Hosts run wild at Madill Winter Classic

Madill topped the Putnam Heights Panthers by a score of 56-45 on Dec. 5, the first day of action of the 2019 Madill Winter Classic. The win moved the Wildcats to 2-0 for the season.

Starting for the Wildcats were Aron Vann, Wyatt Gray, Trent Harvey, Miguel Duran and Ezekiel Fuentes.

It was Putnam Heights senior guard Keliun Harding who scored the first basket of the game.

The teams battled for the first two minutes of the game.

Then, senior Chedon Caldwell got the second basket of the game to give the Panthers an early 4-0 lead.

Madill’s Harvey was unable to finish but drew contact. He sank the second of two free throws.

Harvey got on the scoreboard again after a screen opened up a short shot at the basket. His bucket made it 4-3.

The Wildcats continued to attack the basket as Vann drew a foul but couldn’t convert either of his free throws.

Fuentes drove inside and found Duran for a quick basket.

But Putnam Heights’ La-Durian Gilbert got a bucket on the other end.

As a Madill possession seemed to fizzle, Vann grabbed a steal and put it in for two points.

Harding scored on the next ppossession for Putnam Heights.

Then, Lolo Ortega scoed from close on the next possession.

The Panthers responded as got a basket of his own on the next possession.

The Wildcats clawed right back as Duran drove to the basket and scored while being fouled.

The crowd got a short breather as Putnam Heights head coach Gevon Finklea called a 30-second timeout.

Duran made the free throw after the timeout to give Madill a narrow 12-10 lead. Momembts later, Duran would score again; this time on a put back jumper to increase Madill’s lead to 14-10.

Putnam Heights would add a bucket to cut Madill’s lead to two points.

Madill moved into the bonus following the seventh foul committed by Putnam Heights. Vann hit the first of and-1 free throw but missed the second.

Madill held a 17-14 lead with six munites to go in the second quarter.

Duran made a hestitation dribble and then came inside to score on a oil up jumper to put Madill up 19-14.

On the next possession, Harding drove inside and looped a shot into the basket. He was fould on the shot and made the resulting free throw.

Then, Harvey scored on a put back to make it 21-17 in Madill’s favor.

An off the ball foul allowed Putnam Height to go into the bonus. They weren’’t able to take advtange. With 3:25 to go in the second quarter Putnam Heights had committed nine fouls to Madill’s eight.

Harding took a steal and nearly scored inside before Duran sent the shot back to sender. Madill immediately capitalized as Vann stroked an open three to increase the lead to seven points.

Following a foul, Javier Gomez made one of two free throws to increase Madill’s lead to 25-17.

But the Panthers’ Bless Hall completed and an-1 on the other end to cut Madill’s lead to 25-20.

Ortega responded with a bucket of his own to give Madill a 27-20 advantage.

Putnam Heights’ Ronald Nottey made the first of his two free throws to make it 27-21.

Likewise, Madill’s Asa Robertson would hit one of two free throws.

Putnam Heights answered as Nottey scored and took a hard foul. Nottey made the free throw to make the score Madill 28, Putnam Heights 24.

Madill came out of a 30-second timeout to score a three pointer through Gomez. Duran kept the play alive with some fancy ball handling that elicited ooohs from the crowd.

Harvey put the ball into the bucket against multiple defenders as the halftime buzzer sounded. Madill took a 33-24 lead into the half.

Second half

The Wildcats went back to work to srtart the second half as Gray drove inside for a close score to make it 35-24.

The teams went nearly two minutes without scoring as each defense tightened.

However, the sides then had a sequence of four straight possessions where they scored to bring it to Madill 38, Putnam Heights 28.

Madill increased its lead following a Robertson free throw and three pointer by Duran. Putnam Heights took a timeout after Madill took a 42-28 lead.

Nottey flipped a near no-look pass to Hall who scored inside to cut the Madill lead to 11 points.

On the next possession, Panthers sophomore guard Oscar Escebedo added a score to make it 42-33.

Fuentes found a windeow to the basket on the nnext play but couldn’t convert the shot. Instead, he sunk both free throws. Escobedo scored again, but was fouled this time around. He added a free throw to make it Madill 44, Putnam Heights 36. Escobedo added a free throw to make it 44-37 at the end of the third quarter. The fourth quarter started slowly for both offenses before Maxey drained a three to give Madill a ten-point advantage. Then, Kobe Todd, Duran and Fuentes scored in quick succession. The spurt increased Madill’s lead to 51-39. Escebedo drove inside for a scored to cut Madill’s lead back to ten points with three minutes to go in the game. By this point both teams were in the bonus as Putnam Heights had committed eight fouls to Madill’s seven. Gilbert would get a put back. Putnam Heights then switched to a full court press on defense. They got the ball back but couldn’t convert due a disputed traelling call. Another Panthers basket cut Madill’s lead down to 51-46 with 1:36 to go. Finklea immediately called timeout to talk to his team. After the timeout, the game continued at a frantic pace. Neither team to add to their totals for the next fifty or seconds. However, the streak was ended when Fuentes was foued near halfcourt and made one of two free throws. Moments later, Fuentes drew another foul and converted both shots to give Madill a 53-45 advantage. In a last gasp, Harding had a three point shot roll in and out of the rim. Then, Duran was fouled and scored one free throw to make the final score 56-45. The win moved Madill to 2-0 on the season.