NORMAN – A night after Norman’s Keeley Parks set a school record with 51 points, Putnam City North held her in check to beat the Tigers in the championship game for the Joe Lawson Memorial Invitational Saturday (Dec. 9) at Norman North High School.

With Lady Panther senior guard Nevaeh Sanchez applying defensive pressure, Parks scored 16 points and North took the title with a 44-35 win.

“I just had the mindset going in of not letting it happen tonight,” Sanchez told The Oklahoman’s Douglas Miles

Sanchez said the key was to limit Parks’ opportunities to score. “When she touches (the ball), nine times out of ten, she’s going to score. I just had to limit that.”

Junior guard Nykaiya Dillard led North with 14 points, who improved to 5-1 after a losing season last year. Dillard also grabbed 11 boards, had one assist, three steals and blocked a shot.

“This year we’re more patient on offense,” Dillard told Miles.

Senior Alaysia Burrough added 13 points and two steals for the Panthers.

After having a two-point deficit at the end of the first quarter, North used a 10-3 run in the second quarter to grab the lead for good.

Dillard, Burrough and Sanchez were named to the All-Tournament team.

The Lady Panthers return to 6A District 1 play Tuesday at home against Capitol Hill.

OTHER PCN SCORING/STATS (SOURCE: PC North Basketball)

Howard 5 pts 6 reb 2 ast
Geretta 3 pts 2 reb 4 ast 2 stl
Sanchez 3 pts 2 reb 2 ast 1 stl
Miller 2 pts 2 reb 1 ast
Shawareb 2 pts 1 reb 1 stl
Kutsoati 2 pts 3 reb 2 stl