The third time was the charm for the Lady Sandites, Friday night at the Ed Dubie Field House, as No. 6 Sand Springs paid back a pair of losses with a 40-38 upset against No. 5 Owasso.
After a game-tying layup from Makenna Yokley, the Sandites had just seven seconds to respond. Instead of calling a timeout to set up a play, head coach Josh Berry just trusted the connection between his two senior stars.
“If we call a timeout, I feel like we let them set up,” said Berry. “I think we’ve got the speed advantage so I just trusted our senior guards.”
It paid off as point guard Sakauri Wilson found Taiona Morris on a long bounce pass for the win. The Rams brought full pressure on Wilson, leaving Morris unguarded downcourt, and the NEO-commit made them pay.
“Kauri got the ball out so I just needed to run,” said Morris. “She found me and I just made the layup.”
Sand Springs led twice early in the game before the Rams rode a 12-0 run into the second quarter for a 10-point advantage. The home team played catch-up for the rest of the night, cutting its deficit to 23-21 by halftime.
“I think we started rushing it,” said Berry. “This is the first time we’ve been home in a very long time, so I think when we got settled down we just made some tough plays and played hard.”
A Freshman Phenom
Aaliyah Simone gave the Sandites their first lead of the second half with a pair of free throws but Sarah Yokley’s trey put the visitors back on top and the Rams took a 29-27 lead into the fourth.
Simone tied it again to open the fourth, then Seldon Stover and Wilson traded blows to a 31-31 tie. Makenna Yokley gave the visitors their final lead before Simone tied it a third time on a lefty layup off a steal from Wilson.
The freshman starter ended the night with a team-best 10 points and followed that play by picking off a long inbound and passing it to Wilson who hesitated long enough for a pair of would-be blockers to float by, then hit the go-ahead tap-in with 2:36 to play.
Hope Bump added another basket to make it a two-score game, though Makenna Yokley drained a three soon after to keep the Rams close.
Morris went 1-of-2 on a trip to the free throw line for a two-point advantage, followed by Makenna Yokley’s game-tying layup and Morris’s buzzer-beater for the win.
“We can finally say that we beat Owasso,” said Morris. “And on top of that, I feel like this will put us forward in our season and help us develop a better part of our team.”
Morris ended the night with 9 points, followed by Wilson and Bump with 8 apiece. Wilson added 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals.
A New Hope
One of the key difference makers between this game and the first two meetings with Owasso was junior Hope Bump, a transfer from Claremore, who was still waiting on OSSAA clearance till after the new year.
Bump brings some much needed size to the Sandites, who lost one of their only bigs when Kiaryn Taylor tore her ACL in December’s Bishop Kelley Invitational.
“It sucked because I couldn’t be out there with them,” said Bump. “But it felt good to be out there with them tonight…because it counted toward our district wins and everything.”
Bump scored 8 points with 5 rebounds, a steal, and 2 blocks. She’s averaging 10.9 points and 5.7 rebounds this season since making her Sandite debut at the Putnam City Invitational on January 4th.
“She does it all,” said Berry. “She can pass, she can shoot, she can score inside. And now she’s playing a little bit of defense, so how about that? If she keeps that up, I think great things are going to come for her.”
Bump has adjusted well to her new team since following her dad, assistant coach Jeremy Bump, to Sand Springs.
“It’s different, definitely from 5A to 6A basketball,” said Bump. “It’s faster, it’s quicker and everything, but I love it it here…I feel like God put me where I need to be.”
Homecoming is Tuesday
Sand Springs improved to 11-5 on the season and 5-2 in district play and will return to action Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. on Homecoming. The queen will be crowned at halftime of the boys’ game, which starts at 8:00 p.m.
Owasso dropped to 13-4 and 6-2 and will travel to No. 5 Edmond Memorial (13-3, 7-1) Tuesday in a key district battle.
CPHS 40 Owasso 38
1Q: Owasso 13-7.
2Q: CPHS 14-10.
3Q: Tied 6-6.
4Q: CPHS 13-9.
Free Throws: CPHS 6-of-8, Owasso 5-of-6.
Field Goals: CPHS 16-of-50, Owasso 15-of-42.
Offensive Rebounds: CPHS 7, Owasso 8.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 12, Owasso 22.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 19, Owasso 30.
Steals: CPHS 9, Owasso 4.
Blocks: CPHS 4, Owasso 3.
Fouls: CPHS 10, Owasso 14.
Sand Springs Statistics
Points: Simone 10, Morris 9, Wilson 8, Bump 8, Ti. Butler 5.
Offensive Rebounds: Morris 3, Simone 1, Ti. Butler 1, Bump 1, Gilton 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Wilson 5, Bump 4, Simon 2, Ti. Butler 1.
Total Rebounds: Wilson 5, Bump 5, Morris 3, Simone 3, Ti. Butler 2, Gilton 1.
Assists: Wilson 3, Simone 1, Bump 1.
Steals: Wilson 5, Simone 2, Ti. Butler 1, Bump 1.
Blocks: Ti. Butler 2, Bump 2.
Fouls: Morris 3, Wilson 2, Simone 2, Bump 2, Gilton 1.
Owasso Statistics
Points: M. Yokley 15, McGarrah 8, Stover 4, Austin 4, Hill 4, S. Yokley 3.
Fouls: M. Yokley 4, Austin 3, Stover 2, McGarrah 2, Wilson 2, Hill 1.
