Class 6A boys championship game
TULSA - Sorry Union, the titles won. The Moose on the floor should have told you.
Tulsa Union wasn't visiting 'Wally World' but Putnam City Original's Keith "Moose" Clark and freshman Xavier Henry ruined the day for the local favorites just the same.
The duo combined for 31 points to lead the second ranked Pirates to the Class 6A boys basketball title with a 58-42 win against the seventh ranked Redskins Saturday night at the Mabee Center.
Each part of the Pirates' Mutt-and-Jeff duo scored nine points in the first half, as the Pirates (24-4) rolled out to a 13-point lead at the break. Xavier Henry scored his points from behind the three-point line, hitting three of his five attempts. Clark, meanwhile, dented Union (21-8) inside and out, scoring in the paint, from mid-range and nailing one trey.
The Moose will now be loose and on his way to Norman and the Oklahoma Sooners next season.
"We just felt like we could exploit them inside," Putnam City head coach A.J. Burtschi said. "I thought our kids did a particularly good job, particularly from the standpoint that Moose immediately went to the inside. Then we started our high-low process.
"It's really rewarding to see (Clark) mature and for him to guide these kids and lead them to this title I know people get all concerned about stats, but he fills up a stat sheet. Assists, rebounds, steals, points, diving on the floor."
Xavier Henry continues the tradition that his, brother, C.J., started, and will be back in 2006-07 with seven other of this year's underclassmen.
"(Xavier) is a different player than his brother," Burtschi added. "He's a Xavier Henry, though, and so that goes a long way. He's a longer player. He really has great confidence in himself. His body structure is different. He doesn't mind taking the shot and by the time he gets his defensive part of his game going, he's going to be something else."
The Redskins scored the first five points of the game, but didn't score again until Putnam City built a 13-5 advantage. The Pirates pushed their edge even further with a 14-7 sprint in the second quarter.
Union's best chance at a comeback came early in the third quarter, when Clark collected his third personal foul.
With the 6-9 forward on the bench, the rest of the Pirates stepped up their efforts defensively. Union could not come closer than nine points in the third, and Clark reentered the game in the fourth fresh and ready to finish the Redskins off.
"I think we lost a point (Union actually outscored PC 8-6 in the third)," Burtschi said. "We felt like that wasn't too bad, all things considered. We relied on our bench kids to come in there and hold the fort down."
Dominique Franks did what he could to keep his Redskins in the game. The senior guard scored 19 points, which included dropping one of two three-point attempts. Franks also completed two conventional three-point plays. Texas A&M signee Derrek Lewis added 12 points to Union's effort.
The game marked the third time in five years that Union and the Pirates played for the state championship. Union won in 2004 and PC took the 2002 title.
"We're having a blast meeting each other," Burtschi grinned. "It's better to be here than not be here, that's for sure."
Putnam City claimed its first state title since 2002, but the Pirates have been in five of the last six title games. Their only miss since 2001 came last year when they dropped a two-point semifinal decision to eventual champ Edmond Santa Fe.
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