Frontier Valley Ladies' Basketball in good shape for years to come
/
By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief
Another great year of Ladies' Basketball has come to an end for the Frontier Valley Conference and though the gold ball escaped them this season, they put four teams in the Area playoffs and one team in the State Tournament.
The Central Oklahoma Conference was the most heavily represented in the State Tournament, with three qualifiers in Mustang, Deer Creek, and Edmond Santa Fe. The Big Ten Conference qualified Putnam City West and Choctaw. Booker T. Washington qualified from the Green Country Conference, and Ponca City qualified as the only team in 6A with an independent schedule. Choctaw laid claim to the title.
No. 3 Sand Springs (24-2, 13-1) won the Conference series with a single regular-season loss and advanced to the State Semifinals for the first time since 1994. They defeated Stillwater, Union, Booker T. Washington, and Mustang before falling to Deer Creek. The Lady Sandites pulled off one of the most impressive seasons in school history and finished the season with four players averaging in the double-digits. Leading scorer Sydney Pennington (10.8) will move on to play collegiate softball at Oklahoma State, and they'll also lose Kierra McGee's 8.7 points per game. Holly Kersgieter (10.2), Gloria Mutiri (10.0), and Destiny Johnson (10.2) will all return next season.
State Champions: 1994.
No. 6 Owasso (17-9, 11-3) made it through Regionals with a win over Jenks and a loss to Ponca City, but lost in the Area Consolations to Bartlesville. The Lady Rams have been anchored by Terryn Milton with 16.6 points per game, followed by Leiloni Culley with 8.8 and Mya Bhinhar with 8.3. All five of the leading scorers will return next season.
State Champions: 1990.
No. 14 Bartlesville (16-10, 10-3) split their post season, beating Sapulpa and falling to Putnam West in Regionals, then beating Owasso and falling to Booker T. Washington in Area. Jenna Williams led the team with 12.6 points per game, followed by Lauren Richter with 8.4 and Erin Shoemaker with 7.6. They will lose Richter and Emily Hicks (3.9), but will retain three of their top-five.
No. 17 Union (14-12, 8-6) made it past Regionals but ended the post-season 1-2 with a first round loss at Area. The Lady Redskins will lose leading scorer Taylor Malham (17.1), but will retain their next four, including Deasia Thomas (6.5) and Sadie Moyer (5.8).
State Champions: 2008.
No. 15 Broken Arrow (13-11, 8-6) lost in the first round of Regionals to Union, and in May they'll lose Jalise Smallwood, who averaged 15.3 points per game, and Angelica Cuellar with 6.7 and Danyell Moore with 4.2. The Lady Tigers will look to rebuild around Kinsey Callen (6.7), Brooke Bowker (3.0) and Aallya Nascimento (3.0).
State Champions: 2015, 2014, 1983.
No. 19 Sapulpa (10-13, 6-7) saw their season come to an end in the first round of Regionals against Bartlesville. The Lady Chieftains will retain four of their top-five scorers, including leader Kiarra Brooks, with 10.0 points per game. Their only loss will be Michael Bethel (7.2), and they'll be in good shape with Taylor Dement (6.7), Ray Osborn (6.4) and Hailey Morrison (5.7).
State Champions: 2007, 1998, 1980, 1979.
Jenks (7-16, 5-9) may not have had the best season this year, falling to Owasso in the first round of Regionals, but they're in good shape for the future as they return all five of their leading scorers, led by a pair of freshmen. Haley Meely averaged 12.4 points per game, followed by Makenna Burch with 10.5.
State Champions: 2004, 2003, 2001, 2000, 1991.
Muskogee (9-14, 4-10) fell to Booker T. Washington in the first round of Regionals, but their biggest losses will come in May as they graduate leading scorers Trena Mims (19.4), Dia-Nitta Brown (7.7), Chrisalee Patterson (7.0), and Brandi Nash (5.5). Bre'Aunee Virgin (5.0) will be the only member of the top-five to return next season as the Lady Roughers look to rebuild from the ground up.
Bixby (7-16, 2-11) fell in the first round of Regionals to Norman North, but they look sharp going into the next season with three of their top-five scorers returning. Maddie Bittle averaged 14.5 points per game for the Lady Spartans, followed by Sarah Tyree with 7.9 and Savanna Stout with 5.2.
State Champions: 1957.
5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (6-16, 2-12) fell in the first round of Regionals to Del City, but they're in solid shape looking to the next season as they return their top-two scorers in Macy Craig (10.1) and Michaela Martin (9.0).
FVC Top-Ten Scorers
- Trena Mims (Muskogee) 19.4
- Taylor Malham (Union) 17.1
- Terryn Milton (Owasso) 16.6
- Jalise Smallwood (Broken Arrow) 15.3
- Maddie Bittle (Bixby) 14.5
- Jena Williams (Bartlesville) 12.6
- Haley Meely (Jenks) 12.4
- Sydney Pennington (Sand Springs) 10.8
- Makenna Burch (Jenks) 10.5
- Holly Kersgieter (Sand Springs) 10.2
Destiny Johnson (Sand Springs) 10.2
State Championships by Conference:
- Central Oklahoma 22
- Frontier Valley 16
- Big Ten 13
- All-City 9
- Green Country 8
6A State Championships (since 1996)
- Frontier Valley 9
- Central Oklahoma 8
- Big Ten 4
- Green Country 1
State Championships (Last Ten Years, All Classes)
- Central Oklahoma 5
- Big Ten 5
- All City 4
- Green Country 4
- Frontier Valley 3
