The Tecumseh Savages season came to an end in a tough loss on Monday night in the Regional Tournament at Byng. An incredibly tough regional draw for the Savages was just too much to overcome.
After taking a bus all the way to Poteau the week before to win the District Title, the Savages couldn’t have opened the Regional Tournament at home with a much tougher draw. Tecumseh hosted 7th ranked Classen SAS, and the matchup didn’t work out well for the Savages.
It turned out to be an ugly game from start to finish on both ends of the court and the Savages started slow and could never get over the hump to get back in the game. The Comets outpaced the Savages 17-6 in the first quarter, one of the lower scoring periods of the year for the Savages.
The second quarter was a better one for the Savages as the defense and the offense gained a little steam as Tecumseh pulled to within a 12-deficit going into halftime down 28-16. The Savages played Classen even in the third quarte but couldn’t gain ground headed to the final stanza down 42-29.
Buckets were hard to come by for the Savages in the contest and Ben Corley was the only Savage in double figures with 12-points. Brady Overstreet, Daveon Mays and Jase Edwards each tossed in six-points for the Savages while Jaxon Meyers and Brennon Carter each added four-points.
The loss to Classen dropped the Savages to the consolation of the Regional Tournament on Monday at Byng with Tecumseh facing the host team Pirates in a win or go home game. The Savages put up good fight but couldn’t get their second win in a row over Byng.
The Savages got in the hole in the first quarter and could never overcome the 19-11 deficit after the opening stanza. The scrappy Savages rallied in the second quarter and took a 21-19 win of the period and trailed by six at halftime.
It was a high scoring game, and the Savages won the third quarter with a 15-14 run over the Pirates. The one-point advantage in the third had allowed Tecumseh to close the gap to five-points headed to the fourth quarter. But Byng outran the Savages 23-19 in the final period, including a 7-of-8 effort from the free throw line to seal the win for the Pirates.
The Savages had three players in double figures in the loss but had serious trouble handling Byng’s Malachi Schilreff, who had 33-points for the home standing Pirates. Ben Corley knocked in 17 for the Savages to lead Tecumseh in scoring.
Brennon Carter tossed in 11-points for the Savages while Brady Overstreet threw in 10. Jase Edwards and Jaxon Meyers each poured in nine-points and Daveon Mays finished with eight-points while Dylan Graham added two.
The Savages end the season even with a 13-13 season record.
