THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Bixby High School Athletics

A night that began with mighty cheers ended with bittersweet tears for the Bartlesville High School varsity boys basketball team. The Bixby High School Spartans rallied from a halftime deficit to edge the Bruins, 58-54, on Senior Night at the Bruin Fieldhouse. Barron Tanner — on of three Bruin 12th-graders playing his final home game — dialed in 21 points, followed by junior Andrew Gronigan with 16, to lead Bartlesville. Joey Homan and Will Fiser stirred the nets for 19 and 18 points, respectively. Fiser's two free throws with 3.5 seconds left sealed Bixby's victory — and a season sweep (2-0) against Bartlesville. Truth is, however, the short-handed Bruins poured their hearts and total desire into a winning-type effort. It just didn't go their way at the end. Rewinding back to the opening of the game, the Bruin fans filled the arena with waves of vocal sonic blasts — that reverberated off the solid walls — when senior A.J. Archambo was introduced as a starter. Archambo — who has been battling through a high ankle sprain that has sidelined him for the final part of his senior season — hobbled onto the court, to the delight of the team's faithful. After Bartlesville won the tip — with Tanner jumping center — Archambo let a 48-footer fly toward the rim. But, unable to push off his injured foot, the ball fell short. An official blew his whistle — perhaps by a pre-game arrangement with Bruin head coach Clent Stewart — that allowed Archambo go back to the bench. The game then settled early into a feisty defensive battle. The Bruins final broke the 0-0 deadlock when Gronigan flushed his first three-pointer — off a kick-out pass by senior Matt Simpson. The Spartans then tied the score, 3-3, on a three-point play by Homan, with 5:54 left in the opening quarter. The teams then began trading points, resulting in multiple lead changes in the opening five minutes. Bixby clawed out a three-point lead, 20-17, before the end of the period. Bartlesville opened the second quarter with a surge of energy on reserve forward Holden Bryant's block of layup. Bartlesville recovered the ball and ran the other way for a layup by Jaylin Oliver to trim Bixby's lead to 20-19. Two minutes later, the Bruins tied the game, 21-21, on Gronigan's deuce, off an assist from Tanner. The score remained frozen until the 3:24 mark, when Gronigan's trey powered Bartlesville back into the lead, 24-21. Bixby then was called for a charging foul and Bilger dialed in two free throws to elevate Bartlesville to its biggest lead, 26-21, with 2:14 left until intermission. The Bruins increased their lead to six points, 31-25, but Fiser buried a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to cut the margin in half, 31-28. Bixby surged to a 37-35 lead in the first three minutes of the third quarter, aided partially on a charging call on the Bruins. But, Gronigan came to the rescue — off another penetration and kickout pass by Simpson — with a trey that propelled the Bruins back ahead, 38-37. Homan quickly answered — with a two-pointer — for Bixby. The close of the third quarter saw Bixby cling to a two-point advantage, 42-40. The Bruins then made their move. After the Spartans missed a three-pointer, Shane Simpson sized the rebound for Bartlesville, which cashed in on the other end on Bilger's three-pointer. Tanner set up the basket with a pass from the high post. Bixby then turned the ball back over — with 7:04 remaining — and Bartlesville went ahead by four, 46-42, on Gronigan's final three-pointer. At this point, it appeared as if the Bruins were about to snap the shackles of fourth quarter frustration that have plagued them most the season.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Bixby High School Athletics

BIXBY RUINS BRUINS SENIOR NIGHT

MIKE TUPA

Bartlesville Examiner Enterprise | 2/15/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Mike Tupa