MUSTANG – Putnam City North sped its game up with Holland Hall Thursday (Dec. 26), causing 26 Dutch turnovers in a 69-44 win at the Bank 7 Mustang Holiday Classic.

Panther coach D.J. Lemons said his team made concerted effort to force turnovers, knowing that Holland Hall would employ a zone defense to slow the pace.

“We had to let our our defense fuel our offense,” Lemons said. “We had to cause as many turnovers as we could because we knew if we let them set up in a zone, it was gonna be a long, slow game for us. We wanted to just make sure the tempo was was at our pace.”

The Panthers (8-4) trailed for much of the first quarter but the Dutch’s four-point lead turned into a 11-point North lead as the turnovers turned into Panther points.

Senior Khai Brown scored a game-high 20 points with five rebounds and three steals.

“He’s really embracing being a leader and stepping up more, doing what I need him to do,” Lemons said of Brown. “He went in that high post early against the zone and he did his work early and he seen how easy it was. He’s just staying true.”

Junior Nate Muriithi added 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting. Muriithi, who played at Putnam City West last season, added six rebounds. He scored five points in the fourth quarter surge.

“He’s still learning our system,” Lemons said of Muriithi. “We have the utmost confidence in Nate and what he can bring he’s a big body, he’s athletic. He brings another dimension to our team that we lack.”

Freshman Keeton Murry scored 10 points in nine minutes on the court. Murry hit 4-of-6 from the field and 2-of-4 from beyond the arc.

“Keaton’s probably one of the better freshmen in the state and he works with his tail off every day,” Lemons said. “We get on him about defense as well. That’s our team identity and we and we wanna put our hat on that and and and be the best defensive team that in the state as we can be. But, he’s one of our better shooters.

“We know, when are we playing the teams with zones like that, we know we need him out there on the court.”

Murry also had two steals.

Lemons also highlighted his bench, specifically sophomore DKarin Johnson, juniors Malakye Schoats, Gabe Wilson and Avery Lehman

“Those four guys men really carried us in the first half, and I felt like they brought another spark that our team needed,” Lemons said.

Lehman had 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting (2-of-3 from the 3-point line). He also grabbed four rebounds.

Senior Anthony Leonard had a quiet game scoring-wise but had four assists and four steals in the win.

Holland Hall (2-3) actually shot a better percentage than North (44.7 to North’s 41.7 percent), but the turnovers and the Panthers’ rebounding advantage (33-25) made an impact.

UP NEXT

The Panthers meet host Mustang Friday (Dec. 27) at 8:30 p.m.

The Broncos (3-5) got past 2A Hooker, 59-52, in overtime Thursday.

“Winning in the first game definitely takes the pressure off your back of just trying to win a game in the tournament,” Lemons said.

The first-year North coach wants his team to treat this tournament like the state tourament.

“Let’s treat every team like this, state tournament team. Let’s learn from our games. Let’s learn what we struggle at and let’s learn what we did good. Let’s continue to press forward on that.”

Photographs courtesy of Richard T. Clifton

	1	2	3	4	F
Holland Hall (2-3)	13	17	10	4	44
Putnam City North (8-4)	17	24	14	14	69

BANK 7 MUSTANG HOLIDAY CLASSIC (BOYS BRACKET)
AT MUSTANG HIGH SCHOOL EVENT CENTER

(WATCH: Mustang Broncos Athletics)

THURSDAY, Dec. 26, 2024
Choctaw 65, Marlow 45
Jenks 50, Carl Albert 45
Putnam City North 69, Holland Hall 44
Mustang 59, Hooker 52 (OT)

FRIDAY, Dec. 27, 2024
Marlow vs. Carl Albert, 10:30 a.m. (Consolation Bracket)
Holland Hall vs. Hooker, 1:30 p.m. (Consolation Bracket)
Choctaw vs. Jenks, 5:30 p.m. (Semifinal)
Putnam City North vs. Mustang, 8:30 p.m. (Semifinal)

SATURDAY, Dec. 28, 2024
Seventh Place Game, 10:30 a.m.
Consolation Game, 1:30 p.m.
Third Place Game, 5:30 p.m.
Championship Game, 8:30 p.m.