CPHS Boys fall 82-61 to No. 5 Norman North, will face Sapulpa in Area Playoffs Friday

CPHS junior Colt Savage posted 28 points in the Regional Championship game at Norman North. (Photo: Scott Emigh).

NNHS 82 CPHS 61

1Q Norman North 21-19
2Q Norman North 24-14
3Q Norman North 25-16
4Q All 12-12

Scoring: (CPHS) Colt Savage 28, Keener 14, Cale Savage 6, Golightly 4, Durkee 3, Taber 2, Garbey 2, Price 2. (NNHS) Young 47, Stoops 16, Kolar 8, Nelson 4, Crutchfield 3, Klein 2, Smith 2. 

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School boys basketball team (12-13) made a big statement Friday night when they defeated the No. 9 ranked Yukon Millers (15-8) in the first round of the Regional playoffs, but they were unable to repeat in the Saturday Championship round against No. 5 Norman North (19-4).

The host team was led by University of Oklahoma-signed senior Trae Young, who was the highest-recruited player in the country before committing to the Sooners. Young was unstoppable from anywhere on the court, draining nine three-pointers with a total of 47 points. 

The Sandites had their own all-star in Colt Savage, who posted 28 points for his fourth-highest score of the season. The 6'3" junior son of Head Coach Eric Savage has led the Frontier Valley Conference in scoring all season long with an average of 22.5 points-per-game.

Sand Springs hung tight with the Timberwolves through the first quarter and only trailed by two at the buzzer. The elder Savage scored eight in the stanza, aided by University of Central Oklahoma-signed senior Kyle Keener with six, sophomore Cale Savage with three, and Matt Price with two.

The top-seeded team began to pull away in the second period, however, as Young played his best quarter of the game with eighteen points. Peyton Golightly posted all four of his points in the second quarter, Colt Savage scored five, Cale Savage scored three, and Jacob Garbey hit his lone basket of the game. 

Norman North retired to the locker room with a 45-33 advantage. 

Colt Savage did the bulk of his damage in the third period, scoring eleven of the team's sixteen points, but Young had thirteen for the Timberwolves and Drake Stoops posted eight more as the home team led 70-49. The 21-point advantage was insurmountable for the Sandites and both teams scored 12 in the final stretch for a final score of 82-61. 

Despite falling short of the Regional title, the Sandites will still advance to the Area playoffs through the consolation bracket. They will take on their Highway 97 rivals, No. 12 Sapulpa (16-7) in the first round Friday at 8:00 p.m. at Bixby High School. The winner of that game will face the loser of No. 1 Union (25-0) vs No. 7 Booker T. Washington (18-6) for the ticket to State. The Sandites previously fell 72-68 to Sapulpa in a close game this January. 

No. 3 Sand Springs rolls over No. 15 Broken Arrow 54-32 behind Kersgieter's 16

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

CPHS 54 BAHS 32

1Q Sand Springs 11-6
2Q Sand Springs 11-5
3Q Sand Springs 16-7
4Q Sand Springs 16-14

Free Throws: CPHS 11-of-16 BAHS 5-of-6
Field Goals: CPHS 19-of-46 BAHS 10-of-42
Penalties: CPHS 7 BAHS 12

Scoring: (CPHS) Kersgieter 16, Johnson 7, Regalado 7, Pennington 7, Mutiri 7, McGee 6, Collins 4. (BAHS) Cuellar 9, Smallwood 7, Callen 6, Moore 4, Bowker 3, West 3.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Mutiri 7, Pennington 1, Kersgieter 1, Johnson 1, McGee 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Pennington 7, Kersgieter 5, Johnson 5, Mutiri 3, McGee 2, Taber 2, Collins 1. 
Steals: Johnson 2, Pennington 1, Kersgieter 1, McGee 1, Collins 1.
Assists: Pennington 4, Kersgieter 1, McGee 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 2, Kersgieter 1.
Fouls: Taber 3, Regalado 1, McGee 1, Mutiri 1, Johnson 1.
 

The No. 3 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (17-1) visited the No. 15 Broken Arrow Lady Tigers (11-9) and dealt the home team a twenty-point loss for the second time this season. Sophomore standout Holly Kersgieter led all scorers with 16 points, and four Lady Sandites scored seven-apiece. None of the Lady Tigers broke double digits. 

It took the Sandites a few possessions before they found their offensive mojo, leading only 11-6 after the first quarter while shooting 30% on field goals. Jalise Smallwood hit a three for the Lady Tigers to start the second period, followed by a two-point response from Kierra McGee.

The Sandites finally turned up the heat midway through the quarter and shot 50%. Sydney Pennington snagged a steal, was fouled on a layup, and made the free throw. Holly Kersgieter scored on back-to-back possessions and the visitors held a 20-9 lead. Smallwood put an end to the streak, but Pennington got the final say of the half, rebounding a free throw from Mutiri for the final points, then rebounded Kinsey Callen on the opposite end of the court to carry the 22-11 advantage into the locker room.

Sand Springs came out pumped after halftime and scored the first points of the half on a free throw from Mutiri and a layup from Pennington. Angelica Cuellar hit a two, then Kersgieter, Cuellar, and Bella Regalado all sank threes. Danyell Moore hit a pair from the charity stripe on a foul from Regalado, then sent Regalado to the stripe for a pair. Johnson closed out the period with two field goals and a penalty shot for the 38-18 lead.

The fourth quarter started out even better for the Sandites. Mutiri hit a two and Kersgieter added a three before Brook Bowker hit a three for the Tigers. The Sandites went on a seven-point run from there and finally subbed in the second string with 3:00 remaining and a 50-21 advantage. Jessica Collins got into the scoring action for Sand Springs and finished with four points as the home team outscored the visitors 8-4 in the final minutes to end the game 54-32.

The Lady Sandites will return to action Friday when they host No. 14 Bartlesville (11-7), who they have already defeated 51-34 earlier this season. Broken Arrow will host No. 17 Union (10-9), who they lost to 41-36 earlier this year.

Frontier Valley Conference Women's Basketball Standings: Week Eleven

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

No. 7 Owasso (14-5 overall, 9-1 conference) took advantage of Gloria Mutiri's brief absence from the Charles Page lineup to knock the formerly undefeated Lady Sandites from the top spot in conference standings. With Owasso's 61-57 victory being the only matchup of the season between the two teams, the Lady Rams can clinch the title by winning their final four games. 

Terryn Milton scored 29 in the win over Sand Springs, 14 in a 56-42 win over Sapulpa, and 23 in a 67-55 win over Muskogee. The Lady Rams hold the No. 3 offense, No. 5 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in the conference. 

Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Bishop Kelley 48-32, Jenks 56-45, and Union 45-42. Their biggest obstacle will be Bartlesville, with whom they've split wins. The Lady Bruins prevailed 52-39 in the season-opener, but Owasso got payback 39-33 at the Bixby Tournament, and is now on an eight-game winning streak.

No. 4 Sand Springs (16-1, 9-1) may still be a top contender for the State Championship, but they'll need a lucky break to take the conference title since their loss to Owasso. They'll have to win out and hope Owasso loses one of their final games. On the plus side, Gloria Mutiri is healthy and back in action.

Sydney Pennington scored 22 in the loss to Owasso, Holly Kersgieter scored 19 in a 71-35 win at Jenks, and Destiny Johnson scored 15 in a 56-33 win over Bishop Kelley. The Sandites hold the No. 1 offense, No. 1 defense, and No. 1 margin of victory in the conference. 

Of their remaining opponents, they have already beaten Broken Arrow 66-45, Bartlesville 51-34, Muskogee 62-43, and Bixby 67-51.

No. 15 Bartlesville (11-7, 7-2) still has an outside shot at the conference title if they win out and if the top two drop a few games here and there. The Lady Bruins are currently on a three-game winning streak. Erin Shoemaker scored 15 in a 56-44 victory over Jenks, Avery Allen and Lauren Richter scored nine apiece in a 38-34 win over Broken Arrow, and Shoemaker posted 20 against Union.

The Bruins hold the No. 5 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 2 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents they've already defeated Bixby 56-27 and split wins with Owasso, prevailing 52-39 in conference play, but falling 39-33 at the Bixby Tournament. They'll need to avenge a 51-34 loss to Sand Springs, and win back-to-back against Sapulpa to finish the regular season.

No. 14 Broken Arrow (11-8, 6-4) can win the title if t hey win out and if Sand Springs and Owasso both lose all their remaining games. Jalise Smallwood has led the team in the last five-straight games, averaging 19-points-per-game as the Tigers defeated Sapulpa 49-46, Muskogee 49-39, and Bixby 56-53, but fell 48-41 to Owasso and 38-34 to Bartlesville.

The Tigers hold the No. 9 offense, No. 3 defense, and No. 5 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Bishop Kelley 43-37 and split wins with Union. They'll also need to avenge a 66-45 loss to Sand Springs.

No. 16 Union (10-9, 5-5) is technically still in the conversation, but their odds make the Tigers' odds look great. They'll need to win out and they'll need Sand Springs and Owasso to lose out. They'll need Broken Arrow to lose at least one game, and they'll need to beat Owasso by at least four points and Sand Springs by at least 21 points. 

Taylor Malham led the Redskins to a 41-37 victory over Bixby with 22 points, but they fell 50-43 to Bartlesville, 55-45 to Sapulpa, and 79-58 to Sand Springs. The Redskins hold the No. 4 offense, No. 4 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in the conference. 

Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Jenks 61-34 and Bishop Kelley 62-39, and split wins with Broken Arrow. They were defeated 45-42 by Owasso.

No. 19 Sapulpa (8-10, 4-5) defeated Union 55-45 behind 18 points from Kiarra Brooks and topped Jenks 46-40 thanks to 17 points from Michaela Bethel. They fell 56-42 to Owasso, however, effectively ending their shot at a conference title. The Chieftains hold the No. 6 offense, No. 9 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in the conference. 

Jenks (5-13, 3-7) has lost their last three-straight, falling 56-44 to Bartlesville, 71-35 to Sand Springs, and 46-40 to Sapulpa, effectively ending their shot at a title. Makenley Church scored 15 against the Bruins, Emma Wasson posted 12 against Sand Springs, and Makenna Burch scored 16 against Sapulpa. The Trojans hold the No. 6 offense, No. 10 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in the conference. 

Muskogee (7-10, 3-7) fell 49-39 to Broken Arrow and 67-55 to Owasso, but topped Bishop Kelley 45-37. Trena Mims led in all three games, averaging 22 points per game. The Roughers hold the No. 2 offense, No. 8 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in the conference. 

5A No. 16 Bishop Kelley (6-10, 2-8) fell 56-33 to Sand Springs and 45-37 to Muskogee this past week. The Comets hold the No. 10 offense, No. 6 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in the conference.

Bixby (6-13, 1-9) has dropped three straight, falling 42-31 to Bishop Kelley, 41-37 to Union, and 56-53 to Broken Arrow. Maddie Bittle led in all three games, averaging 13.6 points. The Lady Spartans hold the No. 8 offense, No. 7 defense, and No. 8 margin of victory.

Remaining Conference Schedule

2/6 Muskogee @ Bixby
2/7 Sand Springs @ Broken Arrow
2/7 Bartlesville @ Owasso
2/7 Bishop Kelley @ Sapulpa
2/7 Jenks @ Union
2/10 Union @ Broken Arrow
2/10 Bartlesville @ Sand Springs
2/10 Jenks @ Bixby
2/10 Owasso @ Bishop Kelley
2/10 Sapulpa @ Muskogee
2/14 Sapulpa @ Broken Arrow
2/14 Bixby @ Bartlesville
2/14 Union @ Bishop Kelley
2/14 Owasso @ Jenks
2/17 Bishop Kelley @ Broken Arrow
2/17 Bartlesville @ Sapulpa
2/17 Sand Springs @ Bixby
2/17 Jenks @ Muskogee
2/17 Union @ Owasso
2/20 Sapulpa @ Bartlesville

Conference Strength:

1. Central Oklahoma (50)
2. Frontier Valley (39)
3. Big Ten (37.5)
4. Green Country (26.5)
5. All-City (10.45)

FVC Leading Scorers
(points-per-game)

1. Trena Mims (Muskogee) 19.6
2. Terryn Milton (Owasso) 16.0
3. Jalise Smallwood (Broken Arrow) 15.4
4. Taylor Malham (Union) 15.3
5. Maddie Bittle (Bixby) 14.7
6. Jena Williams (Bartlesville) 11.9
7. Sydney Pennington (Sand Springs) 11.9
8. Haley Meely (Jenks) 11.4
9. Macy Craig (Bishop Kelley) 10.5
10. Gloria Mutiri (Sand Springs) 10.2

No. 4 Sand Springs hammers 5A No. 16 Bishop Kelley 56-33, Johnson scores 15

(Photo: Morgan Miller)

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 4 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (16-1) rolled to a convincing 56-33 home victory over 5A No. 16 Bishop Kelley (6-11) Friday night at the Ed Dubie Field House, taking a 30-6 halftime lead and holding the Lady Comets to nothing but free throws in the first half. Ohio State Volleyball-commit Gloria Mutiri made her return after missing two games with a sprained ankle and scored 4.

CPHS 56 Bishop Kelley 33

1Q Sand Springs 18-4
2Q Sand Springs 12-2
3Q All 13-13
4Q Bishop Kelley 14-13

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Johnson 15, Regalado 10, Kersgieter 7, McGee 7, Taber 4, Pennington 4, Mutiri 4, Collins 3, Grant 2. (Kelley) Martin 13, Craig 6, Cyr 6, Ritchie 4, Gripado 4. 

Free Throws: CPHS 17-of-28 Kelley 14-of-21
Field Goals: CPHS 18-of-48 Kelley 8-of-30
Fouls: CPHS 19 Kelley 18

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Kersgieter 3, Regalado 3, Pennington 2, Johnson 2, Taber 2, Grant 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Mutiri 4, Johnson 3, Pennington 2, McGee 2, Kersgieter 1, Regalado 1, Boaz 1.
Steals: Pennington 5, Kersgieter 3, Regalado 3, Taber 2, Johnson 1, McGee 1.
Assists: Kersgieter 3, McGee 2, Pennington 2, Collins 1.
Blocks: Kersgieter 1, Regalado 1.
Fouls: Taber 5, Pennington 3, Johnson 3, McGee 3, Bunch 2, Kersgieter 1, Regalado 1.

Sophomores Isabella Regalado and Destiny Johnson scored the first points of the game for a 4-0 lead before giving up a pair of free throws to Michaela Martin. Holly Kersgieter added one from the charity stripe for Sand Springs, then Macy Craig added two more for the Comets to make it 5-4. That was the closest they would get for the rest of the night.

Sand Springs went on an eighteen-point run from there and Johnson finished the first quarter with ten points for a 18-4 lead. Regalado kicked off the second quarter and Connors State Softball-signed senior Jessica Collins posted another two before Kelley got back into the game with another pair of free throws from Martin. Johnson hit a two and a free throw, then Mutiri scored four-straight to end the half.

The second half was far more balanced as the two teams each scored thirteen in the third quarter and Bishop Kelley actually won the fourth quarter 14-13 against the Sandite second-string.

Johnson led all scorers with fifteen points, followed by Martin with thirteen for the Comets. Regalado also broke double digits with ten.

The Lady Sandites will return to action next Tuesday at No. 14 Broken Arrow (10-8), who they already defeated 66-45 earlier this season. The Comets will travel to No. 19 Sapulpa (7-10) who they defeated 51-44 earlier this season. 

Oklahoma Girls High School Basketball: Week Eleven Rankings and Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

A Titan has fallen as No. 9 Owasso toppled No. 3 Sand Springs in the Lady Sandites' first loss of the season. It wasn't much of a dip for the Sandites, however, as they were without one of their biggest threats, and their 14-1 record is still the fourth-best in the division. Edmond Santa Fe is now the only team remaining in Class 6A with an undefeated overall record. Choctaw, Deer Creek, and Putnam City West are all still undefeated within the class, but have losses to teams from other divisions.

No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (Last week No. 1)

Edmond Santa Fe (17-0) picked up 26 first-place votes after picking up a pair of ranked wins last week. They topped No. 11 Norman (12-5) 58-51 and No. 17 Edmond North (9-7) 56-43. The Wolves hold the No. 7 offense, No. 3 defense, and No. 5 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Tuesday at Stillwater (4-13), then will travel to to No. 12 Mustang (10-6) Friday.

The picks:
ESF 58 Stillwater 40
ESF 52 Mustang 44

No. 2 Choctaw (2)

Choctaw (15-1) pulled in five first-place votes after picking up three-straight 30-point victories. They defeated No. 12 Midwest City (12-7) 55-25, Lawton (4-9) 71-34, and Putnam City North (2-15) 61-19. The Yellowjackets hold the No. 1 offense, No. 1 defense, and No. 1 margin of victory in Class 6A. Their only loss this season was 52-45 to 4A No. 1 Fort Gibson (17-0). They will return to action Tuesday at Eisenhower (3-11), then will host 5A No. 17 Bishop McGuinness (9-7) Saturday. 

The picks: 
Choctaw 70 Ike 37
Choctaw 67 McG 38

No. 3 Deer Creek (4)

Deer Creek (15-1) played only one game last week and hammered Southmoore (3-15) 79-48. The Antlers hold the No. 6 offense, No. 8 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in Class 6A. Their only loss this season was 40-24 to 5A No. 1 Collinsville (16-1). They will return to action Tuesday when they host Moore (8-9), then they'll travel to No. 8 Edmond Memorial (12-5) Friday. 

The picks: 
DC 53 Moore 44
DC 51 EDM 44

No. 4 Sand Springs (3)

Sand Springs (14-1) failed to secure a first-place vote for the first time in six weeks after a surprising 61-57 upset to No. 9 Owasso (12-5). They were without 6'1" Ohio State volleyball-committed center and her 10.6 points per game were sorely missed. Oklahoma State softball-commit Sydney Pennington led her team with 22, while sophomores Isabella Regalado and Destiny Johnson each added 11. Earlier in the week they defeated No. 13 Union (9-8) 78-58, led by Johnson and Holly Kersgieter with 17 apiece. 

The Sandites hold the No. 3 offense, No. 4 defense, and No. 2 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Tuesday at Jenks (5-11), then will host 5A No. 16 Bishop Kelley (6-9) on Friday. 

The picks:
CPHS 59 Jenks 42
CPHS 63 BK 39

No. 5 Putnam City West (5)

Putnam City West (15-2) played only one game last week and prevailed 53-22 over Putnam City North (2-15). The Patriots hold the No. 2 offense, No. 13 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in Class 6A. Their only losses are 47-51 to Campbell County, Wyoming and 59-49 to 3A No. 3 Holland Hall (17-1). They will host Putnam City (8-10) Tuesday and 5A No. 13 Del City (7-12) Friday. 

The picks:
PCW 63 Putnam 50
PCW 60 DC 48

No. 6 Booker T. Washington (6)

Booker T. Washington (15-4) ravaged Daniel Webster (2-16) last week 86-20. The Hornets hold the No. 5 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host Edison Prep (7-9) Friday.

The pick: BTW 65 Edison 38.

No. 7 Owasso (9)

Owasso (12-5) had the biggest win of the week when they topped undefeated No. 3 Sand Springs (14-1) 61-57. Terryn Milton led all scorers with 29 points, aided by Mya Bhinhar and Sierra Williams with 11 each and Leiloni Culley with 10. The two teams will not meet again this season, meaning the Lady Rams can secure the Frontier Valley Conference title if they win out. They also topped No. 14 Broken Arrow (10-7) 48-41.

The Rams hold the No. 18 offense, No. 19 defense, and No. 19 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to No. 19 Sapulpa (7-9) on Tuesday and will host Muskogee (6-9) Friday. 

The picks: 
Owasso 50 Sapulpa 47
Owasso 49 Muskogee 48

No. 8 Edmond Memorial (10)

Edmond Memorial (12-5) picked up a solid 53-44 upset of No. 7 Norman North (9-5) last week and moved up a few spots in the rankings. The Bulldogs hold the No. 10 defense and No. 18 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to No. 11 Norman (12-5) Tuesday and will host No. 3 Deer Creek (15-1) Friday. 

The pick: Norman 47 EDM 44

No. 9 Norman North (7)

Norman North (9-5) suffered a 53-44 upset to No. 10 Edmond Memorial (12-5) last week. They will travel to unranked Southmoore (3-15) Tuesday, No. 12 Mustang (10-6) Thursday, and No. 11 Norman (12-5) Friday. The Timberwolves hold the No. 10 offense, No. 12 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in Class 6A.

The picks:
Norman North 53 Southmoore 41
Norman North 49 Mustang 47
Norman 49 Norman North 48

No. 10 Westmoore (8)

Westmoore (13-5) had a five-game winning streak come to an end last week, 62-34 at the hands of No. 15 Mustang (10-6). The Jags hold the No. 4 offense, No. 16 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in Class 6A. They'll will look to get back into the win column Tuesday when they host No. 17 Edmond North (9-7). They will also travel to No. 18 Yukon (11-5) Friday.

The picks: 
Westmoore 53 EDN 49
Westmoore 53 Yukon 48

No. 11 Norman (11)

Norman (12-5) split wins last week, falling 58-51 to No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (17-0), but topped No. 19 Moore (8-9) 50-37. The Tigers hold the No. 12 offense, No. 9 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 8 Edmond Memorial (12-5) and No. 9 Norman North (9-5) Friday.

No. 12 Mustang (15)

Mustang (10-6) is coming off a big week, hammering No. 19 Moore (8-9) 61-44 and upsetting No. 8 Westmoore (13-5) 62-34. The Broncos hold the No. 15 offense, No. 16 defense, and No. 15 margin of victory in Class  6A. They will travel to No. 19 Yukon (11-5) Tuesday, and will host No. 9 Norman North (9-5) Thursday and No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (17-0) Friday.

The pick: Yukon 47 Mustang 46.

No. 13 Midwest City (12)

Midwest City (12-7) got hammered 55-25 by No. 2 Choctaw (15-1) last Tuesday, but rebounded with a 59-25 beating of Enid (6-12) and a 65-52 victory over 5A No. 14 Del City (7-12). The Lady Bombers hold the No. 20 offense, No. 11 defense, and No. 16 margin of victory in Class 6A. They should have a fairly easy week to get back in the win column Tuesday evening at Lawton (4-9). 

The pick: MWC 60 Lawton 40

No. 14 Broken Arrow (14)

Broken Arrow (10-7) split wins last week, falling 48-41 to No. 9 Owasso (12-5), but topping Muskogee (6-9) 49-39. Jalise Smallwood scored 19 in the loss to Owasso and 18 against Muskogee. The Tigers hold the No. 7 defense and No. 2 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will travel to No. 15 Bartlesville (9-7) on Tuesday and Bixby (6-11) Friday. 

The picks: 
BA 46 Bartlesville 44
BA 44 Bixby 41

No. 15 Bartlesville (16)

Bartlesville (9-7) split wins last week, falling 53-52 to unranked Muskogee (6-9), but topped Jenks (5-11) 56-44. Three Lady Bruins doubled against Jenks. Erin Shoemaker led with 15, followed by Avery Allen and Jena Williams with 13 apiece. Bartlesville holds the No. 19 offense, No. 5 defense, and No. 12 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host No. 14 Broken Arrow (10-7) Tuesday and No. 16 Union (9-8) Friday.

The pick: Bartlesville 48 Union 45

No. 16 Union (13)

Union (9-8) took a hit last week, falling 78-58 to No. 3 Sand Springs (14-1) and 55-45 to No. 19 Sapulpa (7-9). The Redskins hold the No. 14 offense and No. 17 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will host Bixby (6-11) Tuesday and will travel to No. 15 Bartlesville (9-7) Friday.

The pick: Union 50 Bixby 45

No. 17 Edmond North (17)

Edmond North (9-7) played only one game last week and put up a valiant effort but fell 56-43 to No. 1 Edmond Santa Fe (17-0). The Huskies hold the No. 13 offense, No. 14 defense, and No. 11 margin of victory in Class 6A. They will return to action Tuesday at No. 10 Westmoore (13-5), then will host Stillwater (4-13) Friday.

The pick: EDN 51 Stillwater 42.

No. 18 Yukon (18)

Yukon (11-5) had an easy enough time last week, rolling to a 49-33 victory over Stillwater (4-13). This week they'll host No. 12 Mustang (10-6) Tuesday and No. 10 Westmoore (13-5) Friday. The Millerettes hold the No. 16 offense, No. 15 defense, and No. 14 margin of victory in Class 6A.

No. 19 Sapulpa (20)

Sapulpa (7-9) has been struggling with consistency this season and dropped a 41-32 upset to unranked Bixby (6-11), but got back on track with a 55-45 victory upset No. 13 Union (9-8). They will host No. 7 Owasso (12-5) Tuesday.

No. 20 Moore (19)

Moore (8-9) had a rough time last week, falling 61-44 to No. 15 Mustang (10-6) and 50-37 to No. 11 Norman (12-5). The Lionesses hold the No. 20 defense in Class 6A and will return to action Tuesday at No. 3 Deer Creek (15-1) before hosting Southmoore (3-15) Friday. 

The pick: Moore 49 Southmoore 43. 

Conference Strength

1. Central Oklahoma (50)
2. Frontier Valley Conference (39)
3. Big Ten (37.5)
4. Green Country (26.5)
5. All-City (10.45)

Sydney Pennington scores 22 as No. 3 Lady Sandites fall 61-57 to No. 9 Owasso

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 3 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (14-1) traveled to No. 9 Owasso (12-5) Friday night in a battle for the top spot in the Frontier Valley Conference, and the home team toppled the previously undefeated Lady Sandites 61-57 in a down-to-the-wire shootout.

Owasso 61 CPHS 57

1Q CPHS 18-11
2Q Owasso 17-8
3Q Owasso 14-12
4Q All 19-19

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Pennington 22, Regalado 11, Johnson 11, Kersgieter 8, McGee 5. (Owasso) Milton 29, Bhinhar 11, Williams 11, Culley 10.

Free Throws:
(Sand Springs) 13-of-17
(Owasso) 15-of-18
2PTs:
(Sand Springs) 17-of-30
(Owasso) 17-of-34
3PTs:
(Sand Springs) 3-of-16
(Owasso) 4-of-11
Fouls: (Sand Springs) 14 (Owasso) 14

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Pennington 2, Regalado 2, Johnson 1, Kersgieter 1.
Defensive Rebounds: McGee 8, Pennington 4, Regalado 3, Taber 2, Johnson 1, Kersgieter 1.
Steals: Johnson 2, Kersgieter 2, Pennington 1, Regalado 1.
Assists: McGee 2, Kersgieter 2, Pennington 1.
Blocks: Regalado 1.
Fouls: McGee 4, Johnson 4, Kersgieter 3, Pennington 2, Regalado 1.

The Sandites were lacking starting junior Gloria Mutiri, sitting out with a sprained ankle, and it showed. The Ohio State University-committed volleyballer averages 10.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The 6'1" center was replaced by 5'9" sophomore Isabella Regalado. Regalado pulled in 5 rebounds for the night, but her size left her with only one block, while Mutiri is notorious for spiking several throughout the night. 

Sand Springs rolled to an 18-11 first period lead with Sydney Pennington scoring 6 to lead all scorers.

The second period was an entirely different story, however, as the Rams came from behind for a 28-26 lead, guided by Terryn Milton with ten points. Sand Springs gave up three free throws to Milton early in the period and she didn't miss a shot. Owasso benefited from a pair of late turnovers for three-straight field goals from Milton, Mya Bhinhar, and Sierra Williams.

The Lady Sandites average a 24-17 halftime lead and hadn't trailed all season till that point.

Things didn't start out much better in the second half as Leiloni Culley scored the opening basket and built a 34-28 lead with a pair of free throws. It was back and forth from there, but Williams ended the period with a layup for a 42-38 advantage.

Kierra McGee hit a three point basket to start the final stanza. Bhinhar hit a pair from the charity stripe, Regalado did the same, then Pennington hit a layup for the 45-44 lead.

Culley took the lead right back, however, and the Rams wouldn't relinquish it till there was less than thirty seconds left. Pennington was a beast for the Lady Sandites in the fourth quarter with twelve points, the most scored by any player on either team in a single period. 

The last two minutes felt like a whole quarter. Milton hit a pair of ones to make it 57-53. Pennington added a pair of her own. The teams exchanged steals, then Owasso burned a timeout with 47 seconds left. A traveling call gave Sand Springs the ball. Destiny Johnson took the first shot, missed, Pennington rebounded, missed, rebounded again and sent it home to tie it up with 30 seconds remaining.

Then Johnson fouled Milton. The Lady Ram hit a pair with 22 seconds left, then Nylia Finch picked off a steal to seal the deal. Culley put the final points on the board and the Rams had toppled a giant.

Both teams are now 7-1 in conference standings.

The Lady Sandites will return to action next Tuesday at Jenks (5-10), then will host 5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (5-9) that Friday. Owasso will travel to No. 19 Sapulpa (6-8) next Tuesday and will host Muskogee (6-8) next Friday.