Putnam City West girls take three straight wins to claim Putnam City Invitational championship

With win against Norman North, Lady Patriots remain perfect with 10-0 record

OKLAHOMA CITY – Putnam City West girls basketball coach Jaron Jefferson wasn’t happy with the way his team started the Putnam City Invitational. 

Even though they won their opener 51-40, his expectations for his squad this year don’t allow them to play down to their talent.

So, in their second-round matchup with a struggling Putnam City squad, the Lady Patriots rolled to a 58-41 victory. That made Saturday’s game with Norman North the de facto tournament championship game due to a myriad of tournament rules.

Even though it wasn’t the Lady Patriots’ best effort of the season, it was their best performance of the weekend as they beat the Timberwolves, 63-49, to win the PCI at Putnam City High.

“I think we were a B-minus,” Jefferson said. “If you had to give us a grade, just coming off the (holiday) break, sitting for so long, I think that kind of hurt us condition-wise, especially with the continuity in our offense and our defense.

"So, I think once we get back in the swing of things, we'll be okay.”

With the score tied at 5-all, the Lady Patriots went to the bench and began to unleash their full-court press. That started a 16-0 run that was keyed by Brennan Bert, Caya Smith and DaNae Jefferson.

Putnam City West players (in white) heavily guard a Norman North player during the Putnam City Invitational on Jan. 6, 2023

PCW led, 21-8, after one quarter of action and it looked like they were on the verge of running away with the contest.

However, in the second quarter, the Timberwolves were able to slow the pace down and limited their turnovers against the press. Olivia Watkins and Seleh Harmon were able to cut the Lady Patriots' lead down to nine, 28-19, heading into halftime.

“We start taking off plays,” Jaron Jefferson said. “One person gets out of position and it puts a strain on our whole defense. So, we have to all be on the same page.”

Smith picked up her aggressiveness in the third quarter. She was able to use her quickness to drive to the basket, regardless of what defender was in front of her.

With 5:06 left in the fourth quarter, Harmon knocked down a free throw to cut the Patriots lead down to 10, 49-39. It looked like the Timberwolves had a chance to make a run and get closer.

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However, that would be as close as North got. West did enough down the stretch to keep the Timberwolves at bay and hold on to the lead.

Smith, who has signed with the University of Oklahoma, led the Patriots with 17 points. Kiana Gray added 15 points and Jefferson chipped in with 12.

Harmon and Watkins, who had to be carried off the court late in the game due to an injury, each posted 18 points for the Timberwolves.

The win pushed Putnam City West to 10-0 on the season. Along with their national raking in a couple of prep sites, they know they are going to be seen as the team to beat each time they take the floor.

“We have been talking about that almost every practice,” Jaron Jefferson said. “Teams are going to come out and give you their best game because you rank nationally in the country and you're supposed to be the top team in the state, but nothing really matters until March gets here.”

-- Michael Kinney | @SBLiveOK