Season Surge: Cushing Tigers
Photo Credits: Sylvia Danyele Photography
I think it’s only fair that my next piece of the Season Surge Series goes to the Cushing Tigers after their huge upset against the first team of the series, Perkins-Tryon. Last Friday, Cushing hosted the 12th ranked Demons in a Tulsa 7 Conference game where the Tigers pulled off the win with a score of 61-51. Cushing entered the game with a record of 8-8 whereas Perkins-Tryon was 14-2, coming off two big wins against two Top 10 ranked teams in 4A. The Tigers came in with a berth to the Yale Championship after a solid win against the Davenport Bulldogs, who are ranked 18th in B1. The 10 point win for the Tigers was their largest point spread against a ranked team this season, giving the Demons their first loss to a non-ranked opponent and only their third of the season.
Watching the tapes, the two teams started off the game in a close matchup, with Cushing only leading by a few at the end of the first quarter. Senior guard Jason Edwards shined early in the first with a diving leap to pick up a steal and assist, generating solid momentum for his teammates and crowd. Sophomore guard Lane Simpson followed the lead as he read the passing lane well and earned an easy steal, fueling the energy. Midway through the second quarter is when the Tigers started to heat up thanks to Boston Estes who was relentless from beyond the arc. The Tigers ended the first half with a double digit lead against the Top 12 ranked Demons. Early in the third quarter, Cushing went right back to work on both sides of the ball with sly steals and pure shots from deep. Estes, Simpson, and Maddox Morris all three hit a huge shot from the corner to grow the lead to 12, scoring 9 of the last 14 points from beyond the arc. Roman Tucker kept the competitive edge going for him and his guys as he absolutely denied his opponents shot from 20 feet out. Drake Wilkerson ignited the final dagger as he broke away for a fastbreak layup after a steal in the lane, growing the lead to almost 20 points.
Overall, the Tigers outperformed the Demons in every aspect. They shot 52% from the field, 62% from beyond the arc, and 53% at the charity stripe. The defensive prescence was felt as the Tigers earned 10 steals and 2 blocks. Dimes were dished as well as the total assist number reached 15. A total of 31 rebounds were snagged throughout the game too. Each guy on the squad can and will make an impact each second they are on the floor. They excel at creating space from defenders, using their athleticism to their advantage, moving the ball around the perimeter, driving to the rim, and connecting from beyond the arc.
Cushing has 7 games left in the season. With this big ranked win, they should have a huge confidence boost to propel them to keep winning and upset another ranked opponent, the Kiefer Trojans.
