SHAWNEE — Putnam City North shrugged off a sluggish first half for a 49-34 win over Tulsa Union Friday (March 6), which punched the Panthers’ ticket to the 6A state tournament.

Union (21-6) bolted out to a double-digit lead in the first half, 26-15. Redhawk senior Miles Flemons scored 12 of his 16 points in the first half.

“The whole team… we responded in the second half and played our type of basketball,” North coach D.J. Lemons said via text.

North held Union to just eight points in the second half for the win.

Senior Nate Muriithi led the Panthers with 13 points. He had four rebounds and a steal.

Fellow senior Malakye Schoats added eight points, two rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Sophomore Devion Gillispie and senior Mekhi Thomas each scored seven points. Gillispie had five rebounds, an assist and two steals. Thomas had a rebound, a steal and a blocked shot.

TIP-INS

• North was 17-of-37 (46 percent) from the field, but only 1-of-7 from beyond the arc.
• Sophomore Keaton Murry had six points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal.
• The Panthers have now won 23 straight games, dating back to their only loss of the season – a 71-67 loss to Chaminade (Mo.) at the Norm Stewart Classic at Mizzou Arena.
• North fell in the state quarterfinals last season in a 52-49 loss to Broken Arrow.

UP NEXT

On Wednesday (March 11), North (26-1) faces the winner of the Area 1 consolation round in the quarterfinals of the 6A state tournament.

Putnam City West and Piedmont play for that spot Saturday (March 7) at 7:30 p.m. at Blanchard.

The Patriots (18-8) edged U.S. Grant on Friday, 64-63. Piedmont (21-6) lost to Norman, 55-40.

	1	2	3	4	F
Tulsa Union (21-6)	12	14	4	4	34
Putnam City North (26-1)	9	6	13	21	49