CPHS Basketball: Sandites survive Spartans 40-39, Johnson scores 22

Class 6A No. 6 ranked Charles Page High School (17-4, 13-0) had already clinched the Frontier Valley Conference title heading into Tuesday night’s game in Bixby, and they added to their perfect league record with a wild 40-39 victory over the No. 18 Spartans (12-10, 6-7) at the Whitey Ford Sports Complex.

Sand Springs had their lowest-scoring half of the season and trailed 19-12 before opening the third on a fourteen-point run. The teams hung tight from there till the craziest final seconds of the season.

Destiny Johnson scored the first basket but Kate Bradley gave her team the lead with a three. Holly Kersgieter sank a long three to tie it at 7-7 but Darrian Myles responded and the Spartans didn’t relinquish their lead again till the third period. Darrian Jordan also got on the board for the Sandites in that period but Myles hit another three for the 14-9 advantage. 

The second was the lowest-scoring period of the season as the teams combined for only eight points: three from Johnson and five from Avery King. The Spartans took a 19-12 lead into the locker room as only the fifth team this season to win back-to-back periods against the Sandites. 

Bixby shot 7-of-23 in the first half to the Sandites’ 5-of-23, and outrebounded their guests fifteen to twelve. Sand Springs struggled at the free throw line, hitting one of six. 

Johnson went to work in the third, scoring six in a row to close the gap with a steal of her own and one from Isabella Regalado. Kersgieter pulled up for three and Johnson laid up twice more in transition before Bradley broke up the fourteen-point run. 

The Sandites took a 32-26 lead into the fourth. Sydnee Schovanec hit back to back layups before Kersgieter got the visitors on the board, and Bradley sank a three to make it a one-point game. Johnson sank a pair of free throws and Kersgieter hit a two to make it 38-34 with a minute left. King laid up, Johnson and Kersgeiter added free throws, and Schovanec made a three to cut it to 40-39.

With only four seconds left Johnson and Schovanec went down in a nasty collision and the Sandite had the leave the game. Bixby got the ball and got off two shots in the paint but missed both. Savanna Stout was awarded two free throws with zero time on the clock, but missed both and the visitors survived by the skin of their teeth. 

Johnson ended the night with a game-high 22 points, followed by Kersgeiter with thirteen. Bradley led the Spartans with eleven and King added ten.

Sand Springs will wrap up the regular season Friday in the second installment of Highway 97 Rivalry. The Sandites will host No. 18 Sapulpa (12-7, 8-3) who they previously defeated 45-43 last month. Sand Springs hasn’t beaten Sapulpa twice in a season since 2011.

CPHS 40 Bixby 39

1Q: Bixby 14-9.
2Q: Bixby 5-3.
3Q: CPHS 20-7.
4Q: Bixby 13-8.
Free Throws: CPHS 7-of-17, Bixby 4-of-10.
Field Goals: CPHS 15-of-42, Bixby 15-of-48.
Offensive Rebounds: Bixby 12, CPHS 11.
Defensive Rebounds: Bixby 17, CPHS 16.
Total Rebounds: Bixby 29, CPHS 27.
Steals: CPHS 10, Bixby 4.
Blocks: CPHS 3, Bixby 3.
Fouls: CPHS 13, Bixby 16.

Frontier Valley Conference Standings
13-0 No. 6 Sand Springs
11-2 No. 10 Union
9-3 No. 18 Sapulpa
8-4 No. 8 Bartlesville
6-6 No. 17 Booker T. Washington
6-7 No. 18 Bixby
6-7 No. 20 Jenks
2-10 Broken Arrow
2-11 Owasso
0-13 Muskogee

(Sand Springs Stats)
Scoring: Johnson 22, Kersgeiter 13, Burris 3, Jordan 2.
Offensive Rebounds: Johnson 3, Kersgeiter 3, Burris 2, Jordan 2, Taber 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Taber 5, Kersgeiter 4, Regalado 3, Burris 2, Jordan 1, Hughes 1.
Total Rebounds: Kersgeiter 7, Taber 6, Burris 4, Johnson 3, Jordan 3, Regalado 3, Hughes 1.
Steals: Johnson 3, Regalado 2, Padilla 2, Taber 2, Kersgeiter 1.
Assists: Padilla 1.
Blocks: Kersgeiter 1, Burris 1, Taber 1.
Fouls: Regalado 3, Taber 3, Johnson 2, Kersgeiter 2, Jordan 2, Burris 1.

(Bixby Scoring): Bradley 11, King 10, Schovanec 7, Myles 6, Page 3, Stout2.