Colt Savage scores 34 as No. 18 Sand Springs tops No. 19 Bixby 76-71

Colt Savage led all scorers with 34 points in the Sandites' first conference win of the season. (Photo: Morgan Miller)

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

CPHS 76 Bixby 71

1Q Bixby 16-14
2Q Bixby 20-15
3Q Sand Springs 20-13
4Q Sand Springs 27-22

Fouls: Sand Springs 16, Bixby 18.
Free Throws: Sand Springs 21-of-28, Bixby 18-of-24. 

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Colt Savage 34, Garbey 21, Cale Savage 8, Wash 5, Taber 4, Golightly 2, Smith 2. (Bixby) Fiser 22, Hink 13, King 10, Waggnor 10, York 7, Moore 7, Homan 2. 

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Wash 2, Taber 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Colt Savage 4, Wash 3, Cale Savage 2, Golightly 2, Durkee 1, Bogans 1, Smith 1, Taber 1.
Steals: Garbey 3, Colt Savage 1, Durkee 1, Taber 1.
Assists: Garbey 2, Wash 2, Colt Savage 1, Cale Savage 1.
Fouls: Colt Savage 3, Cale Savage 3, Durkee 3, Golightly 3, Garbey 2, Taber 2.

Muskogee 47 CPHS 42

1Q Muskogee 15-7
2Q Muskogee 12-12
3Q Sand Springs 17-12
4Q Muskogee 8-6

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Colt Savage 20, Keener 9, Garbey 9, Durkee 4. (Muskogee) Berry 18, Haddock 16, Davis 6, Evans 5, Cherry 2. 

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Keener 3, Durkee 2, Colt Savage 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Keener 6, Colt Savage 5, Golightly 2, Garbey 1, Cale Savage 1, Bogans 1.
Assists: Cale Savage 2, Keener 1, Durkee 1.
Blocks: Keener 1.
Fouls: Colt Savage 4, Cale Savage 4, Garbey 3, Golightly 2, Durkee 1.

The No. 18 ranked Charles Page High School boys varsity basketball team (6-5) hosted the No. 19 Bixby Spartans (5-6) Friday night at the Ed Dubie Field House and rolled to a wild 76-71 finish for their first conference win of the season. 6'5 junior Colt Savage led all scorers with a career-high 34 points, and two other Sandites also set personal records in one of the highest scoring games of the season.

The Sandites were without 6'6" senior power forward Kyle Keener, who averages more than 16 points per game this season, but the rest of the team more than stepped up to make up for his absence. Savage, Jacob Garbey, and Caleb Wash all had career-high scoring performances and seven players got in the scoring column. Wash also led the JV game with 15 points earlier that evening.

The first half belonged to the Spartans, though the home team was competitive throughout. The Sandites got the lead to start before Will Fiser hit three straight free throws to tie it up at 6-6. From there it was a back and forth shootout that ended with a two-pointer from Parker Moore to take the 16-14 lead shortly before the buzzer. Tre Smith made his varsity debut and shot a two in the first period.

The second quarter was equally back-and-forth with four lead changes and two tied scores. The Sandites led 24-22 midway through after a two-pointer from Josh Taber, but the Spartans outscored the home team 14-5 in the final minutes for a 36-29 halftime lead after a last second three from Logan York.

It was the Sandites' time to shine in the second half, though the Spartans led for the entire third quarter. Midway through the period Colt Savage his a two, Josh Taber had a steal and a layup, then Savage hit a two and free throw to cut it to 45-44. Savage and Staton King both sank free throws and York hit a two, but Wash launched a buzzer-beater three to tie things up 49-49. 

The final stretch saw a combined 49 points and was the highest scoring quarter of the night. Fiser reclaimed the lead for his team with a free throw and a two-pointer to start, but Colt Savage did the same and younger brother Cale Savage shot a three to take the penultimate lead.

Fiser shot another two and added one from the charity stripe, but a three pointer from Garbey gave the Sandites the lead once and for all. Cale and Colt Savage each sank a pair of free throws to make it a seven-point game. Half of the fourth quarter was spent at the free throw line, where Colt Savage scored eleven of his thirteen points for that period. 

At one point the Sandites led by as much as 69-59 after a pair of free throws from Peyton Golightly. The Sandites let Fiser end the night with an uncontested three-pointer and officially put away their first conference win of the season.

The Sandites traveled to No. 9 Muskogee (7-1) on Tuesday and suffered a close 47-42 defeat, partially at the hands of a former teammate. Junior standout and former Sandite Brooks Haddock transferred to Muskogee shortly before the season began and has led his new team in scoring with 21.7 points per game. He posted only sixteen against Sand Springs, but he had the final four of the night, effectively sealing the victory for Muskogee.

The Sandites dug themselves in a hole early-on, trailing 15-7 after the first period, but matched their opponents in the second and won the third 17-12. The Sandites were within a field goal going into the final stretch and back-to-back layups from Keener and Colt Savage put them within a point of their first conference victory at 43-42. With under a minute to play, Muskogee was playing keep-away and the Sandites had to foul three times quickly to get the Roughers to the line. Haddock sank the first two and made it 45-42. Jacob Garbey, who was four-of-six for the evening, was driving up court to shoot when he stumbled and was called for traveling with 2.9 seconds left. The Sandites fouled Haddock once again, but once again he sank both of his shots to seal the deal. 

Colt Savage led all players in scoring with 20 points and six rebounds, shooting eight-for-ten on field goals. Muskogee senior Tyreece Berry led his team with 18 points.