Published: December 14, 2008 12:34 am      

North blows lead against Chicks

Chickasha takes lead in final minute for 58-55 win

For 31 minutes the Edmond North boys were kings. But the final minute of Saturday’s contest with Chickasha was different story.

The Huskies saw their enormous first half lead slowly wilt away in the second half, before the Chicks finally pulled in front 54-53, with a steal and layup by Ray Woods with 57 seconds left.

Mike Menzel added a layup with 6.8 seconds left to make it a one-point game, but the Chicks got big free throws from Dalonta Napoleon and Chase Rodgers for the 58-55 win in the seventh-place game of The Open at Santa Fe High School.

The Huskies (2-3) got a solid effort from Eric Randall, who was a force inside. The senior scored 12 points in the first quarter, and finished with a game-high 26 points.

Randall and Kris Sponsler helped the Huskies take a commanding lead in the first quarter. Randall worked inside the paint, scoring 12 points, while Sponsler knocked down a pair of treys and scored nine to help North take a 23-9 lead at the end of one.

North’s offense slowed a bit in the second quarter. They put only nine points on the board, were able to hang on to a double-digit lead at the half, 32-22.

After sitting for much of the second quarter with foul trouble, Randall was again the Huskies’ go-to-guy in the third quarter. He scored seven points in the quarter, but the Chicks continued to mount their comeback. Napoleon hit a pair of 3-pointers in the third and North took a 43-37 lead into the fourth.

Chickasha went on to outscore North 21-12 in the fourth for their only win of The Open.

Sponsler finished with 13 points and Menzel added 11 for the Huskies.

Napoleon led the Chicks with 23 points and four 3-pointers.

North returns to action on Tuesday when they travel to Mustang.