GREAT STATE

The high school state basketball tournaments have provided many great moments over the decades, but no single day was better than March 8, 2008, at State Fair Arena. On the 10-year anniversary, here’s a look back at that magical day at The Big House:

Game 1: Millwood girls 63, Sequoyah Tahlequah 60

Led by Brittany Demery, Millwood denied Angel Goodrich and Sequoyah Tahlequah from making history and becoming the first girls team in Oklahoma to win four consecutive high school basketball titles. Game 2: Pawnee boys 95, Oklahoma Christian School 79 Pawnee sharpshooter Keiton Page scored 54 points on 20-of-28 shooting, including 9 of 11 shots from behind the arc. He scored a record-setting 138 points in three state tournament games.

Game 3: Bishop McGuinness boys 80, Southeast 63 Bishop McGuinness won its third straight title. Junior big man Daniel Orton, already drawing recruiting attention from the likes of Kentucky and Florida, had 14 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.

Game 4: Verdigris boys 62, Sequoyah Tahlequah 51 Verdigris sharpshooter Rotnei Clarke scored 35 points leading the program to its first state title. He hit several big threes to fend off rallies, which were aided by an overflow of Sequoyah fans.

Game 5: Pocola girls 58, Walters 56

Eight points in the last 0.7 seconds. A four-point play put Walters up two, then Pocola cut the lead to one with a technical-foul free throw. Callie Slate won the game with a 35-foot heave as time expired.

Game 6: Star Spencer girls 51, Fort Gibson 43

Star Spencer and legendary coach Janith Johnson won state for the first time since 1991. Fort Gibson was denied its first title, losing in the state finals for the third consecutive year.