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By MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer | Posted: Saturday, March 14, 2015 12:00 am
Hardly anyone expected it, but Broken Arrow is going back to the 6A girls basketball final.
“Everybody doubted us, but we just kept playing in silence and rising up, and here we are in the final,” junior guard Alexis Gaulden said.
Gaulden had 21 points, six assists and three steals Friday morning as the eighth-ranked Tigers defeated No. 2 Southmoore 58-51 in the semifinals at the Mabee Center.
Broken Arrow improved to 23-5 and advanced to play No. 1 Muskogee in a battle of Frontier Valley Conference rivals at noon Saturday at the Mabee Center.
Muskogee held off Choctaw 67-64 in the other semifinal. The Tigers and Roughers split two previous meetings. BA won 58-57 at Muskogee on Feb. 3, giving the Roughers their only conference loss. Muskogee rallied from a 16-point deficit to win 63-56 in the area tournament.
BA lost four starters from last year’s 28-0 championship team, and even head coach Mike Hughes admitted Friday he didn’t think the Tigers would get this far.
“No, but that’s what makes it so much fun,” Hughes said.
Aysia Evans gave them an infusion when she moved from Booker T. Washington, joining Gaulden in a quick and explosive backcourt combination. The Tigers have won 15 of their last 17 and are 13-2 since Evans’ arrival in the lineup on Jan. 20.
On Friday, Evans made four 3-pointers and scored 17 points, helping the Tigers overcome a game-high 29 by Southmoore’s Serithia Hawkins, a University of Houston signee.
The Tigers used the quickness of Gaulden and Evans and tough rebounding by Darian Jackson, Taylor Jones and Tierra Jones to offset the taller Sabercats. Jackson and the Joneses combined for 24 rebounds and Southmoore’s edge on the boards was only 38-37.
“It doesn’t matter how big you are, it’s all about the size of your heart,” Gaulden said.
Broken Arrow led most of the way, but neither team led by more than five points until Gaulden scored 10 points in a little over three minutes, helping the Tigers pull away.
She ignited the Tigers by scoring with a rebound off her own missed free throw and followed that with a steal and layup.
The Tigers led 41-36 with 1:36 left in the third quarter and they were just getting started. Gaulden ended the quarter with a three-point play and the Tigers’ lead was 44-38.
Broken Arrow scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter and Evans’ fourth 3-pointer gave them a 51-38 lead, capping a 17-2 run.
Final 1 2 3 4 Total
Broken Arrow 15 16 13 14 58
Southmoore 13 15 10 13 51
Scoring Summary
Southmoore: (22-7): Hawkins 29, Johnston 7, Hannah 5, Jones 5, Sheppard 5.
Broken Arrow: (23-6): Gaulden 21, Evans 17, Jackson 9, Taylor Jones 6, Tierra Jones 5.
Hardly anyone expected it, but Broken Arrow is going back to the 6A girls basketball final.
“Everybody doubted us, but we just kept playing in silence and rising up, and here we are in the final,” junior guard Alexis Gaulden said.
Gaulden had 21 points, six assists and three steals Friday morning as the eighth-ranked Tigers defeated No. 2 Southmoore 58-51 in the semifinals at the Mabee Center.
Broken Arrow improved to 23-5 and advanced to play No. 1 Muskogee in a battle of Frontier Valley Conference rivals at noon Saturday at the Mabee Center.
Muskogee held off Choctaw 67-64 in the other semifinal. The Tigers and Roughers split two previous meetings. BA won 58-57 at Muskogee on Feb. 3, giving the Roughers their only conference loss. Muskogee rallied from a 16-point deficit to win 63-56 in the area tournament.
BA lost four starters from last year’s 28-0 championship team, and even head coach Mike Hughes admitted Friday he didn’t think the Tigers would get this far.
“No, but that’s what makes it so much fun,” Hughes said.
Aysia Evans gave them an infusion when she moved from Booker T. Washington, joining Gaulden in a quick and explosive backcourt combination. The Tigers have won 15 of their last 17 and are 13-2 since Evans’ arrival in the lineup on Jan. 20.
On Friday, Evans made four 3-pointers and scored 17 points, helping the Tigers overcome a game-high 29 by Southmoore’s Serithia Hawkins, a University of Houston signee.
The Tigers used the quickness of Gaulden and Evans and tough rebounding by Darian Jackson, Taylor Jones and Tierra Jones to offset the taller Sabercats. Jackson and the Joneses combined for 24 rebounds and Southmoore’s edge on the boards was only 38-37.
“It doesn’t matter how big you are, it’s all about the size of your heart,” Gaulden said.
Broken Arrow led most of the way, but neither team led by more than five points until Gaulden scored 10 points in a little over three minutes, helping the Tigers pull away.
She ignited the Tigers by scoring with a rebound off her own missed free throw and followed that with a steal and layup.
The Tigers led 41-36 with 1:36 left in the third quarter and they were just getting started. Gaulden ended the quarter with a three-point play and the Tigers’ lead was 44-38.
Broken Arrow scored the first seven points of the fourth quarter and Evans’ fourth 3-pointer gave them a 51-38 lead, capping a 17-2 run.
Final 1 2 3 4 Total
Broken Arrow 15 16 13 14 58
Southmoore 13 15 10 13 51
Scoring Summary
Southmoore: (22-7): Hawkins 29, Johnston 7, Hannah 5, Jones 5, Sheppard 5.
Broken Arrow: (23-6): Gaulden 21, Evans 17, Jackson 9, Taylor Jones 6, Tierra Jones 5.
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