CPHS Basketball: Lady Sandites place fourth at John Nobles Invitational, Johnson scores 21

The Class 6A No. 5 ranked Charles Page High School girls’ basketball team (13-4) suffered a 53-43 upset Saturday afternoon at the hands of No. 12 Choctaw (13-4). The Sandites lost back-to-back games for the first time in over a year, settling for fourth place at John Nobles Invitational in Moore.

Sand Springs was without regular starter Jacie Taber, and the Yellowjackets had University of Kansas-commit Holly Kersgieter double-manned for much of the game, holding her to a season-low six points.

University of Tulsa-commit Destiny Johnson led the Sandites for the fifth time this season with 21 points, matched by Choctaw’s Aliyah Llanusa. Sophomore Reagan Padilla got her third start of the season, and three other young players saw significant game time.

The Sandites outrebounded Choctaw fourteen to four offensively, but struggled with accuracy, shooting only 33% to the Yellowjackets’ 46%. Choctaw was lethal from outside the arc with nine three-pointers.

Madison Burris gave the Sandites their first and only lead of the game with a three pointer at 5-4, and Johnson tied it up at 7-7 before the Yellowjackets went on a ten point run. Llanusa closed out the first period with back-to-back threes for a 15-7 advantage, and White opened the second period with a pair of free throws for their first double-digit lead.

Johnson made a three-point play to break up the Choctaw free for all, but the Yellowjackets rattled off nine more before sending Johnson to the line for two. The future Hurricane hit a layup from there and Isabella Regalado closed out the half with a three-pointer to make it 26-17.

Things didn’t improve in the third period and Llanusa kicked off a seven-point run with a three, followed by a pair of layups from Mackenzie Crusoe. Choctaw took their biggest lead of the game at 38-21 before Padilla got on the board with a three. Regalado got hot in the paint at the end of the period but the Yellowjackets took a 41-28 lead into the final stanza.

The fourth quarter was the only period the Sandites won, but Johnson’s last two layups came on defensive indifference in the final seconds and the Sandites never got to a single digit deficit.

Sand Springs will return to action Tuesday with a home game against No. 15 Booker T. Washington (11-4, 5-2) at 6:30 p.m. The Sandites are undefeated at 9-0 in Frontier Valley Conference action. 

CHS 53 CPHS 43
1Q: CHS 15-7
2Q: CHS 11-10
3Q: CHS 15-11
4Q: CPHS 15-12
Free Throws: CPHS 7-of-9, CHS 10-of-16.
Field Goals: CHS 17-of-37, CPHS 16-of-49.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 14, CHS 4.
Defensive Rebounds: CHS 18, CPHS 16.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 30, CHS 22.
Steals: CHS 8, CPHS 5.
Fouls: CHS 8, CPHS 13.

Tournament Results/Schedule.
QF: No. 8 Moore 78-45 Douglass.
QF: No. 12 Choctaw 67-63 3A No. 10 Millwood.
QF: No. 2 Norman North 69-20 Durant.
QF: No. 5 Sand Springs 55-46 Southmoore.
Cons. SF: 3A No. 10 Millwood 58-42 Douglass.
Cons. SF: Southmoore 57-33 Durant.
SF: No. 2 Norman North 45-41 No. 5 Sand Springs
SF: No. 8 Moore 58-48 No. 12 Choctaw.
7th Place: Douglass.42-38 Durant.
5th Place: Southmoore 63-50 3A No. 10 Millwood.
3rd Place: No. 12 Choctaw 53-43 No. 5 Sand Springs.
1st Place: Sat. 7:00 p.m. No. 2 Norman North vs. No. 8 Moore.

(Sand Springs Stats)
Scoring: Johnson 21, Regalado 9, Kersgieter 6, Burris 3, Padilla 3, Hampton 1.
Offensive Rebounds: Kersgieter 6, Johnson 3, Regalado 2, Padilla 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Kersgieter 5, Johnson 4, Regalado 4, Burris 2, Padilla 1.
Total Rebounds: Kersgieter 11, Johnson 7, Regalado 6, Burris 2, Padilla 2.
Steals: Johnson 3, Kersgieter 1, Padilla 1.
Assists: Johnson 2, Regalado 1, Burris 1.
Fouls: Johnson 3, Regalado 3, Padilla 3, Burris 2, Hampton 1.

(Choctaw Scoring): Llanusa 21, Clark 12, Goodin 6, Crusoe 6, White 5, Gasaway 3.