Owasso vs. Tulsa Union
In this article:
No. 3 Tulsa Union (6-0) used a big second quarter to run away from the visiting Owasso Rams (1-5) and finish with a final score of 57-28. Union was 21-45 from the field and capitalized on 20 Owasso turnovers, scoring…
Access all of Prep Girls Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingNo. 3 Tulsa Union (6-0) used a big second quarter to run away from the visiting Owasso Rams (1-5) and finish with a final score of 57-28. Union was 21-45 from the field and capitalized on 20 Owasso turnovers, scoring 17 points off Rams miscues. Both teams performed well on the boards with Union finishing with 27 total rebounds to Owasso’s 21. Both teams were 4-12 from behind the arc, but the real disparity – and perhaps the difference maker – was Union making 16-23 free throws to Owasso’s 4-5.
1Q | 2Q | 3Q | 4Q | Final | |
Union | 12 | 17 | 8 | 19 | 57 |
Owasso | 9 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 28 |
Star of the Game
Kaylen Nelson Kaylen Nelson 5'11" | SG Union | 2021 State OK | 5-10 G/F | Tulsa Union | 2021 | @nelson_kaylen21
I said this summer that Nelson was going to do big things this coming high school season. When I saw her at grassroots tourneys, I could tell that she had lost weight and been working on a lot of different aspects of her game. She got up and down the floor so much better than she had in previous seasons. Not to toot my own horn, but I wasn’t wrong. Kaylen is absolutely dominant at times. She has an outstanding jumper that you just don’t see much at this level. She elevates with ease over her defender and shows a sweet stroke with soft touch. She pulled down three rebounds and added an assist for good measure. Nelson has signed to play with Division-I Old Dominion University out of Conference USA.
Other Stars
Taylor Rose | 5-11 G | Owasso | 2022 | @_taylorrose24
No scorer for the Rams ended up in double-digits, but Rose led her team in every category. She scored six points, pulled down five rebounds and had an assist. It says a lot about her style of play and amount of hustle that Rose pulled down the second-most rebounds in the game despite the taller players on both teams clogging up the paint. She is a hustler with a non-stop motor. She had two three-pointers and has a very nice jump shot. She is quick and smart and definitely the go-to player for the Rams. College coaches check out her video online. You won’t be sorry.
Sydni Smith | 6-2 F | Tulsa Union | 2022 | @sydnismith2022
Smith does not stop talking… the ENTIRE game, in a very good way. Even at the end of the game she was on the bench cheering vocally and coaching the younger players who had entered the game. She doesn’t talk to the other team. She isn’t disrespectful. She is loud. She communicates better than almost any player I have seen in Oklahoma. She calls out screens, calls out mismatches, cheers for her teammates – everything you could possibly ask for from a player; especially a 6-2 inside force like her. Smith had 11 points and four rebounds. She was also 5-7 from the free throw line. Sydni currently holds an offer from Division-I Lamar.
Makenna Yokley Makenna Yokley 6'1" | PF Owasso | 2024 State OK | 6-0 F | Owasso | 2024 | @makenna_yokley
Yokley is a big-bodied, tough player with a nice touch around the rim. She has better handles than one would expect from a player her size. She is still learning to get position under the rim while rebounding and did as good a job as just about anyone could in trying to contain Nelson and Smith. Yokley pulled down four rebounds, good for second on the team. She scored four points, tying her for second on the team. When the 2024 rankings come out in the near future, expect to see Yokley near the top. As soon as she learns to talk a little more and to really use her size in the paint, Makenna will be an absolute force for the Rams and the “go-to” player by the time 2024 comes around.
All-Scorers
Union – Kaylen Nelson Kaylen Nelson 5'11" | SG Union | 2021 State OK – 17, Sydni Smith – 11, T.K. Pitts 10, Aubrey Hishaw – 4, Makenzie Malham – 4, Germari Harris – 3, Janiyah Hendricks Janiyah Hendricks 5'2" | PG Tulsa Union | 2021 State OK – 3, Desiree Marshall-Penny – 3, Katie Barnes – 2
Owasso – Taylor Rose – 6, Ellie Morrill Ellie Morrill 6'0" | PF Owasso | 2022 State OK – 4, Makenna Yokley Makenna Yokley 6'1" | PF Owasso | 2024 State OK – 4, NaVaeh DeBerry – 3, Alexis Winton Alexis Winton 6'1" | PF Sperry | 2023 State OK – 3, Laila Hamilton – 2, Grace Hildebrand – 2, Chloe Stocksen Chloe Stocksen 5'5" | CG Owasso | 2022 State OK – 2, Seldon Stover – 2