The Hennessey Eagles and Lady Eagles got a taste of playoff basketball Saturday night (January 30, 2021) in the annual Downtown Festival at Stride Bank Center in Enid. To get a feel for a possible Area Tournament venue, against a top-ranked opponent, Hennessey met the Lomega Raiders and Lady Raiders in a cross-class, neutral-site contest.Buzzsaw. That is what the Lady Eagles (5-6) ran into when they took the court versus the Class B, #1 Ranked, and Undefeated Lomega Raiders (18-0). Don’t let the Classification fool you. This Lady Raider team is better than 95% of all girls programs in the State of Oklahoma. They showed this from the opening tip with a pull-up 3-pointer to start the game. Though this was the closest the score would ever be, it did not stop the Hennessey Girls from fighting every possession until the final horn, with the game ending 86-38 Lady Raiders. Lomega made 11 Threes in the game, 5 coming in the 1st quarter alone, as they cruised to a 34-12 lead after 1. The 2nd was the best quarter for the Lady Eagles with 13 points for, and allowing only 10 from their opponent. Juliana Macy nailed 3 3-pointers herself and had a team-high 12 points. Gracie Mills followed with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 blocked shot, before fouling out midway through the 4th quarter. Sophomore Larissa Macy added 7 points, including 1 made 3, with 2 rebounds, before she fouled out in the 4th, as well. Harlee Dowell got 6 points, and 2 steals, with a team-high 5 rebounds. Kassidy Amburn and Yuridia Rios each had 2 points, and Kadee Meeker had 1. Our ladies can hold their heads up and know they played a team that averages almost 80 points per game with an average margin of victory of 45, and knowing what they need to work on and what they can become under first year head coach Aly Seng.The Eagle boys knew what they were up against going into the contest versus Class B #4 Ranked Lomega Raiders. Holding onto a precious Top-8 seed at #6 in Class 2A, the Eagles (10-1) have no room for any slip-ups prior to this Thursday’s OSSAA playoff bracket reveal. The two defensive minded teams traded blows, and boards, and steals, and turnovers, with Lomega holding a 1 point lead after 1 (12-11). Hennessey tightened the defensive screws even harder, taking the lead and a 7 point cushion at half behind Senior Juan Dominguez’ 12 first-half points. JuanDo finished with a team-high 17, with 1 rebound, and 5 steals (also a team-high). Coming off his 24 points on Friday night versus Tulsa CHEF, Freshman Jael Torres found things a little tougher in the paint against the Raiders. It shows how good he is, and how good he will become, when an “off night” still nets 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 3 blocked shots. (I think he already has us spoiled, and we still have another 3 1/2 years to watch him develop). Senior Point Guard Wade Vinson also made it into double figures with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. Christian Tovar and Cristian Rodriguez each got 2 points to close out the starters totals. Layton Choate was the spark the Eagles needed in the 2nd quarter, nailing a 3 en route to a bench-high 9 points for the Sophomore, adding 4 boards, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Hayden Ryel capped off the Eagle scoring with 2 points. Final score: Hennessey 54, Lomega 36.The Eagles and Lady Eagles finish the Regular Season with a 2 week “road trip” of sorts, beginning Monday night, February 1st, at Oklahoma Christian Academy in Edmond. Boys (only) JV starts at 4:30 pm, with the Lady Eagles Varsity at 6:00 pm, followed by the Eagles at 7:30 pm. (Note: times moved up from previous schedules) -EagleVoice
