MANNFORD — Mannford Pirate basketball didn’t shy away from the challenge last week, lining up against a ranked conference opponent and a tournament-tested Oologah team. The ending didn’t go their way, but the Pirates showed competitive stretches in losses that left them at 7-8 overall and 4-4 in conference action.
Tuesday night’s trip to No. 13 Perkins turned into a defensive battle from the opening tip. The hostile atmosphere was expected — Perkins fans are passionate, to say the least. Offense came in short supplyforbothteams,andthe38-27 final reflected a night where neither side could get much going with the ball. Mannford’s defense kept the Pirates within reach throughout, but scoring opportunities were as rare as an albino paddlefish.
Cooper Ausbern led Mannford with 7 points, while Logan Bynum added 5 points and 3 steals. Kyler Hayes also scored 5 points, JJ Hindsman finished with 4, Max Moore chipped in 4 points and pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds, and Landon Owens added 2 points as Mannford worked to generate offense against a disciplined Perkins D.
Head coach Alex Moore pointed to the effort and defensive execution against an established conference contender, even as the Demons found just enough separation to strike from the perimeter.
“This game was a defensive struggle,” Moore said. “It was the lowest scoring game for both teams on the season. Our guys played hard and defended really well against a ranked 4A team. At the end of the day, Perkins was just a little bit better than us on offense. They shot a little better than we did from behind the 3-point line and that was the biggest difference.”
The tone shifted Thursday at the Pryor Tournament, where Mannford and Oologah traded momentum deep into the second half. Mannford held the lead for much of the final two quarters before whistles and late outside shooting allowed Oologah to force overtime in a 56-52 loss.
Logan Bynum turned in a standout performance, scoring 30 points while adding 13 rebounds, 3 assists and 5 steals. JJ Hindsman followed with 8 points, Landon Owens added 6 points and 5 steals, Max Moore contributed 3 points and 9 rebounds, Ben Shasteen scored 3, and Cooper Ausbern added 2 as Mannford matched Oologah possession-for-possession through regulation.
Moore said the late swings proved costly against one of the more explosive scoring teams the Pirates will face this season.
“This was a tough loss,” Moore said. “We led most of the second half but foul trouble hurt us late. Oologah also hit a few very difficult threes late to help force overtime. We defended well for most of the game. Oologah has one of the better offenses we will see all year. When they get hot, they can be tough to stop.”
A major deep-freeze snowstorm settled in late in the week, postponing the remainder of the Pryor Tournament. Mannford will resume tournament play Wednesday, Jan. 28, against Claremore Sequoyah at 2:30 p.m. in Pryor, with the next round scheduled for Monday, Feb. 2.
As of now, Mannford’s road game Tuesday at Bristow and Friday’s home matchup against Berryhill remain scheduled, weather permitting, as the Pirates look to turn competitive performances into results down the stretch.