Sandite Basketball Preview: Boys and Girls Poised for Success in 2022

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The Charles Page High School varsity basketball season will officially tip off Tuesday, November 29th at Sapulpa.

The Sandite basketball teams went different directions last season. The boys will look to get back to form as they seek their first winning season since 2020, while the girls will look to build momentum off of last season’s state semifinal appearance.

After graduating a talented senior class that accounted for 75% of last season’s scoring, the boys will look to build a new identity behind a mostly young, inexperienced roster.

Fans can expect big things from sophomore Kooper Kelley, the lone returning starter, who averaged 6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1 steal last year.

Junior Alijah Roper also saw extensive action last season, averaging 2.9 points over 21 games. 6-foot-5 sophomore Blake Johnson also played in 21 games, averaging 1.3 points and 1.8 rebounds.

Kade Holland, Luke Hooper, Michael Foster, Jax Marshall, Mark Lair, and Sam Hayes will provide the team’s senior leadership.

The Sandites went 5-18 last season and were 7-11 in 2020, but have seen tremendous success under tenth-year head coach Eric Savage with four winning seasons, two Regional championships, and two State tournament appearances.

Savage holds a 423-218 head coaching record over 21 years and is 118-125 at Sand Springs.

The Lady Sandites are entering their fourth season under head coach Josh Berry, who holds a 50-21 record at Sand Springs and a 148-134 career mark.

The girls went 23-4 last season for their best record since 2017, winning the school’s eighth Regional title and seventh Area championship.

Sand Springs took big losses in Journey Armstead, Layne Kirkendoll, and Leyshia Morris, but still has lots of star power ready to make a name for itself.

6-foot senior Hailey Jackson averaged 13.9 points, 6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals last season, with three double-doubles and a career-best 31-point performance against Broken Arrow.

Juniors Taiona Morris and Sakauri Wilson also return as starters after combining for 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 2.9 steals per game last year.

Kiaryn Taylor, Fayth Walker, Abigaile Martin, Patience Pearce, and Tay'Ja Butler all saw solid playing time last season and will give the Sandites strong rotational depth. Freshman Calla Fueshko is also expected to make an impact.

When the girls tip off against Sapulpa at 6:30 p.m. they will be looking for their first Highway 97 Rivalry win since 2019. The boys, however, have won three straight meetings with Sapulpa since 2019.

The girls will then travel to the She Got Game Classic in Dallas over the weekend. The home opener for both teams will be December 6th against Muskogee with the girls playing at 6:30 p.m. and the boys at 8:00 p.m.

Lady Sandite Dream Season Comes Up Short; Future Looks Bright

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This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

For the first time since 2017, the Sand Springs girls basketball team made it as far as the State semifinals before its season came to an end.

The Sandites (23-4) won a 48-38 quarterfinal matchup with West No. 2 Choctaw (22-3) Thursday night at the Carl Albert Field House before falling 55-35 to No. 1 Edmond North (28-1) Friday afternoon at OU’s Lloyd Noble Center.

The Sandites trailed 8-7 after the first quarter against Choctaw, but early in the second period uncommitted senior star Journey Armstead hit a three-pointer to surpass 1,500 career points, and Layne Kirkendoll hit a putback for their first lead of the game.

The bucket was Armstead’s first of the game after going scoreless in the first quarter, but she was unstoppable after that.

“I kept on shooting but my shots weren’t falling,” said Armstead. “We were nervous at first but I had to get our rhythm going, step up, and when I got the opportunity to shoot I had to take it.”

“She’s special,” said Sandite head coach Josh Berry. “She doesn’t get the credit she deserves…the girl just keeps rolling.”

Mya Purifoy briefly lifted her team back on top, but Kirkendoll added another basket, Armstead hit two layups, and the Sandites never trailed again. 

The Sandites took a 24-17 advantage into halftime and won the second half 24-21.

Armstead hit the final bucket of the evening to finish the game with 17 points, and Kirkendoll added a career-high 14 for the Sandites.

On Friday the Sandites had to face the tournament frontrunners from Edmond North (28-1) who previously defeated Sand Springs 56-32 at the Jenks/Union Invitational in January. 

The Huskies routed Stillwater 72-37 in their quarterfinal game, then beat East No. 1 Bixby 59-57 in overtime for their first-ever State title on Saturday.

Taiona Morris hit a three-pointer to open the game but the Huskies scored six in a row and never trailed again. 

Down 18 after three quarters, the Sandites went on a 10-2 run to make it 43-33 with 4:02 to play, but the Huskies went on a 12-2 run of their own to end the game.

Jackson scored 11 to lead the Sandites and Armstead added 9.

The Sandites will graduate Armstead, Kirkendoll, and Leyshia Morris this year. 

Armstead scored 1525 points in her career, including 1153 in her three years at Sand Springs after playing for East Central as a freshman. She averaged 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.7 steals this year.

Kirkendoll averaged six points, 6.5 rebounds, and two blocks per game with a team-best field goal percentage. Morris averaged 3.3 points and 2.4 rebounds.

Next year’s Sandites will be led by Jackson, who averaged 13.9 points, six rebounds, and 1.5 steals in her junior year. She led the team on 12 occasions with three double-doubles and a career-best 31-point performance against Broken Arrow.

Sophomores Taiona Morris, Sakauri Wilson, and Kiaryn Taylor will also be expected to make a big impact. Morris averaged 5.7 points, Wilson added 5.6, and Taylor had 2.9. Taylor and Fayth Walker will be the frontrunners to compete for the two vacant starting spots. 

CPHS 48 Choctaw 38
1Q: Choctaw 8-7.
2Q: CPHS 17-7.
3Q: Choctaw 11-10.
4Q: CPHS 14-10.

Scoring: (CPHS) Armstead 17, Kirkendoll 14, Jackson 7, T. Morris 3, Taylor 3. (Choctaw) Hunt 12, Adams 8, Jackson 7, Gasaway 5, Smith 4, Purifoy 2. 

EDN 55 CPHS 35
1Q: EDN 10-5.
2Q: EDN 20-7.
3Q: All 11-11.
4Q: EDN 14-12.

Scoring: (CPHS) Jackson 13, Armstead 9, T. Morris 6, Wilson 4, Kirkendoll 3. (EDN) Steele 21, E. Papahronis 14, Heathcock 9, T. Papahronis 7, Franklin 4.

Sand Springs Girls Basketball wins Area Championship 50-46 against Putnam City West

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This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

For the seventeenth time in school history and the first time since 2019, the Sand Springs girls basketball team is headed to State. 

The 6A-East No. 2 Lady Sandites (22-3) won their seventh Area Championship in school history 52-46 against No. 3 Putnam City West (19-6) in front of a rowdy Thursday night crowd at Will Rogers High School.

The Patriots trailed 46-35 halfway through the final period but clawed their way back to make it a one-score game in the closing moments. 

Hailey Jackson scored an easy layup for the last bucket of the game on a pass from Leyshia Morris with 19 seconds to play, then the Sandites got a turnover with 12 seconds remaining when Kierra Brown was whistled for palming the ball.

Morris inbounded the ball to Journey Armstead who ran out the clock and cemented her team in the Sandite history books.

It was an emotional night for Sand Springs coach Josh Berry, who got his head coaching start at Rogers in 2010. This will be his first trip to State with a girls’ team since taking the Ropers there in 2011.

“This is a big moment for me, for them,” said Berry. “I’m proud. I told them to just leave it all out there and I think they did that.”

Sand Springs never once trailed in the game and the Patriots only tied it once at 8-8 late in the first quarter. Kiaryn Taylor made a buzzer-beating putback to end the first stanza 12-8.

Sakauri Wilson scored five free throws in a nine-point run early in the second quarter that gave the Sandites their first double-digit lead at 21-10, and they took a comfortable 29-21 advantage into the locker room.

Putnam West hit the gas in the fourth quarter and won the second half, but the Sandites did just enough to stay on top. 

The highly physical game saw 42 fouls, including 24 in the first half. Caya Smith fouled out with 1:43 in the third quarter and Shamar Bert fouled out with 1:09 left to play. 

“I thought we did what we needed to do to win,” said Berry. “I don’t think it was the prettiest game on either side, but I’ll take the win whatever which way we can get it.”

No Sandites fouled out of the game, but most of the team was in foul trouble, and Wilson and Jackson ended the night with four apiece.

“I trust the ones that are coming in off the bench,” said Berry. “They can go in and they can do what they need to do when we do get in foul trouble. We’ve got a little bit of depth over there.” 

All seven Sandites who saw action earned their way into the scorebook, led by Jackson with 16 points and 6 rebounds, and Armstead with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

“That’s what I told them, we’ve got to do it by committee. That’s the beauty of this year’s team; it’s not just one person that has to score all the points. A lot of them are able to do it, and so we’re just proud of them.”

Brooklyn Fisher scored 16 apiece to lead the Patriots, followed by Brown with 13. 

Sand Springs will return to action Thursday, March 10th at the University of Oklahoma’s Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, where they’ll begin the hunt for their first gold ball since 1994.

Putnam West will play No. 9 Stillwater (13-13) in the Area consolation finals Saturday at 3:00 p.m. at Will Rogers. Stillwater won its Area game 75-73 over No. 5 Tahlequah (22-3). 

CPHS 50 PCW 46
1Q: CPHS 12-8.
2Q: CPHS 17-13.
3Q: PCW 10-9.
4Q: PCW 15-12.
Free Throws: CPHS 19-of-29, PCW 10-of-22.
Field Goals: CPHS 15-of-47, PCW 16-of-52.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 11, PCW 9.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 28, PCW 18.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 39, PCW 27.
Steals: CPHS 4, PCW 9.
Blocks: CPHS 2, PCW 2.
Fouls: CPHS 19, PCW 23.

Scoring: (CPHS) Jackson 16, Armstead 14, Wilson 8, T. Morris 7, L. Morris 2, Taylor 2, Kirkendoll 1. (PCW) Fisher 16, Brown 13, Bert 9, McHenry-Guzman 4, Smith 2, Ray 2.

Lady Sandites roll Booker T. Washington on Homecoming, secure home Regional

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This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

The OSSAA has released its 6A regional basketball pairings and the No. 2 ranked Charles Page High School girls will be hosting their own tournament, beginning Thursday, February 24.

Sand Springs will host No. 15 Muskogee (2-11), No. 7 Putnam City North (9-9), and No. 10 Ponca City (9-10), with a first-round game against Muskogee. 

The Lady Sandites already beat Putnam North 50-33 at the Jenks/Union tournament, and beat Muskogee 56-43 on Thursday. They have yet to play Ponca City this season.

“The way I see it is, in the playoffs anybody can get beat if you’re not ready,” says Sand Springs head coach Josh Berry. 

“Jenks is a perfect example. We had two really good games against them, then we’re in a dog fight and we barely got away with that one.”

After routing the Trojans by 34 and 21 points in two games earlier this season, the Sandites only won 53-50 on Tuesday. The No. 13 Trojans (5-10) never trailed in the first half and didn’t relinquish their lead till Sand Springs went on a 16-point run in the third quarter.

Hailey Jackson led all scorers with 19 points and 10 rebounds in that game, and Journey Armstead added 16 points and 6 rebounds.

“You can’t take any team lightly,” said Berry. “We’ve got to come out ready to play from the start.”

“Even Muskogee; they gave us a run last night. All of them have the potential to beat us, so we’ve got to go in with that mindset and play as hard as we can.”

After falling behind 18-3 late in the first quarter, Muskogee came storming back in the second and cut it as close as 25-22. Although the Roughers only led for three possessions in the opening minutes, they kept it far closer than one might have expected from a two-win team.

Jackson scored 23 points in that game with 8 rebounds, followed by Layne Kirkendoll with 9 points and 9 rebounds.

On Friday the Sandites pushed their win streak to four with a 65-40 Homecoming victory over No. 8 Booker T. Washington (10-10). They never trailed after the first quarter and dominated the second half 32-12. 

“I feel like today we did some great things,” Berry said on Friday. “They played together. We’ve got different people stepping up and that’s what we’re going to need.”

“As long as we’ve got that and we’re having fun out there, I like our chances. If we don’t have that energy then we’re not very good but as long as we’ve got energy and passion and we’re playing the right way, then we can play with anybody.”

Jackson scored 24 points to lead all scorers, followed by Armstead with 16, and Kirkendoll with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Armstead was also crowned Homecoming Queen at halftime of the boys’ game.

“I’m just proud of all of them,” said Berry. “What nobody’s really talking about is Leyshia Morris, how much her passing really helps us out. She makes a lot of really great passes to Hailey (Jackson) and to Laynie (Kirkendoll) to get them wide-open looks. She does it over and over again, she’s a valuable asset for us.”

As for what the Sandites need to focus on before the playoffs…

“We’ve just got to play harder, we’ve got to rebound better, and we’ve got to box out. We’ve got to be disciplined on every single possession and not take plays off.”

The Lady Sandites are now 16-3 on the season and 9-2 for second place in Frontier Valley Conference action. Next up will be conference road games at No. 11 Owasso (8-11) on Monday and No. 6 Broken Arrow (13-7) on Tuesday, followed by Senior Night against No. 14 Bartlesville (4-15) on Friday.

Boys Basketball

The 6A-East No. 14 Sandite boys (5-14, 1-10) have dropped four in a row and had a tough week at home, falling 78-41 to Jenks, 59-54 to Muskogee, and 68-47 to Booker T. Washington. 

They held No. 2 Jenks to a 30-25 halftime advantage before the Trojans regrouped for a second-half rout. Jason Clark scored 11 in that game. 

On Thursday they took No. 10 Muskogee to overtime behind 14 points from Cale Askew, 11 from Clark, and 10 from Alijah Roper. The two teams combined for an astounding 48 fouls in that game, and Muskogee did most of its damage at the free throw line.

On Friday JD Dickson scored 11 and Ethan Oakley added 10 in the Homecoming loss.

The boys also received their Regional assignment this week and will travel to No. 3 Putnam City West (16-4) on Friday, February 25.

Wrestling

The Sandite wrestling team wrapped up the regular season with a 7-4 dual record after falling 45-15 to No. 4 Broken Arrow on Monday. Next up is the 6A-East Regional tournament, starting Friday at Stillwater.

Basketball Stats

Boys

Jenks 78 CPHS 41
1Q: Jenks 16-11.
2Q: All 14-14.
3Q: Jenks 26-14.
4Q: Jenks 22-12.
Free Throws: Jenks 14-of-26, CPHS 9-of-13.
Field Goals: Jenks 29-of-44, CPHS 14-of-41.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 5, Jenks 3.
Defensive Rebounds: Jenks 23, CPHS 13.
Total Rebounds: Jenks 26, CPHS 18.
Steals: Jenks 8, CPHS 0.
Blocks: Jenks 3, CPHS 0.
Fouls: Sand Springs 19, Jenks 12.

(Sand Springs stats)
Scoring: Clark 11, Dickson 9, Kelly 6, Roper 5, Askew 3, Brockman 3, Hayes 2, Hendricks 2.
Offensive Rebounds: Askew 3, Kelly 1, Johnson 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Dickson 5, Oakley 4, Askew 2, Brockman 2.
Total Rebounds: Dickson 5, Askew 5, Oakley 4, Brockman 2, Kelly 1, Johnson 1.
Assists: Clark 1, Kelly 1.
Fouls: Brockman 5, Dickson 4, Clark 3, Kelly 2, Oakley 2, Askew 1, Johnson 1.

(Jenks stats)
Scoring: Martin 20, Averitt 17, Golightly 14, Tata 9, Wilkins 4, Mundy 3, Trice 3, Hart 3, Coffey 2, Lymberpoules 2, Simmons 1.
Fouls: Coffey 3, Martin 2, Mundy 1, Golightly 1, Averitt 1, Tata 1, Bacon 1, Dodder 1.

MHS 59 CPHS 54
1Q: CPHS 18-17.
2Q: MHS 13-6.
3Q: CPHS 13-7.
4Q: All 13-13.
OT: MHS 9-4.
Free Throws: MHS 22-of-34, CPHS 14-of-21.
Field Goals: MHS 17-of-40, CPHS 18-of-49.
Offensive Rebounds: MHS 5, CPHS 12.
Defensive Rebounds: MHS 21, CPHS 22.
Total Rebounds: MHS 26, CPHS 34.
Steals: MHS 8, CPHS 9.
Blocks: MHS 1, CPHS 2.
Fouls: MHS 20, CPHS 28.

(Sand Springs stats)
Scoring: Askew 14, Clark 11, Roper 10, Kelly 6, Oakley 6, Dickson 4, Brockman 2, Hays 1.
Offensive Rebounds: Oakley 4, Dickson 3, Clark 2, Kelly 2, Brockman 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Oakley 7, Dickson 6, Askew4, Clark 2, Kelly 1, Roper 1, Brockman 1.
Total Rebounds: Oakley 11, Dickson 9, Clark 4, Askew 4, Kelly 3, Brockman 2, Roper 1.
Steals: Roper 3, Clark 1, Askew 1, Kelly 1, Dickson 1, Oakley 1, Hays 1.
Assists: Clark 1, Roper 1, Brockman 1.
Blocks: Oakley 2.
Fouls: Clark 5, Brockman 5, Kelly 4, Dickson 4, Roper 4, Askew 2, Oakley 2, Hays 2.

(Muskogee stats)
Scoring: Javonte Campbell 24, Ficklin 8, Reed 7, Johns 6, Campbell 5, Duncan 5, Titsworth 2, McGee 2.
Fouls: Ficklin 4, Titsworth 3, Johns 3, Campbell 2, Campbell 2, McGee 2, Reed 1, Larkpor 1, Thornton 1.

BTW 68 CPHS 47
1Q: BTW 14-9.
2Q: BTW 18-12.
3Q: BTW 25-6.
4Q: CPHS 20-11.
Free Throws: BTW 19-of-24, CPHS 8-of-14.
Field Goals: BTW 21-of-63, CPHS 19-of-44.
Offensive Rebounds: BTW 16, CPHS 7.
Defensive Rebounds: BTW 17, CPHS 20.
Total Rebounds: BTW 33, CPHS 27.
Steals: BTW 14, CPHS 7.
Blocks: CPHS 3.
Fouls: BTW 15, CPHS 19.

(Sand Springs stats)
Scoring: Dickson 11, Oakley 10, Clark 5, Kelly 5, Johnson 4, Roper 3, Hayes 3, Askew 2, Brockman 2, Holland 2.
Offensive Rebounds: Oakley 2, Askew 1, Dickson 1, Kelly 1, Holland 1, Lair 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Dickson 7, Oakley 4, Clark 3, Roper 2, Askew 1, Kelly 1, Johnson 1, Hayes 1.
Total Rebounds: Dickson 8, Oakley 6, Clark 3, Askew 2, Kelly 2, Roper 2, Johnson 1, Hayes 1, Lair 1.
Steals: Clark 1, Askew 1, Brockman 1, Dickson 1, Kelly 1, Holland 1, Shope 1.
Assists: Askew 2, Clark 1, Dickson 1, Holland 1.
Blocks: Dickson 2, Hayes 1.
Fouls: Clark 4, Oakley 3, Roper 3, Holland 3, Dickson 2, Kelly 2, Johnson 1, Shope 1.

(Booker T. Washington stats)
Scoring: Parker 16, Boone 12, Chambers 9, English 7, Ware 7, Potter 6, Smith 4, Crosslen 3, Oates 2, Simpson 2.
Fouls: Oates 5, Boone 3, English 3, Wilson 2, Chambers 1, Parker 1, Simpson 1.

Girls

CPHS 53 Jenks 50
1Q: Jenks 16-14.
2Q: Jenks 13-12.
3Q: CPHS 20-12.
4Q: Jenks 9-7.
Free Throws: CPHS 10-of-17, Jenks 9-of-14.
Field Goals: CPHS 21-of-54, Jenks 16-of-42.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 12, Jenks 6.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 18, Jenks 13.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 30, Jenks 19.
Steals: CPHS 8, Jenks 6.
Blocks: CPHS 3, Jenks 1.
Fouls: CPHS 15, Jenks 15.

(Sand Springs stats)
Scoring: Jackson 19, Armstead 16, Wilson 6, Kirkendoll 6, T. Morris 5, L. Morris 1.
Offensive Rebounds: Armstead 4, Kirkendoll 4, Jackson 2, L. Morris 2.
Defensive Rebounds: Jackson 8, Wilson 3, Kirkendoll 3, Armstead 2, T. Morris 1, L. Morris 1.
Total Rebounds: Jackson 10, Kirkendoll 7, Armstead 6, Wilson 3, L. Morris 3, T. Morris 1.
Steals: T. Morris 2, Armstead 2, Wilson 2, Jackson 1, L. Morris 1.
Assists: Armstead 2, T. Morris 2, Wilson 1, Kirkendoll 1, L. Morris 1.
Blocks: Kirkendoll 2, Armstead 1.
Fouls: Kirkendoll 5, Jackson 4, Wilson 2, T. Morris 2, L. Morris 1, Taylor 1.

(Jenks stats)
Scoring: Forgione 15, Twiehaus 15, Simpson 9, Luciano 5, Brown 4, Johnson 2.
Fouls: Brown 5, Williams 4, Forgione 2, Luciano 2, Twiehaus 2, Simpson 1.

CPHS 56 MHS 43
1Q: CPHS 18-6.
2Q: MHS 16-11.
3Q: CPHS 14-7.
4Q: MHS 14-13.
Free Throws: CPHS 9-of-14, MHS 3-of-7.
Field Goals: CPHS 22-of-53, MHS 16-of-46.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 13, MHS 6.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 23, MHS 16.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 36, MHS 22.
Steals: CPHS 9, MHS 5.
Blocks: CPHS 5, MHS 1.
Fouls: CPHS 13, MHS 12.

(Sand Spring stats)
Scoring: Jackson 23, Kirkendoll 9, Armstead 7, T. Morris 7, Wilson 5, L. Morris 3, Taylor 2.
Offensive Rebounds: Jackson 4, Armstead 3, T. Morris 2, Wilson 1, Kirkendoll 1, L.Morris 1, Taylor 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Kirkendoll 8, Armstead 4, Jackson 4, T. Morris 3, Wilson 2, L. Morris 1, Taylor 1.
Total Rebounds: Kirkendoll 9, JAckson 8, Armstead 7, T. Morris 5, Wilson 3, L. Morris 2, Taylor 2.
Steals: Armstead 3, T. Morris 2, Kirkendoll 2, Wilson 1, L. Morris 1.
Assists: Armstead 6, Wilson 3, L. Morris 1.
Blocks: Kirkendoll 5.
Fouls: Wilson 3, Kirkendoll 3, T. Morris 2, Armstead 1, Jackson 1, L. Morris 1, Taylor 1, Pearce 1.

(Muskogee stats)
Scoring: Burton 16, Eubanks 12, Swanson 8, Thomas 4, McVay 3.
Fouls: Eubanks 4, Thomas 3, Mayes 2, Burton 2, McVay 1.

CPHS 65 BTW 40
1Q: CPHS 17-13.
2Q: CPHS 16-15.
3Q: CPHS 16-4.
4Q: CPHS 16-8.
Free Throws: CPHS 8-of-12, BTW 10-of-13.
Field Goals: CPHS 26-of-52, BTW 13-of-42.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 5, BTW 6.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 22, BTW 16.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 27, BTW 22.
Steals: CPHS 2, BTW 1.
Blocks: CPHS 2, BTW 1.
Fouls: CPHS 11, BTW 13.

(Sand Springs stats)
Scoring: Jackson 24, Armstead 16, Kirkendoll 12, T. Morris 6, Wilson 4, Walker 3.
Offensive Rebounds: Kirkendoll 4, Jackson 1.
Defensive Rebounds: L. Morris 5, Wilson 4, Kirkendoll 4, Armstead 3, Jackson 3, T. Morris 2, Taylor 1.
Total Rebounds: Kirkendoll 8, L. Morris 5, Wilson 4, Jackson 4, Armstead 3, T. Morris 2, Taylor 1.
Steals: Wilson 1, Jackson 1.
Assists: T. Morris 2, Armstead 1, Wilson 1, Kirkendoll 1, Walker 1.
Blocks: Kirkendoll 2.
Fouls: Armstead 3, Taylor 2, Kirkendoll 2, T. Morris 2, Jackson 1, L. Morris 1.

(Booker T. Washington stats)
Scoring: Hill 12, Johnson 10, DeLouiser 9, Smith 6, Mayberry 2, Owens 1.
Fouls: Hill 4, DeLouiser 4, Johnson 2, Smith 2, Owens 1.

Lady Sandites roll Booker T. Washington 60-40, Boys fall 69-58

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This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

After a tournament victory and day at the beach, the Charles Page High School girls’ basketball players didn’t get off their plane from Florida to Tulsa until nearly 1:00 a.m. Tuesday morning.

Jet lag and sleep deprivation couldn’t hold them back from a 60-40 drubbing of No. 14 Booker T. Washington, however.

The No. 8 Sandites struggled for all of four minutes before finding their offense and soon imposed their will on the Hornets (3-6 overall, 1-2 conference) in the second quarter.

Marcayla Johnson scored on the Hornets’ first two possessions while the Sandites missed on their first five field goal attempts, and the home team led 5-0 before Journey Armstead’s layup broke the seal on the Sandites’ basket.

Washington took a 10-9 lead into the second quarter after a three-pointer from Aunisty Smith, but the visitors outscored them 15-4 from there for the halftime advantage.

The home team played a close third quarter and only trailed 39-27 to start the final stanza, but Taiona and Leyshia Morris combined for three threes and the Sandites soon had the game comfortably put away.

The Sandites improved to 8-0 for the first time since 2017 and are on their longest win streak of the Josh Berry era. It also marked Berry’s first win against his alma mater since arriving at Sand Springs.

“It is my alma mater, but it just feels good to get a win here,” said Berry. “I knew this was going to be a tough one. Two days of not playing, not practicing, and then getting off the plane at one o’clock, so I’m just proud of them. They just fought through it and found a way to win.”

Armstead led all scorers with 16 points and 6 rebounds, Leyshia Morris had 12 points, Hailey Jackson scored 11 points with 8 rebounds, and Layne Kirkendoll scored 8 points with 7 rebounds and 4 blocks.

The Sandites outperformed the Hornets in every statistical category but free-throw percentage, combining for 29 rebounds, 10 steals, and 11 assists, while shooting 47% in the field.

“We’ve got some players that are stepping up and getting better and better each and every game,” said Berry. “We just need more players to keep stepping up and staying positive.”

Sand Springs’ closest margin of victory this season was 17 points in the season opener against Owasso, and they’re winning by an average of 34 points per game.

The Sandites are 3-0 in Frontier Valley Conference action and will return to action Tuesday against No. 12 Broken Arrow (4-3, 2-1). The Hornets will look to snap a four-game skid Tuesday at 5A No. 2 Sapulpa (5-2, 2-1).

CPHS 60 BTW 40
1Q: BTW 10-9.
2Q: CPHS 15-4.
3Q: CPHS 15-13.
4Q: CPHS 21-13.
Free Throws: CPHS 7-of-12, BTW 9-of-19.
Field Goals: CPHS 24-of-51, BTW 14-of-42.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 7, BTW 6.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 22, BTW 17.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 29, BTW 23.
Steals: CPHS 10, BTW 8.
Blocks: CPHS 4, BTW 3.
Fouls: CPHS 13, BTW 14.

Scoring: (CPHS) Armstead 16, L. Morris 12, Jackson 11, T. Morris 9, Kirkendoll 8, Wilson 4. (BTW) Smith 14, Johnson 9, Hill 7, Owens 4, Delouiser 4, Mayberry 2.

Boys Basketball

Unranked Sand Springs (3-5, 0-3) played tough against undefeated No. 13 Booker T. Washington (6-0, 3-0) Tuesday night, but fell short 69-58 at Nathan E. Harris Field House.

The Sandites only trailed 18-15 after one quarter and 34-30 at the half, but the Hornets opened the second half on a 19-2 run for a lead that the Sandites couldn’t quite overcome. 

Jason Clark scored 17 for the Sandites, followed by Ethan Oakley with 13 points and 7 rebounds, and JD Dickson with 11 points and 6 rebounds. 

Aaron Potter led all scorers with 21 points and Kam Parker had 16 for the Hornets.

Sand Springs will host No. 5 Broken Arrow (6-2, 2-1) Tuesday at 8:00 p.m. as they look for their first conference win of the season. Booker T. Washington will compete at the Bartlesville Tournament this weekend.

BTW 69 CPHS 58
1Q: BTW 18-15.
2Q: BTW 16-15.
3Q: BTW 23-11.
4Q: CPHS 17-12.
Free Throws: BTW 10-of-13, CPHS 10-of-12.
Field Goals: BTW 27-of-75, CPHS 22-of-46.
Offensive Rebounds: BTW 17, CPHS 6.
Defensive Rebounds: BTW 12, CPHS 29.
Total Rebounds: BTW 29, CPHS 35.
Steals: BTW 18, CPHS 3.
Blocks: BTW 1, CPHS 3.
Fouls: BTW 13, CPHS 15.

Scoring: (CPHS) Clark 17, Oakley 13, Dickson 11, Askew 7, Kelly 5, Johnson 5. (BTW) Potter 21, Parker 16, Chambers 9, Boone 8, Johnson 8, Ware 3, Smith 2, Oates 2.

Lady Sandite Basketball sweeps first three games in dominant fashion

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The Charles Page High School girls basketball team is off to a hot start on the year, winning its first three games by an average of 42 points per outing. 

Ranked No. 15 in Class 6A, the Sandites easily handled Owasso 54-37 in the season-opener, then pummeled Northwest Classen 90-26 and Tulsa Central 54-8 at the Golden Days Hoop Festival.

Senior star Journey Armstead scored 20 points with five steals and four rebounds to power the Sandites to their seventh straight win against the Rams. 

Leyshia Morris, Hailey Jackson, Taiona Morris, and Sakauri Wilson each contributed 8 points apiece for the Sandites in a balanced first-string effort, and Avery Tanner scored 2. 

“That's what we're going to need for us to be really good,” said Sandites coach Josh Berry. “We have to have that. We can't rely on one or two people to get us there. I talk to all of them about that, being ready, staying aggressive, and spreading the wealth around.”

Sand Springs won the junior varsity game 40-36 behind a 15-point effort from Abby Martin. Fayth Walker scored 12, Kiaryn Taylor scored 6, Patience Pearce scored 4, Kadence Bentley scored 2, and Tay’ja Butler scored 1.

On Thursday the girls were led by Armstead with 22 points and Jackson with 20. Taylor scored 11, Leyshia Morris scored 10, Walker had 7, Wilson and Taiona Morris scored 6, Avery Tanner had 4, and Layne Kirkendoll and Patience Pearce scored 2. 

Friday’s game against Yukon was canceled, so the game against Central was moved up from Saturday and the Sandites took a 52-0 lead early in the fourth quarter before the Braves finally found their way onto the scoreboard.

Jackson led all scorers with 15 points and six rebounds, followed by Armstead with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and six assists. Kirkendoll collected 11 rebounds and scored four points from the bench.

Wilson and Taylor scored 5, Tanner had 4, Leyshia Morris scored 3, and Pearce and Taiona Morris scored 2 each. 

The Lady Sandites will get their first ranked test Tuesday at No. 17 Jenks (2-2, 1-0) in a conference battle. The Sandites have won their last 15 games against the Trojans.