoming queen Cambree Bair scored a gamehigh 20 points to lead Central, followed by Sara Williams with 10 points, Cheyenne Busch with six points, Gracie Thompson with five points, Paris Campbell with four points, Charlie Petree with three points and Sarah Buchanan with two points.
In the boys’ victory over Talihina, the Tigers (13-8) rallied from a 14-5 first-quarter deficit as they outscored the Golden Tigers 42-24 over the final three periods to get the comeback victory.
For the game, Brunk scored 14 points and Buzzard added 13 points to lead Central, followed by Cawhorn with seven points, Randolph with five points, Paitton Merrill with four points, Braxin Goodson with three points and Woods with a free throw.
In the girls’ loss to Talihina, the Lady Golden Tigers rallied from an 11-7 deficit after a period and a 13-9 halftime deficit by outscoring the Lady Tigers 25-12 in the second half to get the come-from-behind win.
In defeat, Bair scored eight points to lead Central, followed by Busch with seven points, Williams with six points and Campbell and Brianna Taylor with two points apiece.
After ending the regular season Monday night at Eufaula, the Central teams will begin the Class 2A playoffs by visiting the Vian squads in the district tournament at 6 and 7:30 p.m. this Thursday at Vian’s B.J. Traw Gymnasium.
