Stillwater Pioneers turn cold in return to Fieldhouse

Shooting struggles cost Pioneers rivalry game against Ponca City.

By Scott Nulph Stillwater NewsPress

STILLWATER — Coming off its most impressive performance of the season three days earlier, Stillwater forgot one thing in Oklahoma City from a 59-53 win against Bishop McGuinness: The offense.

The Pioneers shot just 26.8 percent from the field, but hung around against rival Ponca City with solid defense before falling 40-35 on Friday during basketball homecoming at Pioneer Fieldhouse.

The 35 points were a season low for the Pioneers (3-9), who were playing their first home game since Dec. 1.

Stillwater coach Michael Davis was addressing his team after the game and unavailable for comment.

Neither team was efficient offensively, as have been many of these rivalry games between the two schools.

Ponca City shot only 35 times in the game, making 17 (48.5 percent) but were just 3 of 10 from the free throw line and committed 16 turnovers.

It was forcing those turnovers that got the Pioneers back in the game.

The Wildcats (6-6) never trailed and appeared to build a comfortable 34-22 lead with 4:57 remaining.

That’s when Stillwater switched to a full-court trapping press to speed up the Wildcats.

The Pioneers scored 11 straight points, pulling within 34-33 on a layup off a turnover by Connor Lamb with 1:19 to go.

But Ponca City, who hadn’t scored in almost four minutes, finally beat the press to get an uncontested layup from Chase Mongold with 1:09 to play.

After Stillwater’s Josiah Woodard missed inside, Mongold again got loose behind the press to score to help put the game out of reach.

“I think we were just trying to protect the ball against their press and not attack it,” Ponca City coach Alan Hibler said. “I give Stillwater a lot of credit, they just kept coming at us. We usually feel we’re the team that has good depth but they just kept bringing everybody at us.”

Mongold led all scorers with 25 points as only four Wildcats scored. The 6-foot-5 forward also had 5 rebounds. Joel Frees added 8 points.

Lamb paced the Pioneers with 15 points and 6 rebounds. Woodard finished with 7 points and 3 blocked shots.

Stillwater next plays in the Jenks/Union Invitational next weekend.

The Pioneers open the tournament on Thursday with host Tulsa Union at 8:30 p.m. at the UMAC.

 

Ponca City    9    15    28    40

Stillwater    5    14    19    35

PONCA CITY: Stephenson 1 0-1 2, Rich 0 0-0 0, Wilson 2 1-2 5, Mongold 12 0-3 25, Frees 2 2-2 8, Underwood 0 0-0 0, Hail 0 0-0 0, Hester 0 0-2 0. Totals: 17 3-10 40.

STILLWATER: Holt 1 0-0 2, Josh Pierre 0 0-0 0, Pound 0 1-2 1, Lamb 5 1-2 15, Woodard 2 3-5 7, Brinker 1 2-2 4, Josh Pierre 1 1-2 4, Sparks 0 0-0 0, Littell 0 0-0 0, Budke 1 0-0 2. Totals:11 11-17 35 .

3-pointers: Ponca City 3 (Frees 2, Mongold); Stillwater 2 (Lamb, Josh Pierre). Total fouls: Ponca City 15, Stillwater 14. Fouled out: none.

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