No. 1 Putnam West continues turnaround with title game berth
Staff Writer junruh@oklahoman.com
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.
TULSA —
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.