Garber Crushes Okarche to Earn Class A Gold Ball

The Wolverines avenged last season's championship-game loss with a 26-point win.

Thursday, July 28th 2011, 5:36 pm

By: News On 6

Garber Crushes Okarche to Earn Class A Gold Ball

Originally Published: Mar 6, 2010 6:50 PM CDT

OSSAA High School Basketball Championships
- Class: 6A | 5A | 4A | 3A | 2A
- Class A Championship: Boys | Girls
- Class B Championship: Boys | Girls

Gerald Goodridge
Oklahoma Sports Staff Writer

OKALHOMA CITY -- Garber received the Silver Ball a season ago, but 2010 proved to be a Gold Ball season for the Wolverines as they topped Okarche 59-33.

The Wolverines opened up the game with a 10-2 run and didn’t look back from there. Their size in the low post kept the Warriors off the board for nearly four minutes. Once they did score, the perimeter shooting of Tyler Miller kept Garber ahead.

Garber attacked the basket all game, and used strong post play of 6-foot-7 Hayden Vencl to open up perimeter chances to build a 28-15 halftime lead.

Okarche came out of the locker room and started the half on a 5-2 run to close the lead to 10, capped off by a Tyler Miller 3-pointer.

“[Miller] comes up with big shot after big shot all year long,” said Garber coach Dusty Torrey. “But he wouldn’t be able to do what he does without our post guys and the great post guys wouldn’t be able to do what they do without the great guard.”

But the size of the Wolverines proved to be too much for the Warriors, as Vencl attacked the basket in the third and scored six of his 10 points in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was Miller’s quarter, as he continued to drain 3-point shots and finished with 18 to lead all scorers.

“I guess I’ve been ‘feeling it’ all tournament,” said Miller. “But I have to give it up to my teammates. They were able to find me.”

The play of the night, and perhaps the tournament from Garber came late in the game when Miller tossed an alley-oop to Vencl to put Garber ahead 51-26, igniting the crowd and putting the final nail in the coffin for Okarche.

The Wolverines claimed the first Gold Ball in boys hoops, while coach Ray West will have to wait another year for a shot at his first state title in over a decade.

“I’m really proud of these boys. They’ve worked their tails off for me for six years,” said Torrey. “To get so close last year, this is just great.”