OKLAHOMA CITY — For three quarters, Putnam City West’s rematch with Mustang lived up to its billing. However, the Broncos pulled away in the final quarter for a 68-58 win in 6A-1 action Tuesday (Feb. 3).

The second-place Broncos widened their lead over third-place West and took the season two-game series. Mustang beat West by 43 points on Dec. 16.

Each team had started win streaks after falling to district lead Choctaw. The Broncos had won four straight and West had a 7-game winning streak.

“What an atmosphere!” Putnam City West coach Garen Wright said. “Anytime you play one of the top teams in the state, at home, front of the crowd, back-and-forth game the entire time, it was great.”

Mustang held a 29-22 lead at halftime. The two teams traded buckets early in the third quarter. West cut the lead with a fadeaway jumper from freshman Jamauri Kimbrough to make it 35-30.

After a timeout, senior Quavion Wheeler went to work.

He sank a fadeaway from the paint and then later hit a 3-pointer to tie the game at 35.

Wheeler finished with 12 points and four assists while playing limited minutes due to foul trouble, which Wright called “unfortunate.”

“There’s no secret that those two (Wheeler and Demetrice Carter) are the engine of our team,” Wright said.

Down on the other end after Wheeler’s trey, West junior Elijah Turner was given a technical foul due to taunting and the run ended.

Trailing 38-37, West freshman Miekyel Armstead scored a bucket and was fouled. Armstead missed the free throw that followed but Turner stripped the ball from Mustang senior Andrew Reynolds. Armstead took the ball to the hoop and West had 39-38 lead.

Mustang had struggled from beyond the 3-point line to that point but answered with two big treys late in the quarter. Turner’s only bucket of the game and two free throws from Kimbrough kept West close, 45-43, to end the quarter.

Mustang slowed the tempo down to start the fourth quarter and gave West a steady dose of juniors Mar’Quell Robinson and Gabriel Osborne, Jr. (both transferred to Mustang from Putnam City after their coach, Brandon Jackson, went to the Broncos). Robinson scored seven points in the final period and Osborne had eight points to close out the game.

Wheeler put West with a point (49-48) with a 3-pointer off an inbounds play at the 5:09 mark.

Mustang went on a 7-0 run from that point and the lead stayed just out of reach for the rest of the way.

Wright said small miscues in the fourth quarter were the difference.

“Most of those little mistakes, just not being strong enough with the ball against good teams,they’re going to make you pay for it.

“They made us pay for it, whether it be at the free throw line or getting layups off of our turnovers. That was really the difference in the game.”

Carter finished with 17 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter. The senior had two fourth quarter treys. Carter also had six rebounds and three assists.

Kimbrough added 13 points, including three first half 3-pointers.

Wright praised the consistency of junior Andre Farrar who had 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists.

“He did what he’s done on a nightly basis,” Wright said.

UP NEXT

West (12-6, 6-4) travels to Choctaw (14-5, 9-1) Friday (Feb. 6) at 7:30 p.m. in a 6A-1 contest.

The Yellowjackets suffered their first district defeat Tuesday in a 59-56 loss at Norman North. Choctaw is still in first place, followed by Mustang and West.

Choctaw got past West, 74-67, on Dec. 19.

	1	2	3	4	F
Mustang (16-3, 8-1)	14	15	16	23	68
Putnam City West (12-6, 6-4)	13	9	21	15	58