Lady Sandite Basketball wins Regional Championship, 47-35 against Putnam City North

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader

For the first time under head coach Josh Berry, the Lady Sandites are Regional Champions.

The 6A-East No. 2 Lady Sandites (21-3) won their ninth consecutive game and eighth Regional title in school history, 47-35 against No. 7 Putnam City North (12-11) Tuesday night at the Ed Dubie Field House.

“It’s very big,” said Berry. “Anytime you can go and get a Regional title in a tough game, it’s big. It’s big for the program, it’s big for the girls, it’s big for the seniors.”

The Lady Sandites won three Regional titles in a row from 2017 to 2019, but this is the first for any current member of the team.

Down 16-5 after the first quarter, the Sandites dominated the Panthers 16-2 in the second quarter and never trailed again, taking a 21-18 lead into the half on a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Sakauri Wilson.

“We just weren’t playing very hard in the beginning,” said Berry. “They played harder, they made shots. It’s the playoffs, everybody can play. It’s going to be a game of runs. They can make their runs, but we have to make our runs and make sure we’re the last ones to make a run.”

Paris Hardwick scored seven points in the first quarter for the Panthers, but was held to a pair of free throws in the second. 

Journey Armstead scored six for Sand Springs in the third quarter and the home team took a 34-24 lead into the final stanza. 

Putnam cut the deficit to 40-33 with 1:31 to play, but Auhnesty Hawkins fouled out and sent Wilson to the free throw line for two. 

Wilson went five-of-six on free throws in the final minutes and ended the night with a season-best 13 points and five rebounds.

Armstead led the Sandites with 15 points and eight rebounds, and Hailey Jackson added nine points and eight rebounds. Hardwick led the Panthers with 15 points.

“They’re good,” Berry said of Wilson and Armstead. “They’re great ball handlers so they’re able to control it down the stretch.”

“Our bigs tonight, they controlled the paint later on. Yanni (Taiona Morris) made some big shots for us to kind of get us there, and we had some good contributions off the bench when Layne (Kirkendoll) got in foul trouble, so I think it was a good team effort.”

The Lady Sandites will return to action Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Area Championship. They will play No. 3 Putnam City West (19-5) at Will Rogers High School. Coincidentally, Berry also coached two seasons at Rogers early in his career.

Putnam North will play in the Area consolation bracket Thursday at 8:00 p.m. against No. 11 Owasso (11-13) in an elimination game at Cleveland High School.

CPHS 47 PCN 35
1Q: PCN 16-5.
2Q: CPHS 16-2.
3Q: CPHS 13-6.
4Q: CPHS 13-11.
Free Throws: CPHS 15-of-23, PCN 5-of-9.
Field Goals: CPHS 14-of-40, PCN 14-of-41.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 12, PCN 10.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 18, PCN 14.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 30, PCN 24.
Steals: CPHS 7, PCN 4.
Blocks: CPHS 0, PCN 2.
Fouls: CPHS 12, PCN 18.

Scoring: (CPHS) Armstead 15, Wilson 13, Jackson 9, T. Morris 5, L. Morris 2, Taylor 2, Kirkendoll 1. (PCN) Hardwick 15, Mcloud 6, Powell 6, Geretta 2, Hawkins 2, Vicks 2, Sykes 2.

Sand Springs Sports Roundup: Girls Basketball wins first playoff

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

Inclement weather couldn’t stymie the Sandites for long, and the Charles Page High School girls basketball team rolled to a 70-50 win against Muskogee in the first round of the regional playoffs Saturday night at the Ed Dubie Field House.

In a game that was originally scheduled for Thursday, the 6A-East No. 2 Sandites (20-3) won their eighth consecutive game to extend their season by an extra week against No. 15 Muskogee (2-14).

“They’re a good team,” said head coach Josh Berry. “They make shots and they don’t quit. You look at their record and you don’t see what they really are. They’re well-coached and they’re going to play hard.”

The Roughers held pace with the Sandites throughout the first half, entering the second quarter 12-12 and leading by as much as 23-19.

Journey Armstead and Kiaryn Taylor hit back-to-back three pointers to end the first half with a 35-29 advantage, however, and the Sandites never trailed again.

“We had everybody in foul trouble in the first half, but once we got in and got settled down, I think everything took care of itself,” said Berry. 

The two teams combined for 37 fouls overall and 22 in the first half, with 45 free throw opportunities. Muskogee made the most of their trips to the charity stripe, shooting 14-of-18, while the Sandites went 18-of-27.

Zhayn Mayes scored 17 to lead the Roughers, followed by Akira Eubanks with 16, but the Sandites had three double-digit scorers.

Armstead led all scorers with 20 points, followed by Hailey Jackson with 15 and Taiona Morris with 10. Morris also collected a team-high five steals, and Layne Kirkendoll added 9 points with 9 rebounds. 

“Layne did good tonight,” said Berry. “Kiaryn played well, Yanni (Taiona Morris) played well. It’s about that - different people stepping up and finding a way to win and I think we did that tonight. I think that’s a team effort.”

Next up for the Sandites will be a rematch with No. 7 Putnam City North (12-10), who won its game 53-47 in double overtime against No. 10 Ponca City (9-12). 

The Lady Sandites previously beat the Panthers 50-33 at the Jenks/Union tournament in January.

“Hopefully we guard and don’t let them shoot some open shots, and make some shots,” said Berry. 

“Tonight we made some shots and we haven’t done that in a long time either. We made quite a few threes. We need to continue to do that, continue to share the basketball, and play for each other.”

The regional championship will be played Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. at Sand Springs, and both teams will advance to the area playoffs.

Boys Basketball

The No. 14 Sand Springs boys (5-17) had their Regional playoff game postponed to Monday at 8:00 p.m. The Sandites will play No. 3 Putnam City West (17-5) in an elimination game.

Wrestling

Mitchell Smith (30-7) placed third in the 145-pound bracket at the OSSAA 6A State Championship on Saturday. It was the junior’s third trip to state but his first medal, and he was the only Sandite to earn a medal.

Smith won his first match 2-1 but gave up a 7-4 decision to West Champion Layton Schneider in the semifinals. In consolation he won 6-3 against Bixby’s Caden Kelley and 3-2 against Yukon’s Boston Powell.

David Ritchey and Zander Grigsby both won their wrestle-in matches, Carter Goodman won his quarterfinal, and Blake Jones won a consolation match to help the team to a 13th place finish overall.

Six of the Sandites’ state qualifiers will return next year, with Jones being the lone senior. Jones wrapped up his career with an 82-42 record as a four-time State qualifier. 

Track and Field

Several Sandite alums competed in the Summit League Indoor Championship for Oral Roberts University on Saturday. 

Aden Baughman placed 8th in the 800 meter run. Joel Mackey placed 14th in the 60 meter and 15th in the 200. Mitchell Mefford placed 14th in the weight throw. 

Soccer 

The Lady Sandite soccer team is off to a strong start in preseason action, winning 4-0 against Sapulpa before sweeping the Skiatook scrimmage tournament and outscoring their foes 11-0. They suffered their first loss 1-0 at Owasso. 

The season will officially begin March 1st at home with non-district matches against Tulsa NOAH. The girls will play at 6:00 p.m. followed by the boys at 8:00 p.m.

Baseball

Sandite baseball took its first preseason loss, 13-5, at Owasso. The Sandites previously routed Glenpool 16-5, Tahlequah 8-0, and Lawton MacArthur 11-0, and tied Westmoore 2-2. Their season will begin March 1st at Guthrie.

Sandite Basketball: Girls on a roll, boys not so much

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

If this week’s scoreboard has been any indication of the weeks to come, the Sand Springs girls’ basketball team should be poised to make a deep playoff run.

The 6A-East No. 2 Sandites (19-3) never trailed once in their three games, rolling to dominant wins against No. 11 Owasso, No. 6 Broken Arrow, and No. 14 Bartlesville to wrap up the regular season.

“I think we’re playing better basketball,” head coach Josh Berry said after a 63-34 senior night win against the Bruins (4-18).

“I think we’ve still got a lot of things to clean up before the playoffs, but I like the direction that we’re going.”

The Sandites scored 23 points in a row in the first half and led 36-11 by halftime. The second string played most of the second half, and 10 different Sandites made their way into the scorebook.

“I like the way that everybody’s stepping up and playing different parts,” said Berry. “If we can do that, where we get different scoring, different rebounding, different assists from different people, then I think we’ve got a good chance.”

Sophomore Taiona Morris led the team for the first time this season with a career-high 16 points.

“She’s going to be special,” said Berry. “I think she gets more and more confidence every time we go out there.”

Eight Sandites combined for 17 steals in a stifling defensive effort led by Sakauri Wilson with 5 and Morris with 4. Layne Kirkendoll added 4 blocks.

“I thought we just needed to speed it up a little bit,” said Berry. “They did a good job of rotating and being there for the steals. We just caught them on that.”

Journey Armstead scored 22 points in a Monday night rout of Owasso (10-13), followed by Hailey Jackson with 19 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season, and Wilson with 11 points.

On Tuesday the Sandites bullied Broken Arrow 53-20, giving up only four points in each of the first three quarters while holding the Tigers (13-9) to their lowest scoring output since 2011.

Armstead and Jackson scored 13 points apiece in that game.

The Lady Sandites finished the season second in the Frontier Valley Conference, their best performance since winning the league in 2019.

The Sandites will return to action Thursday at 8:00 p.m. when they host No. 15 Muskogee (2-13) in the first game of the Regional tournament. 

The Sandites previously beat Muskogee 56-43, but Berry isn’t going to let his team overlook the Roughers.

“One game at a time,” said Berry. “It’s Muskogee. That’s the only thing we think about from here on out. We just take them one game at a time and don’t take anybody lightly.”

Boys Basketball

The No. 14 Sandites (5-17) are on a seven-game losing streak after falling 68-31 to Owasso, 55-37 to Broken Arrow, and 87-77 to Bartlesville.

Despite the loss, the Sandites actually played one of their best games of the season on Senior Night. Four Sandites scored double digits and three had double-doubles in their highest scoring output of the year.

Jason Clark and Ethan Oakley led the Sandites with 19 points apiece, and Oakley added 11 rebounds in his season-best performance. Cale Askew and JD Dickson both scored 14 points with 11 rebounds apiece. Askew’s performance was also a career best.

The boys will travel to No. 3 Putnam City West (17-5) Friday at 8:00 p.m. in the Regional playoffs.

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

Click here to view our complete photo gallery from the Sand Springs vs. Jenks basketball games.

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.

Sandite Basketball: Friday's Games at Owasso Snowed Out, Muskogee Games Rescheduled

This story was originally written for the Sand Springs Leader.

The 6A-East No. 4 Charles Page High School girls’ basketball team (13-3 overall, 6-2 overall) is headed for a busy week at home after taking a week off due to snow. 

After a 38-34 upset of No. 2 Union (12-4, 6-2) Tuesday, February 1st, at the UMAC, the Sandites had their Friday night game at Owasso canceled, giving them an opportunity to rest up before a triple-header week.

In addition to games against No. 13 Jenks (5-9, 2-6) on Tuesday and No. 7 Booker T. Washington (8-9, 5-3) on Friday, the Sandites will also squeeze in a Thursday night makeup game against No. 15 Muskogee (2-9, 1-6), and all three games will be at home.

The Muskogee game was originally scheduled for January 18th, but was canceled by the Roughers due to the Omicron surge. The athletic departments are still working to reschedule the Owasso game.

The Lady Sandites previously won 64-30 against Jenks and 60-40 against the Hornets, but have yet to face the Roughers this season.

In their last outing the Sandites knocked off the top team in the conference to improve to second in the Frontier Valley standings.

Union managed to hold Sand Springs’ leading scorer Journey Armstead without a field goal, but the senior star did her damage at the free-throw line instead, shooting 10-of-13 with 8 points in the fourth quarter.

The Sandites won a war of attrition against the RedHawks, taking advantage of three foul-outs in the final two minutes.

“I just love it for my girls,” said head coach Josh Berry. “They went out there and fought hard.”

“They’re going out there against a well-coached team in Union,” said Berry. “But you know, we’re a good team too. So to be able to finally come out with a win against one of those top teams shows that we are a top team as well.”

The Sandites had previously lost three of their last four games against top-ranked foes Edmond North, Bixby, and Sapulpa. 

“I think that’s huge,” said Berry. “I think they responded, they learned from some of the losses that we had, and they bonded together.”

“We had some big contributions with Journey being in foul trouble and some people stepped up,” said Berry. “That’s what you need to advance and survive from here on out.”

Hailey Jackson and Armstead scored 10 apiece for the Sandites, while Layne Kirkendoll finished with 6 points and 10 rebounds, and Sakauri Wilson added 7 points.

No. 1 Bixby currently leads the conference with a 45-34 win against Sand Springs. There’s no rematch scheduled this season, so the Sandites will need Bixby to stumble in at least one of their five remaining conference games for a shot at the FVC title.

Boys Basketball

The No. 14 Sandites (5-11, 1-7) suffered a 79-38 loss at the hands of the No. 7 RedHawks (9-8, 5-4) on Tuesday despite a 12-point effort from JD Dickson, and the schedule doesn’t get much easier this week.

With No. 2 Jenks (14-4, 7-2) coming to town on Tuesday and No. 1 Booker T. Washington (16-1, 8-1) visiting on Friday, the Sandites’ best chance at picking up a win will be in a rescheduled meeting with No. 11 Muskogee (4-8, 2-5) Thursday night at the Ed Dubie Field House.

CPHS Basketball: Girls Upset No. 2 Union, Boys Routed

The Union High School girls’ basketball team managed an impressive feat Tuesday night at the UMAC. It didn’t give up a single field goal to Sand Springs senior star Journey Armstead.

Unfortunately for the RedHawks, Armstead put in work from the free-throw line instead, going 10-of-13 with eight points in the fourth quarter to lift her team to a 38-34 upset.

6A-East No. 4 Charles Page High School (13-3) won a war of attrition against No. 2 Union (12-4), taking advantage of three RedHawk foul-outs in the final two minutes to jump from fourth to second in the Frontier Valley Conference.

“I just love it for my girls,” said Sand Springs head coach Josh Berry. “They went out there and fought hard.”

The Sandites have been through a rough patch lately, losing three of their last four games against top-ranked foes Edmond North, Bixby, and Sapulpa. 

“They’re going out there against a well-coached team in Union,” said Berry. “But you know, we’re a good team too. So to be able to finally come out with a win against one of those top teams shows that we are a top team as well.”

“I think that’s huge. I think they responded, they learned from some of the losses that we had, and they bonded together today.”

The Sandites were held to their lowest scoring total of the season in the first half and trailed 17-13, but came storming back in the third quarter. 

Armstead drew her fourth foul two minutes into the third quarter and spent much of the half on the bench. Layne Kirkendoll scored four points in that stanza and three-pointers from Sakauri Wilson and Taiona Morris lifted the visitors to a 27-24 advantage.

“We had some big contributions with Journey being in foul trouble and some people stepped up today,” said Berry. “That’s what you need to advance and survive from here on out.”

TK Pitts scored through a foul from Hailey Jackson and hit the free throw for one final Union lead at 31-30 with 1:40 left to play, but it was all Sand Springs from there. 

Sydni Smith fouled out with 1:31 to play and sent Armstead to the line for two. Then Aubrey Hishaw fouled out with 1:05 to play and sent Armstead to the line for two more. Finally, Pitts fouled out with 41 seconds left and sent Wilson to the line.

Pitts, an SMU commit, led all scorers with 12 points, but was the only RedHawk in double digits. Jackson and Armstead scored 10 apiece for the Sandites. Kirkendoll finished with 6 points and 10 rebounds, and Wilson added 7 points.

Sand Springs also benefited from the brief return of 5’10” sophomore Kiaryn Taylor, who has been out with injury since early in December.

“That’s big for us,” said Berry. “She gives us another versatile person. She’s still struggling right now, but as she gets better, she’s only going to help us more.”

A 58-52 Bixby win over Sapulpa helped lift Sand Springs to second place in conference standings, but the Sandites don’t control their own destiny. With no rematch against Bixby on the horizon, it’ll take the Spartans stumbling against some other conference foe for the Sandites to climb the totem pole further.

Either way, winning the conference isn’t that important to Berry and his Sandites.

“We focus on trying to get better each and every game,” said Berry. “We want to continue to play together and just advance. We don’t worry about that. If we’re winning, it’ll come.”

The RedHawks will return to action Friday in a rematch at 5A-East No. 1 Sapulpa (12-5, 5-3). Union won the first meeting this year 40-36 in the season opener.

Sand Springs will travel to No. 10 Owasso (8-10, 3-6) Friday. The Sandites previously beat the Rams 54-37 in the season opener.

Boys Basketball

Coming off back-to-back losses in Frontier Valley Conference action, the 6A-East No. 7 RedHawks needed a win, and they got a big one Tuesday night against No. 14 Sand Springs.

6’3” sophomore Dalen Fuller scored 28 points in a 79-38 rout of the Sandites as the RedHawks improved to 9-8 overall and 5-4 in the conference. 

The Sandites (5-11, 1-7) led 20-16 early in the second quarter but soon fell out of pace with the taller, faster RedHawks. Union stormed to a 44-25 halftime advantage and had the game safely locked away after outsourcing the Sandites 23-7 in the third.

Chris Mason added 16 for the RedHawks and Trent Pierce had 14. JD Dickson led the Sandites with 12.

Union will travel to 5A-East No. 14 Sapulpa (4-14, 0-9) Friday. The RedHawks previously beat the Chieftains 91-45 in December. Sand Springs will get a rematch with No. 5 Owasso (12-6, 7-2) on Friday, who won the first meeting 47-44 in overtime.

Girls Statistics

CPHS 38 Union 34
1Q: All 8-8.
2Q: Union 9-5.
3Q: CPHS 14-7.
4Q: CPHS 11-10.
Free Throws: CPHS 14-of-21, Union 10-of-14.
Field Goals: CPHS 11-of-34, Union 11-of-38.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 6, Union 4.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 20, Union 20.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 26, Union 24.
Steals: CPHS 2, Union 3.
Blocks: CPHS 2, Union 0.
Fouls: CPHS 16, Union 21.

Scoring: (CPHS) Armstead 10, Jackson 10, Wilson 7, Kirkendoll 6, T. Morris 3, L. Morris 2. (Union) Pitts 12, S. Smith 8, Malham 5, Hishaw 5, Marshall-Penny 3, Coleman 1.

Boys Statistics

Union 79 CPHS 38
1Q: Union 16-15.
2Q: Union 28-10.
3Q: Union 23-7.
4Q: Union 12-6.
Free Throws: Union 11-of-14, CPHS 6-of-9.
Field Goals: Union 30-of-53, CPHS 14-of-55.
Offensive Rebounds: Union 8, CPHS 9.
Defensive Rebounds: Union 29, CPHS 15.
Total Rebounds: Union 37, CPHS 26.
Steals: Union 9, CPHS 4.
Blocks: Union 6, CPHS 1.
Fouls: Union 10, CPHS 14.

Scoring: (Union) Fuller 28, Mason 16, Pierce 14, Mims 7, Madrid 6, Dixon 5, McQuarters 3. (CPHS) Dickson 12, Clark 9, Oakley 8, Johnson 4, Kelly 3, Foster 2.