CLASS 2A GIRLS BASKETBALL
Dale 46, Hooker 21
Brook Rutland waited for her moment.
The guard from Dale wasn't going to let Hooker get into its offense. So, when she saw an opportunity, she attacked the ball-handler near halfcourt and ripped the ball away.
Rutland stormed down the court with two defenders on her, one behind and one on her hip. Regardless of their pressure, Rutland rose for a layup through contact anyway. The shot fell through the cylinder and the whistle blew for a foul.
Rutland pumped her arm and smiled as the Pirates came to congratulate her. Defense was leading to offense and that was the trend for the Pirates on Tuesday.
Dale's defensive pressure helped the Pirates to a 46-21 state quarterfinal win over Hooker on Tuesday at State Fair Arena. Dale advances to the state semifinals for the fourth consecutive year, with the exception of the COVID-19 canceled 2020 tournament.
“Our defensive pressure on the wings made it hard for them to reverse the ball,” Dale coach Eric Smith said, “and then we got out on their shooters. They didn't shoot it very well which helps but our pressure was there and our rotations were there and we were flying around and causing havoc. So, I was very pleased with our defense.” Dale (29-2) opened the game on an 8-0 run as Hooker felt the Pirates' pressure from the start. It wasn't until Allison Ugarte made a pair of free throws with just over two minutes left in the opening quarter that Hooker (19-9) was able to put points on the board. The two points were all Hooker was able to muster in the quarter and not much changed in the second. Devry Metcalf scored a layup for Hooker's only points in the second quarter.
With Dale's defensive pressure, the Pirates took a 24-4 lead in the first half. And it carried to the second half. Although Hooker had more offensive success in the second half, the Pirates held all of Hooker's scorers below doubledigits in scoring. Mady Swayze finished as Hooker's leading scorer with just seven points.
And while Dale was stout on defense, McKenzy Herman had her shot going on the offensive side. Herman led the Pirates with 16 points after knocking down 4 of 6 3-pointers throughout the game. Rutland followed with 14 points as Dale advanced.
Pawhuska 55, Preston 30
Hannah Reynolds could feel the momentum building.
So, she decided to keep it going.
Reynolds drove to the lane, drawing a Preston defender towards her. Without hesitation, Pawhuska's Reynolds jumped and dumped the ball off to Fallon Bowman. The 6-foot forward rose and scored the layup to extend Pawhuska's lead.
In its first state tournament appearance, Pawhuska continued its magical run, taking down higherseeded Preston 55-30 at State Fair Arena on Tuesday.
After losing districts in a two-point game against Tonkawa, Pawhuska had to win five straight games to advance to the tournament.
Pawhuska (26-4) came out with energy and that's what helped lead the charge. But it wasn't only because they were in the state tournament for the first time, it was also because Pawhuska had revenge on its mind after Preston (24-6) beat the Huskies by four in January. Bowman finished with 26 points and 11 rebounds while Hannah Reynolds tallied 17 points, four rebounds and five assists.
Amber-Pocasset 54, Hartshorne 32
With the duo of Teague Savage and Abbie Muncy, Amber-Pocasset took down Hartshorne 54-32 at State Fair Arena on Tuesday to advance to the Class 2A state semifinals. Savage finished with a game-high 19 points while Muncy turned in a doubledouble of 17 points and 10 rebounds. Amber-Pocasset (28-2) fell behind early as Hartshorne's Alanna Williams was on fire in the first half. She turned in 14 of Hartshorne's 20 first-half points, knocking down both of Hartshorne's first-half 3-pointers.
Behind Williams, Hartshorne (18-8) had a onepoint lead after the first quarter. But that's where Amber-Pocasset went on a run to earn an advantage.
Howe 64, Warner 43
With a big third-quarter run, Howe bested Warner 64-43 in the state quarterfinals on Tuesday night. Howe outscored Warner 18-8 in the third quarter to earn a significant edge. Howe (24-6) which has won two championships in four years, with the 2020 canceled tournament interrupting the probable three-peat, moves on to the semifinals once again. Kadynce Delt led the way with 16 points, Abby Huie scored 12 and Slatey Jo Free turned in 10. Warner (22-5) was led by Harlie Chesser, who scored 15 points.