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Owasso’s girls had lost to No. 1 Broken Arrow three times this basketball season.
“I guess the fourth time was the charm,” Rams senior guard Rachel Skalnik said.
Skalnik and company ended Broken Arrow’s two-year reign as 6A champs by slowing the Tigers’ shooters and easing to a 48-43 triumph Friday in the semifinals of the state tournament at the ORU Mabee Center.
Owasso advanced to play No. 7 Midwest City in the championship game at noon Saturday.
“It’s amazing. I can’t put it into words,” sophomore forward Terryn Milton said. “When the season starts, you dream of playing in (the championship game), and now we’re in it.”
Skalnik scored 12 points and Milton had eight of her 10 in a 14-1 run in the third quarter that gave the Rams a 35-21 lead, but they had to withstand a last, desperate surge by the Tigers, who twice pulled within two points in the fourth quarter.
Aysia Evans’ layup off a turnover made it 45-43 with 23.8 seconds left, but Rams senior guard Jordan Kunka sank a pair of foul shots with 22 seconds left and another with eight seconds left to put the game out of reach.
Kunka finished with six points and also provided strong defense on Alexis Gaulden. The Tigers’ leading scorer was held to 13 points on 4-for-16 shooting. On Thursday, Kunka limited No. 3 Choctaw’s Ana Llanua to 16.
“You’re gonna have to find some category for defensive player of the year,” Owasso coach Matt Sweeney said. “She’s gone against Division I athletes night in, night out all year long, and done an incredible job.”
Kunka’s teammates mirrored her defense on the other Tigers, holding them to a collective 26.8 from the field and just 3-for-22 from 3-point range. Evans, who had been on fire in the postseason, was 1-for-6 beyond the arc and finished with eight points.
Darian Jackson led the Tigers with 15 points and 16 rebounds, good for her 11th double-double. But even she struggled, going just 5-for-12 against Owasso’s long, tall sophomore inside trio of Milton, Mya Bhinhar and Leiloni Culley. Culley had nine points and eight rebounds.
Broken Arrow beat the Rams twice in Frontier Valley play this season and a third time, 54-41, eight days ago in the area tournament. What was the difference this time?
“I think they stayed out longer on our 3-point shooters,” Broken Arrow coach Mike Hughes said. “We didn’t have many open looks and when we did have them, we missed them. I thought (Owasso’s perimeter defenders) did a great job.”
Skalnik said the difference was “intensity.”
“In the other games, our energy kind of dropped off in the second half. We didn’t want that to happen again, so we kept pushing,” she said.
Owasso scored the final eight points of the first half to lead 21-13 on a Bhinhar 3-pointer, Culley’s basket and foul shot and Skalnik’s two free throws.
Broken Arrow ran off seven straight points to start the third quarter and it was 21-20, but the Tigers went cold and Milton’s teammates started finding her for open looks around the basket. She hit three jumpers and two free throws as the Rams’ lead ballooned to 14.
Jackson ended the third quarter with a three-point play and scored quickly to open the fourth quarter and BA was back in business.
Gaulden’s 3-pointer brought the Tigers within 38-36 with 3:40 left, but moments later, she missed an open look from the top of the key. Skalnik rebounded and took the ball all the way to the other end. She found a seam down the left side of the lane and scored off the glass with her left hand as she was being fouled. Her free throw made it 41-36.
“I thought if we could ever get over the hump it would be all right,” Hughes said. “But we never did.”
Broken Arrow was trying to become the first school to win three consecutive titles in the largest classification. The Tigers upset Edmond Santa Fe in the 2014 final and outlasted Muskogee in a 71-67 overtime thriller in last year’s championship game.
“I told our kids we still walk out of here as champions,” Hughes said. “Nobody can ever take away from them that they were two-time champs, and not many people can say they were (in the state tournament) four straight years. This has been a special group.”
Owasso’s only other finals appearance came in 1990 when the Rams won the gold ball with Mike Polk as head coach. Polk, now retired, was unable to attend Friday, but watched the Cox television broadcast and said he planned to see Saturday’s game.
“There are so many similarities between this team and the one we had,” he said. “They play with a bunch of heart and play so well together.”
Owasso 8 13 14 13 48
Broken Arrow 7 6 11 19 43
Scoring Summary
Broken Arrow: (24-4): Darian Jackson 15, Alexis Gaulden 13, Aysia Evans 8, Jalise Smallwood 4, Lauren Richter 3.
Owasso: (22-7): Rachel Skalnik 12, Terryn Milton 10, Leiloni Culley 9, Jordan Kunka 6, Mya Bhinhar 5, Michalah O’Connell 3, Marius Morrow 2, Ashlyn Koelsch 1.
From The Daily Oklahoman:
TULSA — Three times this season, Terryn Milton and her Owasso teammates watched as Broken Arrow celebrated a victory between the two rivals. On Friday at the Mabee Center, Owasso returned the favor, complete with a dogpile.
The No. 9-ranked Rams were beyond jubilant after polishing off a 48-43 victory over top-ranked Broken Arrow in the Class 6A semifinals.
“We beat them when it really matters” Milton said, “and that’s all that matters”
Milton finished with 10 points, including eight key points in the third quarter, while Rachel Skalnik led Owasso (22-7) with 12 points to get the Rams in position to play for a championship for the first time since 1990.
“Our girls just came out and executed well ” said Owasso coach Matt Sweeney, whose club lost to the Tigers (24-4) in last week’s area finals. “We took care of the ball and took good shots. We didn’t block out well, but we did enough to get through ”
Broken Arrow did out-rebound Owasso 41-37, but the Rams enjoyed a 34.1 percent (14 of 41) shooting performance, compared to Broken Arrow’s 15-of-56 (26.8 percent) effort.
After trailing 21-13 at halftime, Broken Arrow used a 7-0 run to get within 1 (21-20) midway through the third quarter. That’s why Sweeney called timeout and Milton went to work, scoring eight points to spur Owasso on a 12-0 run.
“Any one of these kids, I feel, can do that ” Sweeney said. “They all have the green light to shoot the ball ”
Broken Arrow, led by Darian Jackson’s 15 points, got to within 45-43 with 24 seconds left, but Jordan Kunka followed with three free throws that sealed the victory for Owasso.
“I guess the fourth time was the charm,” Rams senior guard Rachel Skalnik said.
Skalnik and company ended Broken Arrow’s two-year reign as 6A champs by slowing the Tigers’ shooters and easing to a 48-43 triumph Friday in the semifinals of the state tournament at the ORU Mabee Center.
Owasso advanced to play No. 7 Midwest City in the championship game at noon Saturday.
“It’s amazing. I can’t put it into words,” sophomore forward Terryn Milton said. “When the season starts, you dream of playing in (the championship game), and now we’re in it.”
Skalnik scored 12 points and Milton had eight of her 10 in a 14-1 run in the third quarter that gave the Rams a 35-21 lead, but they had to withstand a last, desperate surge by the Tigers, who twice pulled within two points in the fourth quarter.
Aysia Evans’ layup off a turnover made it 45-43 with 23.8 seconds left, but Rams senior guard Jordan Kunka sank a pair of foul shots with 22 seconds left and another with eight seconds left to put the game out of reach.
Kunka finished with six points and also provided strong defense on Alexis Gaulden. The Tigers’ leading scorer was held to 13 points on 4-for-16 shooting. On Thursday, Kunka limited No. 3 Choctaw’s Ana Llanua to 16.
“You’re gonna have to find some category for defensive player of the year,” Owasso coach Matt Sweeney said. “She’s gone against Division I athletes night in, night out all year long, and done an incredible job.”
Kunka’s teammates mirrored her defense on the other Tigers, holding them to a collective 26.8 from the field and just 3-for-22 from 3-point range. Evans, who had been on fire in the postseason, was 1-for-6 beyond the arc and finished with eight points.
Darian Jackson led the Tigers with 15 points and 16 rebounds, good for her 11th double-double. But even she struggled, going just 5-for-12 against Owasso’s long, tall sophomore inside trio of Milton, Mya Bhinhar and Leiloni Culley. Culley had nine points and eight rebounds.
Broken Arrow beat the Rams twice in Frontier Valley play this season and a third time, 54-41, eight days ago in the area tournament. What was the difference this time?
“I think they stayed out longer on our 3-point shooters,” Broken Arrow coach Mike Hughes said. “We didn’t have many open looks and when we did have them, we missed them. I thought (Owasso’s perimeter defenders) did a great job.”
Skalnik said the difference was “intensity.”
“In the other games, our energy kind of dropped off in the second half. We didn’t want that to happen again, so we kept pushing,” she said.
Owasso scored the final eight points of the first half to lead 21-13 on a Bhinhar 3-pointer, Culley’s basket and foul shot and Skalnik’s two free throws.
Broken Arrow ran off seven straight points to start the third quarter and it was 21-20, but the Tigers went cold and Milton’s teammates started finding her for open looks around the basket. She hit three jumpers and two free throws as the Rams’ lead ballooned to 14.
Jackson ended the third quarter with a three-point play and scored quickly to open the fourth quarter and BA was back in business.
Gaulden’s 3-pointer brought the Tigers within 38-36 with 3:40 left, but moments later, she missed an open look from the top of the key. Skalnik rebounded and took the ball all the way to the other end. She found a seam down the left side of the lane and scored off the glass with her left hand as she was being fouled. Her free throw made it 41-36.
“I thought if we could ever get over the hump it would be all right,” Hughes said. “But we never did.”
Broken Arrow was trying to become the first school to win three consecutive titles in the largest classification. The Tigers upset Edmond Santa Fe in the 2014 final and outlasted Muskogee in a 71-67 overtime thriller in last year’s championship game.
“I told our kids we still walk out of here as champions,” Hughes said. “Nobody can ever take away from them that they were two-time champs, and not many people can say they were (in the state tournament) four straight years. This has been a special group.”
Owasso’s only other finals appearance came in 1990 when the Rams won the gold ball with Mike Polk as head coach. Polk, now retired, was unable to attend Friday, but watched the Cox television broadcast and said he planned to see Saturday’s game.
“There are so many similarities between this team and the one we had,” he said. “They play with a bunch of heart and play so well together.”
Owasso 8 13 14 13 48
Broken Arrow 7 6 11 19 43
Scoring Summary
Broken Arrow: (24-4): Darian Jackson 15, Alexis Gaulden 13, Aysia Evans 8, Jalise Smallwood 4, Lauren Richter 3.
Owasso: (22-7): Rachel Skalnik 12, Terryn Milton 10, Leiloni Culley 9, Jordan Kunka 6, Mya Bhinhar 5, Michalah O’Connell 3, Marius Morrow 2, Ashlyn Koelsch 1.
From The Daily Oklahoman:
TULSA — Three times this season, Terryn Milton and her Owasso teammates watched as Broken Arrow celebrated a victory between the two rivals. On Friday at the Mabee Center, Owasso returned the favor, complete with a dogpile.
The No. 9-ranked Rams were beyond jubilant after polishing off a 48-43 victory over top-ranked Broken Arrow in the Class 6A semifinals.
“We beat them when it really matters” Milton said, “and that’s all that matters”
Milton finished with 10 points, including eight key points in the third quarter, while Rachel Skalnik led Owasso (22-7) with 12 points to get the Rams in position to play for a championship for the first time since 1990.
“Our girls just came out and executed well ” said Owasso coach Matt Sweeney, whose club lost to the Tigers (24-4) in last week’s area finals. “We took care of the ball and took good shots. We didn’t block out well, but we did enough to get through ”
Broken Arrow did out-rebound Owasso 41-37, but the Rams enjoyed a 34.1 percent (14 of 41) shooting performance, compared to Broken Arrow’s 15-of-56 (26.8 percent) effort.
After trailing 21-13 at halftime, Broken Arrow used a 7-0 run to get within 1 (21-20) midway through the third quarter. That’s why Sweeney called timeout and Milton went to work, scoring eight points to spur Owasso on a 12-0 run.
“Any one of these kids, I feel, can do that ” Sweeney said. “They all have the green light to shoot the ball ”
Broken Arrow, led by Darian Jackson’s 15 points, got to within 45-43 with 24 seconds left, but Jordan Kunka followed with three free throws that sealed the victory for Owasso.
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