Oklahoma Boys High School Basketball: Week Four Rankings and Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The third week of Oklahoma High School basketball left five boys teams undefeated in Class 6A and the rankings are beginning to tighten up at the top with only Edmond North remaining as a clear favorite. Last week we picked twelve games and were 10-2 with 79% accuracy this season.

No. 1 Edmond North (Previously No. 2)

The Huskies (5-0) picked up 22 first-place votes this week after sweeping the Edmond Open and knocking off previous No. 1 Midwest City (4-1) 80-75 in the tournament finals. Edmond North dominated unranked Moore (3-3) 75-56 on Tuesday, then smothered No. 13 Jenks (0-4) 74-48 in the tournament quarterfinals. In the semis they brought down formerly undefeated 5A No. 3 Eisenhower (3-2) 76-56 before earning their spot over the Bombers. 

The Huskies hold the No. 8 offense, No. 14 defense, and No. 5 margin of victory in class 6A. They will look to strengthen their resume this week with another top-five matchup. After playing No. 18 Deer Creek (3-3) on Friday, they'll take on No. 5 Norman North (2-1) Saturday on the road.

The picks:
EDN 61 DC 52.
EDN 71 NN 66.

No. 2 Midwest City (1)

Midwest City (4-1) lost their number one ranking after going 2-1 at the Edmond  Open, falling 80-75 to No. 2 Edmond North (5-0), but prevailing 86-75 over No. 4 Putnam City North (5-1) and 99-65 over Casady. Despite their loss, they still retained two first-place votes. 

The Bombers hold the No. 1 offense and No. 1 margin of victory in the State and will give Putnam North a rematch Tuesday on the Panthers' home turf, then will travel to 5A No. 11 Bishop McGuinness (0-2) on Thursday. 

The picks: 
MWC 73 PCN 69
MWC 81 McG 60

No. 3 Union (3)

The Redskins (1-0) have only played one game this season, defeating No. 11 Bartlesville (3-3) 50-46, but it was enough to earn three first-place votes in this week's rankings. The Redskins shared the workload with three players scoring in double digits. Union will return to action Tuesday against unranked Jenks (0-4), then will play No. 10 Broken Arrow (4-1) on Thursday. 

The picks:
Union 69 Jenks 53
Union 55 BA 54

No. 4 Putnam City North (4)

The Panthers (5-1) are off to a great start this season, losing only one game to No. 1 Midwest City (4-1). They topped unranked Enid (1-4) 59-49 last Tuesday, then defeated No. 7 Edmond Santa Fe (5-1) 78-72 in the first round of the Edmond Open. They fell 86-75 to the Bombers, but rebounded with a 74-66 victory over 5A No. 3 Eisenhower (3-2). 

Putnam North has the No. 2 offense and No. 11 margin of victory in 6A and will get a rematch Tuesday when they host Midwest City. They will play this weekend in the Score Board Shootout at Webb City, Missouri. 

No. 5 Norman North (6)

The Timberwolves (2-1) picked up a pair of wins last week, 89-53 over unranked Stillwater (1-5), and 110-96 over Springfield Glendale. They hold the No. 2 offense and No. 6 margin of victory in the state and will travel to No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (5-1) Friday before hosting No. 1 Edmond North (5-0) on Saturday.

The pick: NN 71 ESF 66.

No. 6 Putnam City West (5)

The Patriots (4-1) picked up a ranked win last week, topping No. 20 Putnam City (1-4) 61-54, and will return to action at 5A No. 11 Bishop McGuinness (0-3). They received one first-place vote.

The pick: PCW 71 McG 60.

No. 7 Westmoore (8)

The Jaguars (6-0) have emerged as the winningest team in the division thus far after topping Deer Creek (3-3) 66-45 and going undefeated at the Durant Tournament. They hammered the hosting school's JV team 89-25, then beat 3A No. 13 Hugo (4-1) 67-52 and No. 19 Yukon (3-2) 63-58. Thirteen Jags got on the board against the JV team and Kody Gilliand, Trey Palmer, and Kenny Springs averaged double digits over the tournament.

Westmoore has the No. 10 offense, No. 7 defense, and No. 2 margin of victory in 6A. They look to continue their streak Friday when they host unranked Moore (3-3).

The pick: Westmoore 68 Moore 53.

No. 8 Edmond Santa Fe (7)

Edmond Santa Fe (5-1) started last week with a 53-36 win over unranked Southmoore (0-4), lost the first round of the Edmond Open to No. 4 Putnam North (5-1), then closed out the tournament with a pair of close wins. After falling 78-72 to the Panthers, they defeated Casady 56-49 and No. 15 Edmond Memorial (1-3) 57-52. 

The Wolves hold the No. 6 defense and No. 7 margin of victory in 6A and will return to action Friday when they host No. 5 Norman North (2-1). 

No. 9 Booker T. Washington (9)

The Hornets (4-1) took on some out-of-state competitors this past week and topped Ozark, Missouri 65-60 and Columbia Rock Bridge 69-62. Booker T will take on their toughest foe of the season Tuesday when they visit 5A No. 2 Tulsa Memorial (5-0). 

The pick: Memorial 73 BTW 64

No. 10 Broken Arrow (10)

Broken Arrow (4-1) has been posting some impressive numbers lately, topping unranked Bixby (2-2) 53-35, Deer Creek (3-3) 56-49, and No. 20 Putnam City (1-4) 73-42. They dropped one game 62-59 at the Bixby Tournament to 5A No. 5 East Central (5-1). Caleb Huffman has averaged 21 points per game over the last week, including a 30-point performance against Putnam City. 

The Tigers have the No. 2 defense and No. 8 margin of victory in the division. They will take on unranked Sand Springs (0-2) Tuesday before traveling to No. 3 Union (1-0) on Friday. 

The pick: BA 55 SS 44.

No. 11 Muskogee (18)

Muskogee (4-0) are off to a great start after edging out a 65-64 overtime win over No. 16 Owasso (0-2) in their season-opener. At the Tahlequah Tournament this past weekend they beat Tulsa NOAH 89-61, blew out unranked Enid (1-4) 73-35, and topped 3A No. 4 Sequoyah (4-1) 63-62. Junior Brooks Haddock is averaging 20 points per game this season and Keondre Davis adds another 14.

The Roughers hold the No. 5 offense and No. 3 margin of victory in 6A. They will return to action Tuesday against No. 19 Bixby (2-2) and will travel to No. 14 Sapulpa (3-1) on Friday.

The picks: 
Muskogee 62 Bixby 51
Muskogee 71 Sapulpa 65

No. 12 Yukon (19)

Yukon (3-2) jumped in the rankings after going 2-1 at the Durant Tournament, falling only 63-58 to No. 8 Westmoore (6-0) and defeating Hugo JV 74-43 and 5A No. 20 Durant (3-2) 89-64. They also topped No. 12 Norman (4-2) 66-63 earlier in the week. Cameron Martin averaged 26 points per game and three other Millers also scored double digits in at least one game. 

The Millers hold the No. 9 offense and No. 10 margin of victory in 6A. They will take on unranked Southmoore (0-4) on Tuesday and No. 16 Edmond Memorial (2-4) Friday. 

The picks:
Yukon 67 Southmoore 55.
Yukon 61 EDM 54.

No. 13 Norman (12)

Norman (4-2) fell 66-63 to No. 19 Yukon (3-2) to start last week, but went undefeated at the Duncan Tournament with an average score of 76-45. They beat 5A unranked Woodward (3-2) 67-35, 5A No. 17 MacArthur (4-2) 89-60, and unranked Moore (3-3) 72-40. 

The Tigers are eleventh in both offense and defense with the No. 5 margin of victory in 6A. They will take the next few weeks off before returning to action at the Bishop McGuinness Tournament after the new year.

No. 14 Sapulpa (17)

Sapulpa (3-1) started the season off hot, rolling to a 78-70 victory over No. 13 Jenks (0-4), then went 2-1 at the Bishop Kelley Tournament. They beat 4A No. 14 Daniel Webster (1-6) 66-61, fell 77-66 to 5A No. 6 Claremore (5-0), and smothered 5A No. 7 Edison (1-3) 84-67. 

The Chieftains have the No. 4 offense in the state and will return to action Tuesday at 5A No. 19 Bishop Kelley (2-1) before hosting No. 11 Muskogee (4-0) on Friday.

The pick: Sapulpa 60 BK 58

No. 15 Lawton (unranked)

Lawton (2-0) hasn't gotten to test themselves yet this season, playing only unranked teams, but rolled to a 72-55 victory over U.S. Grant (1-3) and 56-51 over Choctaw (3-3). Their low strength of schedule has given them the No. 9 margin of victory in 6A and they will return to action against 5A No. 15 Del City (1-2) on Tuesday. Their first big test will be Thursday against in-town rival 5A No. 13 MacArthur (4-2).

The picks:
Lawton 66 DC 53
Lawton 60 MacArthur 59

No. 16 Edmond Memorial (15)

Edmond Memorial (2-4) has had a tough schedule to start the season, playing four top-ten teams and losing to each of them. They defeated No. 14 Mustang (2-3) 48-40 to start the last week, then went 1-2 at the Edmond Open. They fell 76-60 to 5A No. 3 Eisenhower (3-2) and 57-52 to No. 7 Edmond Santa Fe (5-1), but defeated unranked Jenks (0-4) 61-46. The Bulldogs will return to action Friday when they host No. 12 Yukon (3-2).

No. 17 Bartlesville (11)

Bartlesville (3-3) had the appearance of a top-ten team after topping No. 14 Sand Springs (0-2) and No. 13 Owasso (0-2) in the first week and closely competing with No. 3 Union (1-0) and 5A No.5 East Central (5-1). After their 50-46 loss to the Redskins and their 59-46 loss to the Cardinals, they were defeated again--this time by an unranked team. Deer Creek (3-3) topped the Bruins 57-49 and Bartlesville needed overtime for a 52-48 win over 5A No. 13 Coweta (1-4). They're done for 2016 and will look to make adjustments before competing at the Arvest Invitational after the new year. 

No. 18 Deer Creek (unranked)

Deer Creek (3-3) made the jump into the rankings after going 2-2 last week. They lost a pair of top ten matchups, 66-45 to No. 8 Westmoore (6-0) and 56-49 to No. 10 Broken Arrow (4-1), but topped No. 11 Bartlesville (3-3) 57-49 and unranked Stillwater (1-5) 43-40. The Antlers will have their biggest test of the season Friday when they take on No. 1 Edmond North (5-0).

No. 19 Bixby (unranked)

Bixby (2-2) started their season last week with a 53-35 loss to No. 10 Broken Arrow (4-1), then went 2-1 at their own tournament. They topped unranked Stillwater (1-5) 62-54 and No. 20 Putnam City (1-4) 47-44, but fell 57-45 to 5A No. 5 East Central (5-1). Joey Homan has been hammering the competition with 18 points per game. The Spartans hold the No. 9 defense in 6A and will return to action Tuesday at No. 11 Muskogee (4-0) before traveling to unranked Jenks (0-4) Friday. 

The pick: Bixby 61 Jenks 53.

No. 20 Mustang (18)

Mustang (2-3) started last week with a 48-40 loss to No. 15 Edmond Memorial (1-3), then went 2-1 at the Panther Classic. They beat 2A No. 12 Northeast Academy (2-3) 45-39, but fell 40-37 to 4A No. 3 Harrah (4-1) and 80-75 to 3A No. 8 Star-Spencer (4-1) in overtime. The Broncos return to action after the new year at the Putnam City Invitational. 

Oklahoma Girls High School Basketball: Week Four Rankings and Predictions

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The third week of Oklahoma High School basketball left seven girls teams undefeated in Class 6A and one of them will fall Tuesday night in Sand Springs. The marquee matchup of the week, the 5-0 Sandites will host the 2-0 Broken Arrow Tigers in a top-ten matchup at Ed Dubie Field House. Last week we picked fourteen games and were 13-1, with 85% accuracy this season.

No. 1 Choctaw (Last week No. 1)

The Yellowjackets (6-0) pulled in 26 first-place votes this week after beating their last week's opponents by an average score of 63-26 for a first-place finish at the Harrah Tournament. After topping unranked Lawton (2-1) 68-31 last Tuesday, they steamrolled the Harrah JV team 71-1 in the tournament quarterfinals. Bailey Golden scored 18 points in a 71-37 win over Putnam City (2-3) and the Yellowjackets prevailed 43-29 over 4A No. 3 Harrah (5-1) in the finals. The Yellowjackets have the No. 2 offense, No. 1 defense, and No. 2 margin-of-victory in Class 6A.

This week they will take on 5A No. 19 Lawton Eisenhower (1-4) Thursday before taking a hiatus before the Tournament of Champions. 

The pick: Choctaw 69 Ike 42.

No. 2 Edmond Santa Fe (2)

The Wolves (6-0) snagged three first-place votes after winning the Edmond Open by an average score of 62-33. They topped unranked Southmoore (0-4) 65-39 Tuesday, then dominated unranked Jenks (1-3) 74-39 in the tournament quarterfinals. In the semis they won 58-31 over No. 16 Edmond Memorial (3-3), then topped 4A No. 6 Anadarko (3-1) 53-29 to win the tournament. Santa Fe has the No. 6 offense, No. 6 defense, and No. 5 margin-of-victory in 6A.

They will take on No. 11 Norman North (3-1) on Friday.

The pick: ESF 52 Norman North 44.

No. 3 (tied) Putnam City West (3)

Putnam West (3-0) received two first-place votes this week after handling unranked Putnam City (2-3) 67-42 last week. The Patriots will take on 5A No. 15 Bishop McGuinness (2-0) on the road Tuesday, then will head to the Tarkanian Classic in Las Vegas on Friday. West has the No. 1 offense and No. 3 defense in 6A, averaging 77 points per game for the largest margin-of-victory in the State. 

The pick: PCW 66 McGuinness 43.

No. 3 (tied) Sand Springs (5)

The Lady Sandites (5-0) hammered 5A No. 14 Bishop Kelley (2-3) 71-36 last Tuesday, then came back Thursday to win the Bishop Kelley Tournament by an average score of 61-27. They topped unranked Cascia Hall (0-4) 60-15, 5A No. 4 Shawnee (3-2) 60-28, and No. 13 Norman North (3-1) 62-38. Sydney Pennington was named Tournament MVP after scoring 20 against Norman North, and Holly Kersgieter made the All-Tournament team after scoring 12 against Shawnee and averaging four steals per game. 

Sand Springs has the No. 5 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 3 margin-of-victory in 6A. They will host No. 10 Broken Arrow (2-0) Tuesday in their final game of 2016.

The pick: CPHS 63 BA 43.

No. 5 Deer Creek (4)

The Antlers (5-1) won three and lost one last week at the Bixby Tournament, falling 40-24 in a low scoring matchup with 5A No. 2 Collinsville (6-0). They defeated No. 6 Westmoore (5-1) 67-50, Glendale, Missouri 63-43, and No. 8 Bartlesville (3-3) 54-49. Sydney Manning averaged 14 points a game over the tournament, while Dakota Vann and Maddie Rehl averaged 10.

The Antlers will return to action Thursday at No. 16 Edmond North (3-2) in their final game of 2016.

The pick: Deer Creek 49, Ed North 47.

No. 6 Westmoore (6)

The Jaguars (5-1) swept the Durant Lion Classic, defeating the Durant JV team 75-15, Rogers Heritage 65-39, and Springdale 69-49. Jessi Murcer averaged more than 25 points per game, including a 32 score in the Championship round. 

Westmoore has the No. 2 offense and No. 6 margin of victory in 6A. The Jags will take on No. 20 Moore (3-3) on Thursday to conclude the year. 

The pick: Westmoore 52 Moore 43.

No. 7 Booker T. Washington (9)

The Hornets (4-0) have been devastating their 5A conference foes this season and most recently took down unranked Nathan Hale (0-4) 81-9. They have the No. 3 offense, No. 5 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in 6A. They return to action Tuesday at No. 18 Memorial (3-5).

The pick: BTW 67 Memorial 39.

No. 8 Owasso (10)

Owasso (3-2) went 2-1 at this weekend's Bixby Tournament, defeating unranked Stillwater (1-5) 55-46 and No. 8 Bartlesville (3-3) 39-33 before falling 52-30 to 5A No. 2 Collinsville (6-0). Terryn Milton doubled in two of the games for an average score of 12 and Leiloni Culley scored 19 against Stillwater for an average of 10 over the tournament. 

The Rams will finish out the year Friday at 5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (4-3).

The pick: Owasso 45 BK 41.

No. 9 Bartlesville (8)

The Lady Bruins (3-3) Had some tough opponents at the Bixby Tournament this weekend and fell 39-33 to No. 10 Owasso (3-2) and 54-49 to No. 4 Deer Creek (5-1) after defeating unranked Ponca City (2-2) 51-36 in the first round. Jenna Williams doubled in all three games for an average of 16 points. 

Bartlesville has the No. 12 defense in Class 6A. They'll return to action next year at the Skiatook Tournament.

No. 10 Broken Arrow (11)

The Lady Tigers (2-0) won their second game of the season last week 36-31 over unranked Bixby (2-2) and Jalise Smallwood led her team with 15 points. Broken Arrow has the No. 4 defense in 6A in points allowed. They will return to action Tuesday at No. 3 Sand Springs (5-0), then will travel to No. 18 Union (2-2).

The pick: BA 43 Union 40. 

No. 11 Norman North (13)

Norman North (3-1) got off to a great start last week, winning their first three games by significant margins before falling 62-38 to No. 3 Sand Springs (5-0) in the Bishop Kelley Invitational finals. They topped unranked Stillwater (1-5) 63-34 at home, then beat 5A unranked Edison (0-2) 66-31 and 5A No. 3 Claremore (3-2) 59-47 at Kelley. Kenna Sturgell averaged 11 points per game at the Invitational and Lilith Brewster added 10. 

The Timberwolves hold the No. 8 offense and No. 9 margin of victory and will return to action Thursday at No. 2 Edmond Santa Fe (6-0), then play No. 16 Edmond North (3-2). 

The pick NN 49 EDN 48.

No. 12 Norman (18)

Norman (5-1) picked up four wins this past week, edging out No. 15 Yukon (3-2) 54-53, then sweeping the Duncan Southern Oklahoma Invitational. They topped 5A unranked Nathan Hale (0-4) 62-11 and Duncan (3-4) 64-36 before edging out 4A No. 5 Ada (4-1) 55-53 in the finals. 

The Tigers have the No. 7 offense, No. 9 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in 6A. They return to action on the 27th at the Ardmore Tournament.

No. 13 Edmond Memorial (16)

Edmond Memorial (3-3) made a big statement this past weekend at the Edmond Open after topping No. 12 Edmond North (3-2) 44-43 and No. 7 Midwest City (3-2) 68-51. They topped No. 19 Mustang (3-2) 47-42 earlier in the week, and fell 58-31 to No. 2 Edmond Santa Fe (6-0) in the second round of the tournament. The Lady Bulldogs will return to action Friday when they host No. 17 Yukon (3-2) in their final game of 2016.

No. 14 Midwest City (7)

The Bombers (3-2) took a big loss this past weekend at the Edmond Open, falling 68-51 to No. 16 Edmond Memorial (3-3). They topped unranked Putnam North (1-5) 49-31 before falling 66-54 to 4A No. 6 Anadarko (3-1). Putnam North will get a rematch when they host the Bombers Tuesday. Midwest City will then play 5A No. 15 Bishop McGuinness (2-0) Friday. 

The picks:
MWC 53 PCN 39.
MWC 52 McG 48.

No. 15 Sapulpa (14)

The Lady Chieftains (1-0) started their season at unranked Jenks (1-3) and rolled to a 56-45 win. Three Sapulpans doubled in the game and rolled to victory with a 16-9 third quarter after leading 28-26 at the half. Sapulpa will return to action Tuesday against 5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (2-3), then will play unranked Muskogee (1-3) on Friday. 

The picks: 
Sapulpa 50 Kelley 40.
Sapulpa 52 Muskogee 48.

No. 16 Edmond North (12)

Edmond North (3-2) handled unranked Moore (3-3) 53-44 last Tuesday, then went 1-2 at the Edmond Open. They fell 44-43 to No. 16 Edmond Memorial (3-3), dominated unranked Jenks (1-3) 70-41, then dropped a 49-45 loss to No. 20 Union (2-2). They will return to action Friday when they host No. 5 Deer Creek (5-1), then will travel to No. 11 Norman North (3-1) on Saturday.

No. 17 Yukon (15) 

The Millerettes (3-2) started last week with a 54-53 loss to No. 18 Norman (5-1), then traveled to the Edmond Open where they went 2-1. They topped the Green Country Defenders 50-33 and No. 17 Muskogee (1-3) 63-49, but fell 36-30 to 3A No. 2 Sequoyah (5-0). They return to action Friday when they travel to No. 13 Edmond Memorial (3-3).

The pick: Yukon 48 EDM 44.

No. 18 Union (20)

Union (2-2) started their season off with a 42-33 loss to No. 8 Bartlesville (3-3), then went 2-1 at the Edmond Open. They fell 42-38 to 4A No. 6 Anadarko (3-1), but defeated Putnam North (2-3) 54-49 and No. 12 Edmond North (3-2) 49-45. The Redskins will return to action Tuesday against unranked Jenks (1-3), then host No. 10 Broken Arrow (2-0) on Friday. 

The pick: Union 52 Jenks 44.

No. 19 Mustang (19)

Mustang (3-2) dropped their first game of the week to No. 16 Edmond Memorial (3-3), but bounced back with three-straight wins to sweep the Plainview Tournament. They topped OKC Storm 60-41, 4A No. 4 Broken Bow (5-1) 45-24, and 4A No. 17 Muldrow (3-2) 47-41. The Broncos will return to action after the new year when they compete at the Skiatook Tournament.

No. 20 Moore (unranked)

Moore (3-3) started last week with their third-straight loss, falling 53-44 to No. 12 Edmond North (3-2), then won three-straight at the Altus Bulldog Classic. They topped Lawton JV 50-45, 5A No. 17 Eisenhower (1-4) 41-29, and 5A No. 15 Altus (3-2) 36-21. They'll return to action Friday against No. 6 Westmoore (5-1) in their final game of the year.

No. 10 Broken Arrow scores 55-54 come-from-behind win at Sand Springs; Savage scores 22

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The unranked Charles Page High School varsity basketball team (0-3) was a minute away from wrapping up their first win of the season, leading 54-53 over No. 10 Broken Arrow (5-1). With 1:05 to play, all they had to do was drain the clock. Instead, sophomore Cale Savage saw an opening and passed the ball to Kyle Keener who appeared to make the two point basket. The goal was called off on a travel, however, and the Tigers got the ball to score and held on for the win.

1Q Broken Arrow 16-13
2Q Sand Springs 14-12
3Q Sand Springs 16-13
4Q Broken Arrow 14-11

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Colt Savage 22, Keener 19, Durkee 8, Cale Savage 2, Taber 2, Wash 1. (Broken Arrow) Huffman 29, Hall 11, Boyer 11, Smith 2, Hughes 2.

(Sand Springs Only)
Offensive Rebounds: Keener 3, Garbey 1, Colt Savage 1. 
Defensive Rebounds: Garbey 4, Keener 2, Colt Savage 2, Durkee 2, Wash 1, Cale Savage 1.
Assists: Taber 2, Colt Savage 1, Garbey 1, Durkee 1, Wash 1.
Blocks: Keener 4.

In the first two games of the season, the Sandites led going into the half and gave up the wins after falling apart in the third quarter. Only four players scored in either of the first two games as the mostly young and inexperienced team had difficulty in sharing the workload. Things were far different this time around as six Sandites got on the scoreboard, two doubled, and the boys led the Tigers through the entire fourth quarter before giving up the final basket of the game.

University of Central Oklahoma-signed senior Kyle Keener posted 19 points in the game and junior Colt Savage led his team with 22, but the remaining 13 points were equally impressive for the Sandites as they finally proved what their fans knew all along, that this was a team that could execute and win. Sophomore Cole Durkee posted a career-high 8 points, and Caleb Wash, Cale Savage, and Josh Taber also got on the board in the back-and-forth thriller.

Though the Sandites are still searching for a win, they have effectively competed against a top-ten team and very nearly won. They were outstanding on offense, shooting eight-of-ten from the charity stripe and 21-of-36 on field goals in their best performance of the season.

The game was back and forth from the beginning. The home team took a 4-0 lead off of layups by Keener and Savage, and the Tigers responded with two pointers from Major Smith and Caleb Huffman. Huffman was the game's leading scorer with 29 points. Colt Savage and Huffman were locked in a shootout in the first quarter with Savage scoring nine and Huffman scoring fourteen to give the Tigers a 16-13 lead.

Durkee started off the second quarter with his first goal of the season, followed by a free throw from Wash and a two by Colt Savage. The Sandites outscored their opponents 14-12 in the second quarter as the two teams exchanged the lead six times and the Tigers ended up with a 28-27 halftime advantage.

The third quarter was equally contested as the lead changed six more times before settling on the Sandites. The home team led by as much as 43-38 before Huffman drilled a three to end the period down 43-41. The Sandites never relinquished the lead in the fourth quarter until the traveling call on Keener. They were up 54-48 after a three from Durkee, then the Tigers went to work.

Tony Hall hit a two. Colt Savage had the opportunity to make a free throw, but missed and ended up fouling Huffman on a two. The Broken Arrow junior sank his free throw to make it a one-point game. After the turnover from Keener, the Tigers went full offense and rebounded four times before finally connecting on the go-ahead score from Braden Boyer. 

With three seconds left, senior Jacob Garbey launched a three that bounced back and fourth within the rim before being ejected into the waiting arms of the nearest Tiger.

The Sandites will return to action this weekend at the Tulsa Memorial High School festival. They will play the Wichita Defenders Thursday at 8:00 p.m., the OKC Storm Friday at 6:30 p.m., and the Northwest Arkansas Hornets Saturday at 1:00 p.m.

Undefeated No. 3 Lady Sandites hammer No. 10 Broken Arrow 66-45; Isabella Regalado scores 15

Photo: Morgan Miller.

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

1Q Sand Springs 21-12
2Q Sand Springs 14-7
3Q Sand Springs 18-12
4Q Sand Springs 13-11

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Regalado 15, Pennington 12, Kersgieter 12, Mutiri 12, McGee 7, Johnson 6, Taber 2. (Broken Arrow) Smallwood 28, Cuellar 7, Bowker 4, Moore 3, Callen 3. 

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Mutiri 3, Pennington 2, McGee 1, Taber 1, #33 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Johnson 4, Pennington 4, Kersgieter 4, Mutiri 3, McGee 1, Regalado 1, Bunch 1. 
Steals: Kersgieter 3, Pennington 2, Johnson 1, Regalado 1.
Assists: Kersgieter 3, Pennington 2, Johnson 1, Mutiri 1, Taber 1. 

It was a big night at the Ed Dubie Field House as the No. 3 Sand Springs Lady Sandites (6-0 overall, 3-0 conference) dominated the No. 10 Broken Arrow Lady Tigers (2-1, 2-1) 66-45. The home team led by as much as 66-33 in the fourth quarter before clearing the bench and giving up the final twelve to Broken Arrow. The game marked the first victory over the Tigers for fourth-year Head Coach Dustin Morrow (45-35 career). 

The game started off back and forth as the Lady Sandites warmed up and found their rhythm, but Broken Arrow took their final lead of the game at 5-4 and Sand Springs ran the show from there forward. The Lady Tigers were limited to a single scorer for their first six points of the game, while Sand Springs showed off their depth of talent with four different players making the scoreboard before Brooke Bowker relieved Jalise Smallwood as the lone Tiger scorer. 

Smallwood totaled ten of the Tigers' twelve first-quarter points and the home team held a 21-12 advantage. The Lady Sandites went on a run to start the second quarter with a two from Gloria Mutiri, a pair of free throws from Kierra McGee, and a two from Sydney Pennington to make it 27-12 before Angelica Cuellar cut into the lead with a three. Mutiri hit the next three baskets to make it 32-15, then the Tigers retaliated with four points from Smallwood and Cuellar. McGee sent off a buzzer beater three from midcourt and the Lady Sandites were up 35-19 at the half.

The third period was slightly better for the Tigers as they were only outscored 18-12, but once more, there was nothing they could do to stymie the Sandite tide. Smallwood scored another eleven points in the third quarter and would ultimately lead both teams with 28 points as the only Lady Tiger to double. The Lady Sandites let off the gas in the fourth and cleared the bench, but even then they outscored their opponents 13-11 for a final score of 66-45 after Broken Arrow sank the final twelve. 

Four Lady Sandites doubled in the event. Sophomore Isabella Regalado led with fifteen points, shooting five-of-seven from three-point range. Pennington, an Oklahoma State softball-signed senior, scored 12, as did Ohio State volleyball-committed junior Gloria Mutiri and sophomore Holly Kersgieter. Mutiri and Pennington tied for the lead with six rebounds each, while Kersgieter led in steals with three. 

The Lady Sandites will return to action after the new year at the Bedouin Shrine Tournament in Muskogee.

Undefeated Lady Sandites win Bishop Kelley Tournament 62-38 over No. 13 Norman North

Photo: Morgan Miller

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

1Q Sand Springs 10-9
2Q Sand Springs 21-11
3Q Sand Springs 19-10
4Q Sand Springs 12-8

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Pennington 20, Regalado 15, Mutiri 8, Kersgieter 7, McGee 6, Johnson 4, Taber 2. (Norman North) Brewster 12, Waters 8, Jacie Evans 6, Landreth 5, Base 4, Sturgell 2, Jessika Evans 1. 

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

Undefeated at 5-0, the Charles Page High School girls basketball team has more than earned their No. 5 ranking after winning their four game this season against a ranked opponent, and four-straight games by 24 points or more. Senior Oklahoma State University softball-signee Sydney Pennington led her team to a 62-38 victory over the No. 13 Norman North Timberwolves (3-1) with 20 points to win the Bishop Kelley Invitational for the second-straight year. 

Things didn't start out as lopsided as they ended, and Sand Springs used a timeout at only 2-2 after the girls gave up several turnovers to start the game. The pep talk seemed to work as the girls pushed ahead to a 10-4 lead before the Timberwolves fought back with three-pointer from Lindsey Waters and a pair of free throws from Taylor Landreth.

The Lady Sandites held a close 10-9 lead going into the second quarter, but outscored their opponents 21-11 for a solid halftime lead. Pennington started off the period with a two, followed by a pair of free throws from junior Ohio State volleyball-commit Gloria Mutiri. Emma Base hit a two for the T-Wolves, but Mutiri sank two more freebies and a two of her own. Sophomore Isabella Regalado hit a goal to make it 20-12, Waters sank a pair from the charity stripe, then Regalado hit two free throws, a three, and a two to make it 27-14. By the end of the half the Sandites were up 31-20.

Norman North came out of the half fired up and Jacie Evans scored three straight to make it 31-24. Sophomore Holly Kersgieter hit back-to-back twos, followed by a pair of free throws from senior Kierra McGee. The lopsided scoring continued until the Sandites held a 50-30 advantage going into the final stanza.

Pennington started the fourth with back-to-back layups, sophomore Jacie Taber scored a two of her own, then Pennington added another to bring her total for the evening to 20. Lilith Brewster cut into the lead with a pair of twos, but Regalado added another three and McGee pushed the lead to 62-34. Norman North got to cut into the deficit a little bit, ending with three points from Landreth and one from Jessika Evans for a final score of 62-38.

Pennington was named the Tournament MVP and Kersgieter made the All-Tournament team as well. Pennington was also on the All-Tournament team last year.

Sand Springs basketball will return to action Tuesday in Broken Arrow when the girls take on the No. 11 Lady Tigers (2-0) and the boys (0-2) battle the No. 10 Tigers (4-1).

Kersgieter shines as No. 5 Lady Sandites hammer 5A No. 4 Shawnee 60-28

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

1Q Shawnee 13-12
2Q Sand Springs 20-5
3Q Sand Springs 14-8
4Q Sand Springs 14-4

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Kersgieter 12, Johnson 12, Pennington 11, McGee 10, Mutiri 6, Regalado 6, Taber 2, Boaz 1. (Shawnee) Tramble 11, Bonner 4, Tarpey 4, Kasterke 4, Rice 3, Palmore 2.

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

The No. 5 ranked Charles Page High School Girls Basketball team (4-0, 2-0) continued their undefeated start to the season with a lopsided semifinal victory in the Bishop Kelley Invitational semifinals over 5A No. 4 Shawnee (2-2). 

Sand Springs needed the first period to stretch their legs and were neck and neck throughout. The Sandites were down 11-7 when sophomore Isabella Regalado scored a three mere seconds after coming into the game. Sophomore starter Destiny Johnson sank a pair of free throws to take the brief lead, but a two-point basket from Kyla Tarpey gave the Lady Wolves a 13-12 lead after the first period. It would be their final lead of the game.

Sophomore Holly Kersgieter sank a two after a rebound and long pass from Johnson to start the second quarter, then rebounded and sent a long pass to Oklahoma State Softball-signed senior Sydney Pennington in a replay of the previous score. Kersgieter added another two off a steal and layup before the Wolves got back into the game with a free throw from Logan Bonner. 

Ohio State volleyball-committed junior Gloria Mutiri posted her second score of the night, followed by another Pennington basket and Kersgieter assist. Pennington drew a foul on the score and sank her free throw to make it 23-14, then followed it up with a midcourt steal and layup. 

Mutiri and senior Kierra McGee sank a series of free throws, then McGee hit a two on a steal and assist by Kersgieter to make it 30-14. Makyra Tramble hit a two shortly before the end of the half, Johnson responded with a goal of her own, but Ashley Kasterke got the final points of the half on a pair of free throws to make it 32-18.

Sand Springs opened the third quarter with an eight-point run, capped by a steal and layup from Johnson, before Tramble broke things up with a two. McGee responded with a two, then Kersgieter added a two and a pair of free throws to make it 46-20. Kasterke scored two of her own from the charity stripe and Makaila Palmore sank a two to make it 46-24 going into the final stanza.

Tramble started things off with a three, followed by a freebie from Kasey Rice, but those would be the last points of the game for the Lady Wolves. Johnson and McGee each sank a pair of free throws, Kersgieter and McGee hit twos, Bailey Boaz sank a freebie, Regalado hit a three, and Jacie Taber sank a two for a final score of 60-28.

This was the third straight game that the Lady Sandites would win by a 30-point margin. Sand Springs will return to action Saturday evening at 7:00 p.m. in the Championship round against No. 13 Norman North (3-0) in a battle of the undefeated. Norman North defeated 5A unranked Edison Prep (0-2) in the first round, then topped 5A No. 3 Claremore (3-1) in the semifinals.