The undefeated Lindsay Leopards won their own Charles K. Heatly Tournament.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the guys,” Coach Tim Boyer said. “We were lucky to scrape by Chickasha, but we found a way, and Sulphur is super physical, but our guys stuck to our game plan. When we defend, we’re a tough team to beat. It was a total team effort.”
Lindsay’s Creed Taylor was named Tournament MVP.
“My entire life has been basketball,” Taylor said. “To have it finally pay off my senior year has been a blessing.”
Taylor averaged 19 points per game, 2 rebounds per game, 2.7 assists per game, and 1 steal per game.
“He’s an awesome kid who works his tail off,” Boyer said. “He is in the gym all the time, and it shows.”
Armando Hernandez and Hunter Russell were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Hernandez is the Leopards’ point guard.
“He gets us into everything. We’d be lost without him,” Boyer said.
Per game, Hernandez averaged 10.3 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1.3 steals.
“I didn’t always like being a point guard,” Hernandez said. “I would get down when under pressure, but with the help of my coaches and my teammates, I became a better player, and they helped me get my confidence up.
Russell served as a defensive force throughout the tournament, shutting down opposing scorers.
“I think we did a really good job defensively,” Russell said.
He averaged 7.7 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 0.7 steals.
“His defense is unmatched, and he did great today with some timely 3’s,” Boyer said.
Per game, Isaac Cameron had 12.7 points, 5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 steals. Gustavo Torres had 4.3 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 0.8 blocks.
The championship was a rematch of last year’s tournament championship, with the Leopards facing Sulphur. Unlike then, Lindsay won 58-45.
“It’s a good feeling after we lost last year to the same team. It’s a lot of revenge to get back on them,” Taylor said.
The semifinal game was a rematch of the Leopards‘ season opener against Chickasha. Lindsay won again, this time 52-50. The Leopards led most of the game, with exceptions including trailing by 2 at halftime.
“I knew they were going to try to run me off the (three-point) line,” Taylor said. “I knew they were in the stands the day before, and they’d try to, so I had to trust my abilities.”
Lindsay beat Harrah 66-37 to start the tournament.
“It’s our last year on the floor, so it feels good to bring home the tournament on our home court,” Russell said.
Pauls Valley placed seventh in the tournament, with a 73-63 win over Harrah.
The Panthers lost to Cache 60-42 and to Plainview 48-36.
“We’re getting better, and the boys are playing hard,” said Pauls Valley Coach Ryan Caldwell. “We’ll keep working and be better by the end of the year.”
Leading Panther scorers during the tournament were Carter Hicks with 44 points and Reg Patton with 42. Brody Brown scored 20, Alex Lara scored 15, Colby Burnett 10, Braylin Keller 7, Bryan Keller 5, Ty Horn and Cayden Wood each scored 3, and Amahri Jackson 2.
