ENID, OK – The Potawatomi Fire earned a crucial 111-102 victory over the Enid Outlaws on Saturday night.
The Fire, who are now 8-1 on the season, took over sole possession of first place in the Central Conference with the win. The win was also their third over Enid this year and their 11th straight over the Outlaws.
“Enid is very good team, and we had to fight for this win,” said Fire head coach Mark Dannhoff. “I thought our guys showed a lot of toughness and a lot of togetherness. Enid made us work for everything tonight and I’m just proud of the way we fought and stayed together.”
The Fire got off to another strong start, leading by as many as 19 in the opening quarter. But Enid then went on a 14-0 run to end the first quarter and start the second to pull within five. The Outlaws proceed to cut the lead all the way down and even take a two-point lead before Jay Hedgeman made a pair of free throws to tie the game at the half.
In the third quarter, it was Ricardo Artis II that paced the Fire. After scoring just four points in the opening half, Artis II exploded for 19 in the third. In the fourth quarter, Enid again attempted to come back but the Fire proved to be too much as they held on for the nine-point victory.
The Fire did not go to their bench much tonight, with their reserves playing less than 20 minutes total. The Fire also did not substitute at all in the second half.
“First and foremost, I have total and complete confidence in every player on my bench,” said Dannhoff. “But I coach by feel and I could see it in the starting units eyes that they weren’t going to let us lose. I felt they could carry us, and they did just that.”
All five Fire starts finished in double-figures scoring. Artis II led the Fire with 26 points, 4 rebounds, and a pair of steals. Deshawn Munson recorded his second straight double-double, and fourth of the season, with 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assist. Jachai Simmons also recorded a double-double in his best outing of the season. Simmons finished with a season high 21 points, 13 rebounds, and a pair of blocks.
“Deshawn, Ricky, and Jachai really came up with some big plays for us,” said Dannhoff. “Each guy seemed to have their moments and all three were active on both ends. We really them, and all of the guys that played tonight, to come big and they did just that.”
Rounding out the starter’s nights, Paul Harrison finished with 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists while Chuck Guy finished with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals.
A full box score is available here.
With the win the Fire improved to 8-1 on the season and moved into sole possession of first place in The Basketball League’s Central Conference. The win also marked the 11th straight over Enid.
Up next, the 8-1 Fire have the next 11 days off for The Basketball League’s All-Star break. The Fire will return to the court on Monday, April 21st when they visit the San Antonio Clutch.
You can watch a live stream of the game at tbltv.tv or listen live on KGFF Radio (100.9 FM/1450 AM).
To stay up to date with all the latest news and notes regarding the Potawatomi Fire, follow the team on social media. You can follow the Fire on Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
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ABOUT THE POTAWATOMI FIRE
The Potawatomi Fire are the first professional basketball team owned by a Native American tribe (Citizen Potawatomi Nation) in Oklahoma. The Fire compete in the Central Conference of The Basketball League (TBL), a men’s professional basketball league, with roughly 40 teams across the U.S. and Canada. The Fire play their home games at FireLake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Through their first three years, the Fire have established themselves as the premier franchise in TBL. Along with winning the TBL championship in 2023 and 2024, the Fire organization was named the 2022 winner of the Jim Koch Award as TBL’s Best Ran Business. The dance team of the Fire, the Fire Girls, were named TBL’s 2022 Best Dance Team and Central Conference Best Dance Team in 2023 and 2024.