High school girls basketball notebook: Big target
BY MIKE BROWN World Sports Writer
Thursday, March 07, 2013
3/07/13 at 5:09 AM
OKC Northeast may not seem as unbeatable to its Class 2A peers after sustaining a series of injuries in the regional tournament at Mounds.
Head coach Londaryl Perry said the No. 1 Vikings (28-0) sustained five injuries, including three of the "more serious" kind. Those injuries made practice "difficult" leading up to the area tournament in Claremore last Friday.
Any suggestion that Northeast might not be invincible should come as good news to the Preston Pirates, who face the Vikes at 7 p.m. Thursday when the 2A state tournament unfolds at Westmoore High School.
"They're supposed to beat us all, so we'll go and play the game and see what happens," coach Jeff Weedn said.
The Pirates punched their ticket by upsetting Oktaha last Saturday, and may be arriving a year early to the dance. Weedn has seven underclassmen among his top eight players, led by freshman phenom Chelsea Dungee.
Tonkawa also advanced, eliminating Ketchum in Saturday's consolation final at Claremore. The Bucs play No. 2 Dale at 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
Powerful representation: It's impressive enough that the Frontier Conference has three girls teams in the 6A state tournament.
It's even more impressive, considering that two of the three teams that tied for the conference title didn't make it.
Five teams had a chance to share the crown on the final night of the regular season, but Broken Arrow and Bixby lost at Owasso and Sapulpa, respectively, leaving Union, Muskogee and Jenks in a three-way knot on top.
In the playoffs, Union lost to Muskogee in the regional final, but came through the losers bracket to knock out Jenks and Muskogee in area play..
Brief respite: Bixby coach Melody Stewart said her players were surprised when she gave them a free day after a win over Bartlesville, locking up their first trip to the state tournament in six years.
"They were shocked, because we don't do that very often," Stewart said.
Stewart enjoyed some impromptu late dining that same night, along with several players who rode the team bus home from Catoosa.
"The kids wanted to go to (a Bixby fast-food franchise), and of course it was closed except for the drive through. So we got our meals and took them back to the gym," she said.
The No. 3 Spartans play No. 11 Edmond Memorial at 2 p.m. Thursday in a first-round game at Skiatook High School.
1,000 Club: Victory Christian guard Bailey Bergman finished her career with 1,108 points, head coach Ed Calhoon said. Bergman led the Conquerors to a 19-9 record, their best in seven years.
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