Gross, Zupo help keep Jays unbeaten in conference play

Guthrie boys basketball entered Friday nights Homecoming game by winning their six previous games with the Deer Creek Antlers and thanks to their fourth quarter performance they made it seven in a row.

Tim Zupo elevates for two points.

The Jays outscored fellow north division rival Deer Creek 21-9 in the final quarter to remain perfect in Suburban Conference play at 5-0 with a 57-48 decision. Guthrie has now won three games in a row to improve to 7-4 on the season. Deer Creek falls to 6-5 overall and 4-2 in the conference. For the latest conference standings, scores, and rankings click here.

Both teams leading scorers struggled from the field as Guthrie’s Kentrell Brothers managed just two of his 15 field goals and finished with a season low seven points and Deer Creek’s Garrett Hermanski was four of 17 from the field and finished with 13 points.

Guthrie head coach Pete Papahronis said in his post game radio interview that Brothers was not effective with points on the scoreboard, but was instrumental in what the Jays did offensively and defensively. For more of Papahronis post game interview listen below.

Picking up the scoring for Guthrie was junior guard Codee Gross, who finished with a game high and career high 22 points on six of 11 shooting, including four of seven from beyond the arc. Gross was named the Farmers and Merchants Bank Player of the Game.

Gross along with senior Tim Zupo, who finished with 14 points, found gaps in the consistent 2-3 Antler zone defense. The duo combine to shoot a whopping 52% and 70% from the free throw line.

Guthrie started the game on a 6-0 run to with the first four buckets coming from four different Jays. The five BlueJay starters scored 51 of the teams 57 points.

The Jays outscored the Antlers in the first quarter, 13-10, only to see Deer Creek to return the favor in the next quarter by outscoring them 15-8 to take a 25-21 halftime lead.

Hermanski hit one of his three trey’s to give Deer Creek their biggest lead of the night, 30-23, at the 6:15 mark in the third quarter. However, the Jays never allowed it to get any further. After an Antler bucket with six seconds left, Zupo banked his only three-point shot at the buzzer to pull his team within three, 39-26, heading into the final eight minutes.

Kai Callins and Richard Brothers hit the first two buckets in the fourth quarter to regain the lead back for the first time since 3;30 mark in the second quarter. In the next three minutes the game had four lead changes before Gross put back-to-back buckets to give the Jays a two possession lead, 47-43 with 3:15 left in the game.

Guthrie solidified the win when the Deer Creek bench received a technical foul with 41 seconds left and Guthrie leading 51-46. After the technical, Guthrie finished the game by hitting six of 10 free throws.

The BlueJays will now gear up for a four game week starting with another north division game with Piedmont, on Tuesday, and then will participate in the three-day Carl Albert Tournament beginning on Thursday when they face Lawton MacArthur in the first round.