CPHS Basketball: Sandites roll over Rams 67-55 in playoffs, Johnson scores 29

The Class 6A No. 6 ranked Charles Page High School girls’ basketball team (19-4) won their first game of the Regional Tournament Thursday evening, 67-55 against Owasso (7-17). The game was their sixth-straight victory and punched their ticket to the Area playoffs for the fifth-straight year.

University of Tulsa-signed Senior Destiny Johnson led all scorers with 29 points, followed by Reagan Padilla with fourteen and Holly Kersgieter with ten for the Sandites. Owasso also had three players in double digits. Avery Allen and Nylia Finch scored sixteen apiece and Rylie Boone added thirteen.

Owasso came ready to play and only trailed the home team by a single point after an explosive first period. The visitors led three times in the stanza, thanks to deadly three-point shooting from Boone and Allen. Padilla was first in the book for Sand Springs with a three, and totaled eight in the period. Johnson was the only other Sandite to score, rattling off nine for the 17-16 lead. 

Johnson’s hot streak continued into the second period and she was joined by Madison Burris and Darrian Jordan for a 26-18 advantage before Boone and Mallory Hendrix hit back to back field goals. The Sandites ended the half on a seven point run for the 33-23 halftime advantage. 

The third period was another close win for the home team. Finch scored six for Owasso to cut the deficit to 36-29, but Johnson hit a three, Kersgieter scored two from the stripe, and Johnson laid up for the fourteen-point advantage. Allen and Johnson traded layups, but Kianna Cunningham sank a three to end the period 45-34. 

Owasso continued to hang tight in the fourth till the final three minutes when the Sandites ran away with it. The Sandites rattled off four in a row, Allen scored two, then Sand Springs scored eight more before Finch made a three-point play. Kersgieter and Finch traded layups and Finch hit a buzzer-beater three to end the game.

The Lady Sandites will take on No. 16 Ponca City (16-6) Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in the Regional finals. Sand Springs has won back-to-back Regional Tournaments, while Ponca won their last title in 2017. The teams have met twice this season, with Ponca winning 74-62 in November, and Sand Springs winning 65-48 in January.

Both Sand Springs and Ponca will advance to the Area playoffs. The Regional Champion will only need to win one game in Area to advance to State, and can afford to lose once, while the Runner-Up will need to win twice and will be eliminated with a loss.

CPHS 67 Owasso 55.
1Q: CPHS 17-16.
2Q: CPHS 16-7.
3Q: CPHS 12-11.
4Q: CPHS 22-21.
Free Throws: CPHS 22-of-25, Owasso 5-of-8.
Field Goals: CPHS 21-of-38, Owasso 21-of-47.
Offensive Rebounds: Owasso 6, CPHS 2.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 18, Owasso 14.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 20, Owasso 20.
Steals: CPHS 8, Owasso 2.
Blocks: CPHS 2, Owasso 2.
Fouls: CPHS 17, Owasso 18.

(Sand Springs Stats)
Scoring: Johnson 29, Padilla 14, Kersgieter 10, Jordan 9, Burris 5.
Offensive Rebounds: Kersgieter 1, Regalado 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Kersgieter 7, Johnson 4, Regalado 2, Burris 2, Padilla 2, Jordan 1.
Total Rebounds: Kersgieter 8, Johnson 4, Regalado 3, Burris 2, Padilla 2, Jordan 1.
Assists: Johnson 2, Kersgieter 2, Regalado 1, Jordan 1.
Steals: Johnson 4, Kersgieter 2, Regalado 1, Jordan 1.
Blocks: Kersgieter 1, Regalado 1.
Fouls: Jordan 5, Burris 4, Regalado 3, Johnson 2, Padilla 2, Kersgieter 1.

(Owasso Scoring): Finch 16, Allen 16, Boone 13, Vancuren 5, Cunningham 3, Hendrix 2.