Another superhuman performance from senior standout Parker Friedrichsen lifts Bixby boys in 6A regional opener
By Mike Moguin | Photos by Karen Schwartz
BIXBY - Perhaps Bixby’s Parker Friedrichsen could be compared to the “Amazing Spider-Man.”
He may not be slinging webs or crawling walls, but he can shoot those 3-pointers and score in many ways. The Wake Forest commit racked up another phenomenal high-scoring performance with 45 points in leading Bixby (20-5) to an 80-63 win against Enid Friday night in the first round of the Class 6A Regional Tournament at Whitey Ford Field House.
Someone could be heard in the Enid stands yelling a remark that Friedrichsen was going to win the game all by himself. Friedrichsen did score 19 of the Spartans’ 24 points in the first period.
“He is playing with complete confidence,” Bixby coach Lance Kight said. “He is our leader. We’re going to ride him. When he gets going like he did in the first quarter, he is going to get it done."
Sophomore Tristan Driver also landed in double digits with 18 points.
The victory advances Bixby to the regional final Saturday against Moore, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. back in Bixby.
Zyire Allen led Enid with 20 points. He was followed by Jonathan Reed with 16, Tre Davis with 12 and Jaryn Porter with 11.
Bixby opened with a 9-3 lead with Friedrichsen scoring two of the first three treys made. Driver got one in between.
Enid (11-12) stormed back with a 7-2 run to make it 11-10 with Reed sinking a trey. But that was the closest the Plainsmen got, although they would get within two points twice more.
After Allen got a basket and missed a chance to connect a three-point play, Friedrichsen responded with two 3-pointers, then sank a free throw for a four-point play on the latter after getting fouled, making Bixby's lead 21-12.
“We’re a high-powered offensive team. Parker has raised his game from what he has in the regular season,” Kight said. “Right now, he is almost unguardable.
"He makes the right reads and they start double-teaming in the second half, he found the open guys and we hit some open shots.”
In the second quarter, back-to-back 3-pointers from Allen got Enid to within two, 24-22. Friedrichsen answered with a 3 on the next possession; then his younger brother, junior Luke Friedrichsen, made a 3-pointer to stretch the advantage to eight points.
Bixby began breaking away when Sam McCormick dribbled the ball into the frontcourt after an Enid turnover, then leaped for a layup and it was a 39-26 game.
With 1:30 left in the half, Parker Friedrichsen, the senior bound for Wake Forest, got fouled while attempting another 3. That awarded him a trip to the line with three shots, where he made all three to make it a two-touchdown game at 42-28.
He then added a one-handed shot into the net before the buzzer to make it 44-28 at intermission.
The Spartans continued to add while the Plainsmen attempted to play catch-up in the second half. The largest lead was 22 points on two occasions.
On one of them, in the third quarter, Luke Friedrichsen attempted a 3 that missed, but McCormick quickly made a rebound and made the put-back, making it 61-39.
Solid defense was also a factor for Bixby as it was quick to rebound. Rarely did Enid have a chance at second shots.
“We did a great job boxing out,” Kight said. “In the first half, we held their 6-foot-7 kid (Davis) to zero points; I was super pleased with that.
"In the second half, he got going a little bit. We got tired in the post. We’re undersized a little bit. But they battled (Friday).”
Also on Friday at Bixby, Moore beat Sand Springs, 61-47, in the first game of the regional. Tristan Hankins led the Lions with 19 points, with Darian Grant posting 15 and Malachi Lee logging 11.
Alisah Roper led the Sandites with 18 points.
