COWETA – Led by a double-double from Zach Norris, the Coweta Tigers showed why they’re one of the favorites for a state tournament berth with a 50-23 win over the Grove Ridgerunners in the playoff opener for both teams Friday.
The Tigers (20-3) advanced to Saturday’s regional championship game, where they will take on Chickasha, a 56-53 winner over Tahlequah in the other semifinal. Grove (4-19) was eliminated from the playoffs with the loss.
Grove senior Tyler Busch, playing his final game for the Ridgerunners, scored all five points in the first quarter and finished with a team-high 12 for the game.
The Ridgerunners slowed the pace in the second period, holding the Tigers to just 9 points in the quarter, but could only manage a bucket from Busch and Trent Lyle and trailed 26-9 at halftime.
Busch would add his final five points in the third period and Reid Williams would add a pair of free throws, but Norris countered with 6 points of his own as the Tigers extended their lead to 39-16.
Both teams went to their benches midway through the fourth quarter, and Grove’s Jordan Nelson provided the highlight of the night by sinking a shot from near half-court as time expired for the final margin.
Norris had a game-high 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Gunter finished with 11 points, including 3 three-pointers. Jake Ross added 8 points and 4 rebounds for Coweta, which won its sixth straight game and won their playoff opener for the third year in a row.
