Wildcats open Allen Tournament with 20-point win
The Sulphur Springs Wildcats are back in action after getting a few days off for Christmas break, competing in the Allen Tournament this week. Their first game in the tournament was against the Tyler Legacy Raiders, a team who has had some struggles as of late.
Sulphur Springs looked like a focused team in the opening frame, getting out to a quick lead and never looking back. The Wildcats quickly built their lead to double-digits, leading 26-14 at the end of the first quarter.
Not wanting to get too comfortable, the Wildcats turned around and had an equally impressive second quarter. Their scoring slowed down a tiny bit, but so did Legacy’s, as Sulphur Springs was able to extend the lead to 45-27 at the end of the first half.
The second half opened with the lowest scoring frame of the night, as Sulphur Springs’ offense stalled out a bit. They were only able to score 11 points in the frame, while allowing Legacy to score 15, though their lead was in now real jeopardy.
The Wildcats were quickly able to swing the momentum back in their favor, once again outscoring Legacy in a frame. This time Sulphur Springs outscored their opponents 19-13, helping them cap off their 20-point win at 75-55.
It was an all-around great game for the Wildcats, who shot an impressive 54.5% from the field as a team. They also had a perfect day from the free throw line, shooting 9/9 combined. The box score is filled with reasons Sulphur Springs had a great game, including their 23 points off turnovers, as well as their 46 points in the paint.
Legacy had no chance of beating them in these areas, scoring just 12 points off turnovers and only 10 points in the paint.
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Offensively, Sulphur Springs were led by a pair of seniors who each finished with 20 or more points. Kordrick Turner was once again the leading man, scoring 23 points on an impressive 9/12 from the field. Turner also had a team-high nine rebounds, as well as a +20 point differential, which tied for the team-high.
Just behind him was Parker Whisenhunt who had a strong 22-point outing. Whisenhunt was also efficient, shooting 8/14 from the field and 5/5 from the free throw line. Whisenhunt also had three steals and three rebounds, and was able to dish out a pair of assists.
Another pair of seniors were also able to score in double-digits, as Branson Lynn finished with 12 points and Malachi Myles finished with 10 points. Lynn had another excellent night behind the 3-point line, shooting 50% as he knocked down three of his six attempts.
For Myles, he was able to add to what has been a very efficient season so far. Myles made five of his six attempts form the field and pulled in six rebounds, two of which were offensive rebounds.
Other scorers included DJ Wilkerson with five points and Macaulin Rollison with two points. The win improves Sulphur Springs’ record to 16-4 on the season, as they officially reach the 20-game mark.
The Wildcats have a busy Wednesday in front of them, starting with an 11 a.m. tipoff against Frisco Independence. Independence has also played 20 games this season, doing so to a tune of 12-8.
Continued coverage of the Wildcats in the Allen Tournament will be provided on Front Porch News. Stay tuned for updates along the way.
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