Yonnie Morris Leads Lady Sandites Back to State with 52-39 Upset of Choctaw

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On Friday, the Charles Page High School boys led Southmoore by 15 points early in their game before the Sabercats came back to win it in an Area elimination game.

The girls team nearly fell to the same fate. After surging out to a 16-3 first quarter lead against No. 3 Choctaw (24-2) in the Area consolation finals, the Sandites suffered an even more lopsided second quarter and trailed early in the third before rallying to a 52-39 victory.

“I didn’t want to lose,” said senior Northeastern Oklahoma A&M commit Tiaona “Yonnie Morris. “Everybody hyped up Choctaw. They were undefeated until they played Owasso.”

Things couldn’t have started more perfectly for No. 8 Sand Springs (21-7), who scored on layups from Sakauri Wilson and Morris for a 6-0 lead before a three-pointer from Adison Karaeer cut it in half.

After that lone bucket, the Sandites ended the quarter on a 10-0 run as the Yellowjackets shot 1-of-12 from the field.

“I think early on we did a great job of pressuring them,” said head coach Josh Berry. “We did a great job of talking, communicating, and just being together in one accord.”

Then Choctaw went on a 14-0 run to take a 17-16 advantage at the 4:10 mark of the second quarter.

“Second quarter we didn’t communicate as well,” said Berry. “They got on a run and they hit four or five threes in a row and that’s what kind of team they are. They can do that. Luckily we had some people step up in the second half, make some big shots, make some timely plays for us.”

After leading 21-19 at halftime, Choctaw built its lead to 29-22 on three-pointers from Oklahoma City University commit Brooke Curry and Oklahoma Baptist commit Katelyn Davis.

Then things shifted back to the Sandites, who went on an 11-0 run to end the quarter and would never trail again.

Morris hit back-to-back buckets before freshman Tianna Butler drained a corner three to tie it at 29-29 with 2:47 in the quarter.

Freshman Aaliyah Simone assisted on two buckets off turnovers, stripping a blocked shot and finding Butler for a floater before coming away with a steal that she sent downcourt to Hope Bump.

“I’ve been saying it all year long - those two are special freshmen,” said Berry. “They’re big time.”

Despite being back out front, the Sandites suffered a scare when Wilson went down with an apparent ankle injury on the final play of the third while Sand Springs was only up 33-29.

Wilson limped to the locker room for a moment but soon returned to the floor and was ready to sub back in.

“I never question that girl,” said Berry. “She’s a tough player. She’s been through many injuries many times and she always just gets right back up.”

After a three-pointer from Davis made it 38-34 early in the fourth, Sand Springs went on a 9-0 run and maintained a double-digit margin for the remainder of the game.

Morris led the Sandites with 16 points, followed by Bump with 14 and Wilson with 12. Davis was the only Yellowjacket in double digits with a game-best 17 points on five treys.

Sand Springs has made it to the doorstep of the State tournament four times under Berry and this is the second time they have managed to cross the threshold. The Sandites won an Area title in 2022 but lost in the consolation finals in 2021 and 2023.

“This is a special senior group right here,” said Berry. “They’ve been in this game four straight years, every year they’ve been in school, and we’re 2-2 now.”

“I’m more than happy for these girls. They’ve been through a lot this year - injuries, people come in, come out. It’s just been a hard year for them. I’m just glad that they get to experience this ride.”

“It’s a great feeling,” added Morris. “We really wanted to make it to State last year but we just had some circumstances where we weren’t clicking and it made it hard, but this year we really took practice seriously and Berry emphasized on the communicating and focusing a lot and we just got the job done.”

Among the obstacles for Sand Springs were season-ending injuries of Calla Fueshko, Abigail Martin, and KiAryn Taylor, and a long wait for OSSAA clearance for Bump, a junior Claremore transfer, who didn’t get to play till a month into the season.

“A lot of people did have to step up, especially our two freshmen: Tianna and Aaliyah,” said Morris. “They had to step up and play big roles and we appreciate them for that.”

The State tournament will kick off Wednesday in Norman at the University of Oklahoma’s Lloyd Noble Center. Times and matchups have yet to be announced. Quarterfinals will be Wednesday, semifinals will be Friday, and the Championship game will be Saturday.

Joining Sand Springs in the State tournament will be No. 1 Edmond North (24-1), No. 2 Putnam City West (24-1), No. 4 Edmond Memorial (22-3), No. 5 Owasso (21-5), No. 6 Putnam City North (20-6), No. 9 Bixby (20-7), and No. 10 Mustang (20-7).

Sand Springs split games with Edmond Memorial and Owasso this season while losing its only meeting with Putnam City North in a close one.

The Sandites are in pursuit of their first State Championship since 1994.

CPHS 52 Choctaw 39

1Q: CPHS 16-3.
2Q: Choctaw 18-3.
3Q: CPHS 14-8.
4Q: CPHS 19-10.
Free Throws: CPHS 12-of-19, Choctaw 3-of-4.
Field Goals: CPHS 18-of-39, Choctaw 14-of-49.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 7, Choctaw 10.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 17, Choctaw 14.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 24, Choctaw 24.
Steals: CPHS 6, Choctaw 1.
Blocks: CPHS 6, Choctaw 2.
Fouls: CPHS 10, Choctaw 14.

Sand Springs Stats

Points: Morris 16, Bump 14, Wilson 12, Ti. Butler 7, Simone 3.
Offensive Rebounds: Bump 3, Wilson 1, Morris 1, Simone 1, Ti. Butler 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Bump 4, Ti. Butler 4, Wilson 3, Morris 3, Simone 3.
Total Rebounds: Bump 7, Ti. Butler 5, Wilson 4, Morris 4, Simone 4.
Steals: Wilson 2, Bump 1, Morris 1, Simone 1, Ti. Butler 1.
Assists: Wilson 3, Simone 2, Morris 1, Ti. Butler 1.
Blocks: Ti. Butler 3, Simone 2, Bump 1.
Fouls: Bump 3, Morris 3, Wilson 2, Simone 2.

Choctaw Stats

Points: Davis 17, Bro. Curry 8, Hawk 4, Karaeer 3, Pruitt 3, Duval 2, Pherigo 2.
Fouls: Davis 4, Bro. Cury 2, Bre Curry 2, Pruitt 2, Karaeer 1, Duval 1, Hawk 1, Pherigo 1.

Lady Sandites Topple Trojans 50-33 in Playoffs, Play Choctaw Saturday

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The No. 8 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (20-7) used a balanced team effort and an explosive second half to take down No. 15 Jenks (15-12) in the first round of the Area consolation playoffs Thursday night in Sapulpa, winning 50-33 in a game they controlled from start to finish.

Sand Springs never once trailed, though the Trojans hung fairly close through the first half, only down 21-17 to start the third and 36-25 entering the fourth.

Back-to-back-to-back three pointers from Taiona Morris, Tianna Butler, and Aaliyah Simone early in the fourth put the game firmly out of reach.

“We made shots,” said head coach Josh Berry. “That third quarter we finally made some shots and made a couple threes, got a couple layups in, so it kind of opened up for them.”

It was the Sandites’ first meeting of the season with their former conference foes and their 20th consecutive victory over the Lady Trojans in a streak dating back to 2013.

The teams traded buckets to a 4-4 tie before a three-pointer from Sakauri Wilson gave Sand Springs the lead for the remainder of the game. Wilson also scored the Sandites’ first two buckets, on putbacks, and had 11 points and 4 rebounds in the first quarter alone.

Sand Springs dominated the boards early on but Jenks boxed out better after the first quarter and the two teams matched up fairly well in that regard.

Sand Springs had the better defense, however, and came away with 11 steals on the night while holding Rice-commit Jill Twiehaus to only 11 points.

“She’s a great talent,” said Berry. “We just wanted to make her work for every single shot that she gets.”

While Wilson was limited offensively in the second half, her teammates stepped up and four different Lady Sandites finished in double digits.

Freshman Tianna Butler had 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 blocks while Hope Bump had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 steals.

“We have multiple people that can score the basketball so that’s a good thing,” said Berry. “Hopefully they all score the ball come Saturday.”

Morris started the night 0-of-9 on first-half field goals but dialed it in for the second half to score 10 points.

“She’s gotten so much better,” said Berry. “She just keeps getting better and better as the year goes on. I just tell her ‘keep playing hard, focus on that part of it, the ball’s going to find the hole eventually.’ She’s too good for it not to find the hole.”

Sand Springs will return to action Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in the Area consolation finals at Sapulpa against No. 3 Choctaw (24-1), who suffered its first loss of the season 34-31 against No. 5 Owasso (21-5) in the championship game.

“Great team, good coach,” said Berry. “It’s gonna be a battle. You go out there and you fight from start to finish. Whatever happens happens.”

CPHS 50 Jenks 33

1Q: CPHS 14-8.
2Q: Jenks 9-7.
3Q: CPHS 15-8.
4Q: CPHS 14-8.
Free Throws: CPHS 5-of-9, Jenks 6-of-17.
Field Goals: CPHS 19-of-52, Jenks 13-of-42.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 9, Jenks 10.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 14, Jenks 14.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 23, Jenks 24.
Steals: CPHS 11, Jenks 4.
Blocks: CPHS 4, Jenks 6.
Fouls: CPHS 14, Jenks 9.

Sand Springs Statistics

Points: Wilson 16, Ti. Butler 11, Bump 10, Morris 10, Simone 3.
Offensive Rebounds: Wilson 3, Ti. Butler 3, Bump 2, Morris 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Bump 4, Ti. Butler 4, Simone 3, Wilson 2, Morris 1.
Total Rebounds: Ti. Butler 7, Bump 6, Wilson 5, Simone 3, Morris 2.
Steals: Bump 6, Ta. Butler 2, Wilson 2, Simone 1, Ti. Butler 1.
Assists: Bumps 2, Morris 2, Wilson 1, Ti. Butler 1, Ta. Butler 1.
Blocks: Ti. Butler 3, Bump 1.
Fouls: Bump 3, Wilson 3, Simone 3, Ti. Butler 3, Morris 2.

Jenks Statistics

Points: Ifeoma 12, Twiehaus 11, Dodder 4, White 3, Anderson 2, Jones 1.
Fouls: Jones 3, Ifeoma 2, White 1, Dodder 1, Sykes 1, Zhang 1.

Oklahoma 6A Week 14 Basketball Rankings

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Girls

  1. Edmond North (23-1)

  2. Putnam City West (23-1)

  3. Choctaw (24-0)

  4. Edmond Memorial (21-3)

  5. Owasso (20-5)

  6. Putnam City North (20-5) +1

  7. Broken Arrow (18-7) +1

  8. Sand Springs (18-7) -2

  9. Bixby (19-7)

  10. Mustang (19-6)

  11. Edmond Santa Fe (15-10)

  12. Yukon (19-7)

  13. Union (15-10) +1

  14. Norman (16-9) -1

  15. Jenks (15-11) NR

Boys

  1. Union (23-2)

  2. Owasso (22-3)

  3. Edmond North (21-3)

  4. Edmond Deer Creek (20-5)

  5. Moore (19-5)

  6. Norman (20-4)

  7. Edmond Memorial (17-7)

  8. Choctaw (20-4)

  9. Broken Arrow (18-8)

  10. Westmoore (15-10) +4

  11. Sand Springs (17-9) +2

  12. Norman North (12-12) NR

  13. Putnam City North (11-15) NR

  14. Putnam City West (12-13) NR

  15. Jenks (16-10) NR

Lady Sandites Fall 47-44 at Broken Arrow, Travel to Edmond Saturday

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After rallying from an 11-point deficit to take the lead late in the fourth quarter, the Lady Sandites saw their comeback dreams quashed on a late corner three from Peyton Dolan in the Regional Championship game Friday afternoon in Broken Arrow.

Host No. 8 Broken Arrow (18-7) punched its ticket to Area with a 47-44 win over No. 6 Sand Springs (17-8) behind 17 points and 11 rebounds from Nebraska commit McKenzie Mathurin.

The former conference foes from Sand Springs and Broken Arrow met for the first time this season, fresh off dominant wins in the first round of the postseason.

Sakauri Wilson scored the opening bucket off a steal in transition but Macy Marraccini hit back-to-back baskets and the Tigers never trailed again till the middle of the fourth quarter.

After four minutes the game was still tied at 2-2 and Broken Arrow only led 8-5 after the first quarter.

“They did exactly what they wanted to,” said head coach Josh Berry. “They wanted to slow us down so they mix and matched from different zones, different mans, just to try and confuse us.”

Broken Arrow opened the second quarter on a 7-0 run for their first double-digit lead and went up by as much as 11 after a trey from Marraccini at the 4:53 mark.

Sand Springs responded with a late run, including two three-pointers from Taiona Morris and a late bucket from Wilson to make it 24-19 at halftime.

Aaliyah Simone scored off a steal to open the third and Bump drained a three to make it 26-24 but Broken Arrow surged right back to a 33-24 advantage before the Sandites ended on a 4-0 run.

Simone hit a layup early in the fourth after stealing an inbound throw to make it 33-31. ReKiah Bowen broke up the Sandites’ run with a two-point basket, but Simone scored again and Wilson hit a three with 4:05 to play for the Sandites’ first lead since the opening basket.

Mathurin put the Tigers back on top with a pair of free throws, but Bump hit another three to make it 39-37. Mathurin then tied it up from the charity stripe but Tianna Butler also had a pair of free throws for the Sandites’ final lead of the night at 41-39 with 1:46 to play.

After Butler’s free throws, the Tigers outscored the Sandites 8-3. Mathurin and Marracini each made free throws after Dolan’s three, though another three-pointer from Bump cut it as close as 46-44 with five seconds to play.

“It’s going to be a game of runs and they had the last run,” said Berry. “They made a big shot in the corner to get the lead and you know, that’s all you can do is leave it all out there.”

Mathurin hit one last free throw to make it 47-44 and Wilson was fouled on her way downcourt and missed both free throws with a second to play.

The Sandites’ aggressive defense forced 15 turnovers in the game, led by Simone with 3 steals.

“We talk about it all the time and all year long,” said Berry. “As long as we hook up defensively and we don’t take any plays off on that end, we’re going to find a way to get back into the game.”

“Our offense will find a way to put the ball in the hole, but it’s our defense that can’t have any lapses and I think we had about seven or eight plays that we just lapsed on defense and to me, that’s the ball game.”

Bump led the Sandites with 11 points, followed by Morris with 10, all in the first half. Simone scored 9 points and Wilson and Butler had 7 apiece.

“If our defense is there, we’ve got enough people that a play is going to be made,” said Berry. “In every part of the game, somebody made a big play. And that’s the thing, we’ve just got to trust each other on that part.”

Sand Springs will travel to Edmond Memorial in a Regional consolation elimination game against Putnam City (10-14) Saturday at 6:00 p.m. The Sandites previously defeated the Pirates 68-51 and 77-53 in district play.

“They’re a tough team, good coach,” said Berry. “It’s always hard to play somebody three times in a row. Especially after you come off a loss like this, an emotional one, and now you’ve got to go on the road.”

“They’re coming off a win and they’ll be ready to go, so it depends on how we respond.”

BAHS 47 CPHS 44

1Q: BAHS 8-5.
2Q: BAHS 16-14.
3Q: Tied 9-9.
4Q: CPHS 16-14.
Free Throws: BAHS 14-of-17, CPHS 6-of-12.
Field Goals: BAHS 15-of-37, CPHS 16-of-42.
Offensive Rebounds: BAHS 7, CPHS 6.
Defensive Rebounds: BAHS 19, CPHS 8.
Total Rebounds: BAHS 26, CPHS 14.
Steals: BAHS 4, CPHS 7.
Blocks: BAHS 2, CPHS 1.
Fouls: BAHS 14, CPHS 16.

Sand Springs Stats

Points: Bump 11, Morris 10, Simone 9, Ti. Butler 7, Wilson 7.
Offensive Rebounds: Ti. Butler 2, Bump 1, Wilson 1, Morris 1, Simone 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Wilson 4, Ti. Butler 2, Bump 1, Morris 1.
Total Rebounds: Wilson 5, Ti. Butler 4, Bump 2, Morris 2, Simone 1.
Steals: Simone 3, Wilson 2, Bump 1, Morris 1.
Assists: Wilson 4, Simone 3, Morris 1.
Blocks: Morris 1.
Fouls: Morris 4, Ti. Butler 4, Bump 3, Wilson 2, Ta. Butler 2, Simone 1.

Broken Arrow Stats

Points: Mathurin 17, Marraccini 12, Bowen 7, Jacobs 4, Scarborough 4, Dolan 3.
Fouls: Scarborough 3, Bowen 3, Marraccini 2, Mathurin 2, McCrary 2, Jacobs 2.

Lady Sandites Rout Ponca City in Regional Playoffs, Will Play Broken Arrow Friday

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The No. 6 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (18-6) easily handled its first round playoff game against Ponca City (7-17) Tuesday at the Broken Arrow regional tournament, 45-28.

It was the Sandites’ third win in a row, sixth consecutive win against the Wildcats, and marked the fourth year in a row that the Sandites have won a playoff game.

Southwestern Oklahoma State commit Sakauri Wilson led Sand Springs to victory with her first double-double of the season, scoring 11 points with 10 steals.

“It was just a good job by a senior, stepping up on that end of it, but you’ve got to have a total team effort come Friday and be ready to go,” said head coach Josh Berry.

The first half was total domination as the Sandites held Ponca to a single field goal in each of the first two quarters.

Hope Bump took a steal coast to coast on the Wildcats’ first possession for a 2-0 Sandite lead, though Kyra Allison responded with a bucket of her own and briefly gave Ponca its only lead on a free throw soon after.

A three-pointer from Wilson kicked off a 15-0 run before Kaytum Lively broke up the run. Sand Springs closed on an 8-0 streak to make it 25-5 at the buzzer.

“I thought we actually didn’t play that well,” said Berry. “Defense, we did okay. We didn’t play the way and with the energy that we’re used to playing with. I think if we would have played that way it would have been an even bigger first half for us.”

Ponca’s offense came alive in the third quarter as Allison scored 8 points and the Wildcats trimmed their deficit to 36-19, but Sand Springs got the edge in a wild turnover-ridden fourth quarter.

“They did some things to kind of slow us down,” said Berry. “We’ve got to go back and fix some things and we’ve got to be better come Friday because that’s not going to get the job done.”

“They were able to take advantage of us not being locked in and being in the right defensive positions.”

The Sandites had their biggest lead at 41-19 early in the fourth before running the bench.

Sand Springs will return to action Friday at 3:30 p.m. against host No. 8 Broken Arrow (17-7) who defeated Enid 75-33 in their first round game. The Sandites are in pursuit of their first Regional title since 2022 and eighth overall.

CPHS 45 POHI 28

1Q: CPHS 12-3.
2Q: CPHS 13-2.
3Q: POHI 14-11.
4Q: Tied 9-9.
Free Throws: CPHS 6-of-7, POHI 8-of-12.
Field Goals: CPHS 18-of-52, POHI 10-of-37.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 8, POHI 8.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 18, POHI 20.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 26, POHI 28.
Steals: CPHS 22, POHI 14.
Blocks: CPHS 3, POHI 4.
Fouls: CPHS 11, POHI 12.

Sand Springs Statistics

Points: Wilson 11, Simon 9, Bump 8, Ti. Butler 8, Morris 6, Pearce 2, Ta. Butler 1.
Offensive Rebounds: Bump 2, Wilson 1, Morris 1, Simon 1, Ti. Butler 1, Ta. Butler 1, Pearce 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Morris 5, Bump 4, Simone 3, Ta. Butler 2, Wilson 1, Ti. Butler 1, Pearce 1, Gilton 1.
Total Rebounds: Bump 6, Morris 6, Simone 4, Wilson 2, Ta. Butler 3, Ti. Butler 2, Pearce 2, Crain 1.
Steals: Wilson 10, Bump 3, Morris 3, Simone 2, Ti. Butler 2, Ta. Butler 2.
Assists: Ta. Butler 2, Wilson 2, Bump 1, Morris 1.
Blocks: Ti. Butler 1, Young 1, Gilton 1.
Fouls: Bump 2, Morris 2, Simone 2, Ta. Butler 2, Wilson 1, Young 1, Pearce 1.

Ponca City Statistics

Points: Allison 13, Lively 4, Northcutt 4, Collins 2, Good 2, Miner 2, Pool 1.
Fouls: Allison 3, Collins 2, Good 2, Carlisle 2, Lively 1, Northcutt 1, Miner 1.

Oklahoma 6A Week 13 Basketball Rankings

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Girls

  1. Edmond North (21-1)

  2. Putnam City West (21-1)

  3. Choctaw (22-0)

  4. Edmond Memorial (20-3)

  5. Owasso (18-5)

  6. Sand Springs (17-6)

  7. Putnam City North (18-5)

  8. Broken Arrow (16-7) +1

  9. Bixby (17-6) -1

  10. Mustang (17-6)

  11. Edmond Santa Fe (13-9)

  12. Yukon (17-6)

  13. Norman (14-8) +2

  14. Union (13-9) -1

  15. Westmoore (14-8) -1

Boys

  1. Union (21-2)

  2. Owasso (20-3)

  3. Edmond North (19-3)

  4. Edmond Deer Creek (18-5)

  5. Moore (17-5)

  6. Norman (18-4) +1

  7. Edmond Memorial (15-7) -1

  8. Choctaw (18-4)

  9. Broken Arrow (16-7)

  10. Piedmont (16-7)

  11. Mustang (14-9)

  12. Lawton (14-8)

  13. Sand Springs (15-8)

  14. Westmoore (13-9) -1

  15. Edmond Santa Fe (13-9)