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No. 1 Putnam West continues turnaround with title game berth
TULSA — Putnam West players had every reason to celebrate.
A few piled into their school’s student section. Some hugged. Some nearly cried.
Putnam West took the next step in its four-year turnaround — making a state championship game.
No. 1 Putnam West fought back to drop No. 6 Choctaw, the defending state champion, 50-45 in a Class 6A girls basketball state semifinal Friday afternoon at the Mabee Center.
The Patriots (24-3) will play No. 3 Owasso at noon Saturday for the title. It’s their first championship appearance since 2004.
“That means that we’re making a lot of progress for us to be able to come in and beat the state champs from last year,” Putnam West senior Ce’Nara Skanes said.
“It’s just progress and levels.”
In just four seasons the Patriots have gone from defeated to title hopefuls.
They had won just one game before hiring coach Carlos Adamson. They instantly started to improve. Last year, they made the state tournament, only to lose to Choctaw in the state quarterfinals.
Then Choctaw became the lone in-state team to beat Putnam West this season.
Payback was important, not for just pride but to show there was more improvement.
“They’ve bought into everything that we as a coaching staff believe and the community believe in,” Adamson said. “We’ve restored a lot. Just to see a community interested in a girls basketball game is enough for us. These girls have overcome so many obstacles.”
Friday the obstacle really came in the third quarter.
Choctaw took its first lead in the third on back-to-back baskets by Makayla White and held the lead going into the fourth quarter.
Adamson then delivered some harsh words to Skanes, his star who has signed with Florida International. She then willed Putnam West back in the lead, scoring five of her team-high 10 points while even running the point.
Choctaw (23-6) got within two with 39 seconds remaining, but move-in sophomore Sharonica Hartsfield made four straight free throws to seal the game.
Stars align as Owasso takes down Edmond Santa Fe to reach final
TULSA — Owasso goes how Mya Bhinhar and Terry Milton go.
Friday, things went really well.
The combination of the Rams’ stars dominated at various times to lead the way to a 48-43 victory over No. 4 Edmond Santa Fe at the Mabee Center on Friday to advance to the Class 6A state championship game for the second time in three years.
No. 3 Owasso (25-3) will face No. 1 Putnam West at noon Saturday looking to move past a 2016 title game loss that still stings.
“It’s amazing to be back,” Milton said. “When we came here two years ago as a sophomore we lost. So, we know that feeling. We just keep thinking about that feeling and we’ll go out tomorrow and play our hearts out.”
Milton, a Texas-Arlington signee, was the Rams’ closer.
She scored 11 of her game-high 16 points in the final period. Making a three-point play to open after Edmond Santa Fe had gotten a layup to end the third with momentum. Milton then made 7 of 8 free throws, including two with 33.5 seconds remaining to take a 45-40 lead.
But those only came after she had gathered a rebound off a near game-tying 3-pointer from Kryslyn Jones. The ball rolled in and out of the basket, causing some anxious moments for Owasso.
“Here we go,” thought Owasso coach Matt Sweeney on the play.
Bhinhar, a Missouri State signee, dominated the third quarter. She scored six of her 11 points, making three straight driving layups in the final 2:19.
Edmond Santa Fe (21-7) appeared sluggish the first half, shooting just 16 percent. It improved to 28 percent in the second half, but even easy layups rolled out at times.
That’s when frustrations grew for the Wolves, who got 15 points from RaVon Nero on 4 of 20 shooting.
TULSA — Putnam West players had every reason to celebrate.
A few piled into their school’s student section. Some hugged. Some nearly cried.
Putnam West took the next step in its four-year turnaround — making a state championship game.
No. 1 Putnam West fought back to drop No. 6 Choctaw, the defending state champion, 50-45 in a Class 6A girls basketball state semifinal Friday afternoon at the Mabee Center.
The Patriots (24-3) will play No. 3 Owasso at noon Saturday for the title. It’s their first championship appearance since 2004.
“That means that we’re making a lot of progress for us to be able to come in and beat the state champs from last year,” Putnam West senior Ce’Nara Skanes said.
“It’s just progress and levels.”
In just four seasons the Patriots have gone from defeated to title hopefuls.
They had won just one game before hiring coach Carlos Adamson. They instantly started to improve. Last year, they made the state tournament, only to lose to Choctaw in the state quarterfinals.
Then Choctaw became the lone in-state team to beat Putnam West this season.
Payback was important, not for just pride but to show there was more improvement.
“They’ve bought into everything that we as a coaching staff believe and the community believe in,” Adamson said. “We’ve restored a lot. Just to see a community interested in a girls basketball game is enough for us. These girls have overcome so many obstacles.”
Friday the obstacle really came in the third quarter.
Choctaw took its first lead in the third on back-to-back baskets by Makayla White and held the lead going into the fourth quarter.
Adamson then delivered some harsh words to Skanes, his star who has signed with Florida International. She then willed Putnam West back in the lead, scoring five of her team-high 10 points while even running the point.
Choctaw (23-6) got within two with 39 seconds remaining, but move-in sophomore Sharonica Hartsfield made four straight free throws to seal the game.
Stars align as Owasso takes down Edmond Santa Fe to reach final
TULSA — Owasso goes how Mya Bhinhar and Terry Milton go.
Friday, things went really well.
The combination of the Rams’ stars dominated at various times to lead the way to a 48-43 victory over No. 4 Edmond Santa Fe at the Mabee Center on Friday to advance to the Class 6A state championship game for the second time in three years.
No. 3 Owasso (25-3) will face No. 1 Putnam West at noon Saturday looking to move past a 2016 title game loss that still stings.
“It’s amazing to be back,” Milton said. “When we came here two years ago as a sophomore we lost. So, we know that feeling. We just keep thinking about that feeling and we’ll go out tomorrow and play our hearts out.”
Milton, a Texas-Arlington signee, was the Rams’ closer.
She scored 11 of her game-high 16 points in the final period. Making a three-point play to open after Edmond Santa Fe had gotten a layup to end the third with momentum. Milton then made 7 of 8 free throws, including two with 33.5 seconds remaining to take a 45-40 lead.
But those only came after she had gathered a rebound off a near game-tying 3-pointer from Kryslyn Jones. The ball rolled in and out of the basket, causing some anxious moments for Owasso.
“Here we go,” thought Owasso coach Matt Sweeney on the play.
Bhinhar, a Missouri State signee, dominated the third quarter. She scored six of her 11 points, making three straight driving layups in the final 2:19.
Edmond Santa Fe (21-7) appeared sluggish the first half, shooting just 16 percent. It improved to 28 percent in the second half, but even easy layups rolled out at times.
That’s when frustrations grew for the Wolves, who got 15 points from RaVon Nero on 4 of 20 shooting.
