Savage and Keener combine for 46 in close loss at No. 8 Broken Arrow

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

BAHS 63 CPHS 57

1Q Broken Arrow 21-16
2Q Broken Arrow 15-5
3Q Sand Springs 16-7
4Q All 20-20

Free Throws: CPHS 15-of-22 BAHS 12-of-24
Field Goals: CPHS 19-of-45 BAHS 21-of-43
Fouls: CPHS 18, BAHS 20

Scoring: (CPHS) Colt Savage 24, Keener 22, Garbey 9, Taber 2. (BAHS) Huffman 14, Dennis 13, Hall 9, Lane 8, Smith 6, Everette 4, Boyer 4, Ensminger 3, Gonzales 2.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Keener 6, Colt Savage 1, Price 1, Garbey 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Keener 8, Colt Savage 2, Price 2, Cale Savage 1, Garbey 1, Golightly 1.
Steals: Keener 3, Taber 1, Cale Savage 1.
Assists: Taber 1.
Blocks: Keener 3. 
Fouls: Price 5, Keener 4, Taber 3, Colt Savage 2, Garbey 2, Wash 1, Golightly 1.

Sand Springs won the second half, but they couldn't win the war. No. 8 ranked Broken Arrow (15-5) hosted the unranked Sandites (9-11) Tuesday afternoon, and were nearly caught sleeping. After rolling to a 36-21 halftime advantage, they barely stayed above water in the final stretch.

The Sandites tried to hang tight with their foes throughout the first quarter, but trailed by seven multiple times before a two-point shot from Josh Taber cut it to 21-16 at the end of the period.

Broken Arrow brought the rain to start the second quarter, as Braden Boyer, Camryn Dennis, Cory Lane, and Taylor Gonzales all hit field goals to make it 30-16 before Colt Savage broke the streak with a pair of free throws. Jacob Garbey scored the only other Sandite points of the quarter on a three pointer, and the Tigers took a 36-22 advantage into the locker room.

Whatever Coach Savage said to his boys at halftime worked and they came out to score the first seven points of the second half. Tony Hall regained the double digit lead with a three-pointer, Keener hit a two, Boyer hit a pair from the free throw line, then the Sandites went on another seven-point run. Caleb Huffman hit a pair of free throws to end the quarter, but Sand Springs won the third 16-7.

Huffman started off the final stanza with a three, but Savage scored six-straight to make it 46-43. Huffman posted another three, followed by a pair of free throws from Garbey, then Dennis hit a two. Keener scored five-straight and the Sandites were officially within a point.

Then came the foul war. Keener committed two fouls in a row. Dennis sank both of his. Boyer missed his fortunately, but the Tigers went right back to the line on a foul from Savage. Dennis missed his 1-1, but Huffman rebounded for two. Keener was next to go to the line but missed his second shot, rebounded, and missed the field goal.

Dennis hit a layup on the next possession, then Taber sent Major Smith to the line for two.

With 48.6 left, Savage scored a layup to cut it to 59-53, then Keener blocked a shot on the Tigers' corresponding possession and returned it for two. Price fouled Smith, who made one, then Huffman rebounded the second and sent it to Lane for a bucket.

By this point both teams were in the double and Huffman was next to the line and made one. Savage rebounded the second, but it was too late in the game, and his deep three fell short and the home team prevailed 63-57 after tying 20-20 in the fourth.

Savage led all scorers with 26, followed by Keener with 22. Keener's 22 tied his career-high, and he also pulled in 14 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. Huffman and Dennis were the only Tigers in double digits, but nine players got on the board for Broken Arrow, as compared to four for Sand Springs.

The Sandites will return to action Friday when they host No. 18 Bartlesville (9-9), who has already beaten them 53-39 and 63-53 this season. The Tigers will host No. 1 Union (20-0), who defeated them 60-56 in December. 

No. 3 Sand Springs rolls over No. 15 Broken Arrow 54-32 behind Kersgieter's 16

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

CPHS 54 BAHS 32

1Q Sand Springs 11-6
2Q Sand Springs 11-5
3Q Sand Springs 16-7
4Q Sand Springs 16-14

Free Throws: CPHS 11-of-16 BAHS 5-of-6
Field Goals: CPHS 19-of-46 BAHS 10-of-42
Penalties: CPHS 7 BAHS 12

Scoring: (CPHS) Kersgieter 16, Johnson 7, Regalado 7, Pennington 7, Mutiri 7, McGee 6, Collins 4. (BAHS) Cuellar 9, Smallwood 7, Callen 6, Moore 4, Bowker 3, West 3.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Mutiri 7, Pennington 1, Kersgieter 1, Johnson 1, McGee 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Pennington 7, Kersgieter 5, Johnson 5, Mutiri 3, McGee 2, Taber 2, Collins 1. 
Steals: Johnson 2, Pennington 1, Kersgieter 1, McGee 1, Collins 1.
Assists: Pennington 4, Kersgieter 1, McGee 1.
Blocks: Mutiri 2, Kersgieter 1.
Fouls: Taber 3, Regalado 1, McGee 1, Mutiri 1, Johnson 1.
 

The No. 3 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (17-1) visited the No. 15 Broken Arrow Lady Tigers (11-9) and dealt the home team a twenty-point loss for the second time this season. Sophomore standout Holly Kersgieter led all scorers with 16 points, and four Lady Sandites scored seven-apiece. None of the Lady Tigers broke double digits. 

It took the Sandites a few possessions before they found their offensive mojo, leading only 11-6 after the first quarter while shooting 30% on field goals. Jalise Smallwood hit a three for the Lady Tigers to start the second period, followed by a two-point response from Kierra McGee.

The Sandites finally turned up the heat midway through the quarter and shot 50%. Sydney Pennington snagged a steal, was fouled on a layup, and made the free throw. Holly Kersgieter scored on back-to-back possessions and the visitors held a 20-9 lead. Smallwood put an end to the streak, but Pennington got the final say of the half, rebounding a free throw from Mutiri for the final points, then rebounded Kinsey Callen on the opposite end of the court to carry the 22-11 advantage into the locker room.

Sand Springs came out pumped after halftime and scored the first points of the half on a free throw from Mutiri and a layup from Pennington. Angelica Cuellar hit a two, then Kersgieter, Cuellar, and Bella Regalado all sank threes. Danyell Moore hit a pair from the charity stripe on a foul from Regalado, then sent Regalado to the stripe for a pair. Johnson closed out the period with two field goals and a penalty shot for the 38-18 lead.

The fourth quarter started out even better for the Sandites. Mutiri hit a two and Kersgieter added a three before Brook Bowker hit a three for the Tigers. The Sandites went on a seven-point run from there and finally subbed in the second string with 3:00 remaining and a 50-21 advantage. Jessica Collins got into the scoring action for Sand Springs and finished with four points as the home team outscored the visitors 8-4 in the final minutes to end the game 54-32.

The Lady Sandites will return to action Friday when they host No. 14 Bartlesville (11-7), who they have already defeated 51-34 earlier this season. Broken Arrow will host No. 17 Union (10-9), who they lost to 41-36 earlier this year.

Frontier Valley Conference Women's Basketball Standings: Week Eleven

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

No. 7 Owasso (14-5 overall, 9-1 conference) took advantage of Gloria Mutiri's brief absence from the Charles Page lineup to knock the formerly undefeated Lady Sandites from the top spot in conference standings. With Owasso's 61-57 victory being the only matchup of the season between the two teams, the Lady Rams can clinch the title by winning their final four games. 

Terryn Milton scored 29 in the win over Sand Springs, 14 in a 56-42 win over Sapulpa, and 23 in a 67-55 win over Muskogee. The Lady Rams hold the No. 3 offense, No. 5 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in the conference. 

Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Bishop Kelley 48-32, Jenks 56-45, and Union 45-42. Their biggest obstacle will be Bartlesville, with whom they've split wins. The Lady Bruins prevailed 52-39 in the season-opener, but Owasso got payback 39-33 at the Bixby Tournament, and is now on an eight-game winning streak.

No. 4 Sand Springs (16-1, 9-1) may still be a top contender for the State Championship, but they'll need a lucky break to take the conference title since their loss to Owasso. They'll have to win out and hope Owasso loses one of their final games. On the plus side, Gloria Mutiri is healthy and back in action.

Sydney Pennington scored 22 in the loss to Owasso, Holly Kersgieter scored 19 in a 71-35 win at Jenks, and Destiny Johnson scored 15 in a 56-33 win over Bishop Kelley. The Sandites hold the No. 1 offense, No. 1 defense, and No. 1 margin of victory in the conference. 

Of their remaining opponents, they have already beaten Broken Arrow 66-45, Bartlesville 51-34, Muskogee 62-43, and Bixby 67-51.

No. 15 Bartlesville (11-7, 7-2) still has an outside shot at the conference title if they win out and if the top two drop a few games here and there. The Lady Bruins are currently on a three-game winning streak. Erin Shoemaker scored 15 in a 56-44 victory over Jenks, Avery Allen and Lauren Richter scored nine apiece in a 38-34 win over Broken Arrow, and Shoemaker posted 20 against Union.

The Bruins hold the No. 5 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 2 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents they've already defeated Bixby 56-27 and split wins with Owasso, prevailing 52-39 in conference play, but falling 39-33 at the Bixby Tournament. They'll need to avenge a 51-34 loss to Sand Springs, and win back-to-back against Sapulpa to finish the regular season.

No. 14 Broken Arrow (11-8, 6-4) can win the title if t hey win out and if Sand Springs and Owasso both lose all their remaining games. Jalise Smallwood has led the team in the last five-straight games, averaging 19-points-per-game as the Tigers defeated Sapulpa 49-46, Muskogee 49-39, and Bixby 56-53, but fell 48-41 to Owasso and 38-34 to Bartlesville.

The Tigers hold the No. 9 offense, No. 3 defense, and No. 5 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Bishop Kelley 43-37 and split wins with Union. They'll also need to avenge a 66-45 loss to Sand Springs.

No. 16 Union (10-9, 5-5) is technically still in the conversation, but their odds make the Tigers' odds look great. They'll need to win out and they'll need Sand Springs and Owasso to lose out. They'll need Broken Arrow to lose at least one game, and they'll need to beat Owasso by at least four points and Sand Springs by at least 21 points. 

Taylor Malham led the Redskins to a 41-37 victory over Bixby with 22 points, but they fell 50-43 to Bartlesville, 55-45 to Sapulpa, and 79-58 to Sand Springs. The Redskins hold the No. 4 offense, No. 4 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in the conference. 

Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Jenks 61-34 and Bishop Kelley 62-39, and split wins with Broken Arrow. They were defeated 45-42 by Owasso.

No. 19 Sapulpa (8-10, 4-5) defeated Union 55-45 behind 18 points from Kiarra Brooks and topped Jenks 46-40 thanks to 17 points from Michaela Bethel. They fell 56-42 to Owasso, however, effectively ending their shot at a conference title. The Chieftains hold the No. 6 offense, No. 9 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in the conference. 

Jenks (5-13, 3-7) has lost their last three-straight, falling 56-44 to Bartlesville, 71-35 to Sand Springs, and 46-40 to Sapulpa, effectively ending their shot at a title. Makenley Church scored 15 against the Bruins, Emma Wasson posted 12 against Sand Springs, and Makenna Burch scored 16 against Sapulpa. The Trojans hold the No. 6 offense, No. 10 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in the conference. 

Muskogee (7-10, 3-7) fell 49-39 to Broken Arrow and 67-55 to Owasso, but topped Bishop Kelley 45-37. Trena Mims led in all three games, averaging 22 points per game. The Roughers hold the No. 2 offense, No. 8 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in the conference. 

5A No. 16 Bishop Kelley (6-10, 2-8) fell 56-33 to Sand Springs and 45-37 to Muskogee this past week. The Comets hold the No. 10 offense, No. 6 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in the conference.

Bixby (6-13, 1-9) has dropped three straight, falling 42-31 to Bishop Kelley, 41-37 to Union, and 56-53 to Broken Arrow. Maddie Bittle led in all three games, averaging 13.6 points. The Lady Spartans hold the No. 8 offense, No. 7 defense, and No. 8 margin of victory.

Remaining Conference Schedule

2/6 Muskogee @ Bixby
2/7 Sand Springs @ Broken Arrow
2/7 Bartlesville @ Owasso
2/7 Bishop Kelley @ Sapulpa
2/7 Jenks @ Union
2/10 Union @ Broken Arrow
2/10 Bartlesville @ Sand Springs
2/10 Jenks @ Bixby
2/10 Owasso @ Bishop Kelley
2/10 Sapulpa @ Muskogee
2/14 Sapulpa @ Broken Arrow
2/14 Bixby @ Bartlesville
2/14 Union @ Bishop Kelley
2/14 Owasso @ Jenks
2/17 Bishop Kelley @ Broken Arrow
2/17 Bartlesville @ Sapulpa
2/17 Sand Springs @ Bixby
2/17 Jenks @ Muskogee
2/17 Union @ Owasso
2/20 Sapulpa @ Bartlesville

Conference Strength:

1. Central Oklahoma (50)
2. Frontier Valley (39)
3. Big Ten (37.5)
4. Green Country (26.5)
5. All-City (10.45)

FVC Leading Scorers
(points-per-game)

1. Trena Mims (Muskogee) 19.6
2. Terryn Milton (Owasso) 16.0
3. Jalise Smallwood (Broken Arrow) 15.4
4. Taylor Malham (Union) 15.3
5. Maddie Bittle (Bixby) 14.7
6. Jena Williams (Bartlesville) 11.9
7. Sydney Pennington (Sand Springs) 11.9
8. Haley Meely (Jenks) 11.4
9. Macy Craig (Bishop Kelley) 10.5
10. Gloria Mutiri (Sand Springs) 10.2

Frontier Valley Conference Men's Basketball Standings: Week Eleven

Kyle Keener scored 13 in a game against Jenks this week. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The 2016-2017 boys' basketball season is far from over, but the Frontier Valley Conference is nearing the end of its competition as only three teams remain with a shot at the title. It's been an exciting year thus far with lots of parity and circular losses, living up to the FVC's reputation as one of the most competitive conferences in the state.

No. 1 Union (19-0 overall, 10-0 conference) is the clear favorite to win it all this season. The Redskins are the only undefeated team left in 6A, and one of only three undefeated teams in the state. In the past week they've defeated Sapulpa 79-61, Bixby 64-54, and Bartlesville 53-41. Mo Garcia scored 23  against the Chieftains, Ethan Chargois scored 23 against the Spartans, and the two scored 13 apiece against the Bruins.

The Redskins hold the No. 2 offense, No. 2 defense, and No. 1 margin of victory in the conference. All they need to do is win three out of four of their final games to clinch the title. They've already defeated Jenks 66-40, Broken Arrow 60-56, Bishop Kelley 65-42, and Owasso 62-39 thus far this season. 

No. 10 Broken Arrow (14-5, 8-2) has the closest shot of snatching the title from Union, but to do so they'll need to win out, and they'll need Union to lose three games. Or, if Union loses to Broken Arrow and one other team, the Tigers can win on point-differential if they top the Redskins by five points or more.

The Tigers are on a four-game win streak after topping Owasso 53-46, Muskogee 50-47, Bartlesville 49-48, and Bixby 65-46. Tony Hall scored 16 against the Rams, while Caleb Huffman led in the three games after that with 23 against the Roughers, 16 against the Bruins, and 14 against the Spartans.

Broken Arrow holds the No. 6 offense, No. 1 defense, and No. 2 margin of victory in the conference. Of their four remaining opponents, they've already defeated Sand Springs 55-54 and Bishop Kelley 44-41, but they fell 60-56 to Union and 59-57 to Sapulpa. 

No. 12 Sapulpa (12-4, 7-2) also has an outside shot at the title, and possibly a better shot than Broken Arrow. They're on a two-game winning streak, beating Owasso 77-73 and Jenks 54-52, after falling 79-61 to Union. Keenan Balance posted 28 against Union and Julian Smith did the same to Owasso.

With five games left, they're in the same boat as the Tigers. They need to win out, and they need Union to drop three. They currently hold the No. 1 offense, No. 9 defense, and No. 6 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Bishop Kelley 60-50, and Broken Arrow 59-57. Their early season matchup at Bartlesville was rescheduled, so they'll finish the season with back-to-back games against the Bruins. They'll also need to avenge their 58-50 loss to Muskogee.

No. 8 Muskogee (12-5, 6-4) has fallen on hard times with three-straight losses and is officially out of the title picture. Something has happened to Muskogee's mojo and they've fallen 50-47 to Broken Arrow, who they had previously beaten, 56-52 to Bishop Kelley, and 74-64 to Owasso, who they had previously beaten. TyReece Berry posted 20 against the Tigers and 19 against the Comets, then Clarence Parks scored 21 against the Rams.

The Roughers still hold the No. 3 offense, No. 7 defense, and No. 3 margin of victory in the FVC. Of their remaining opponents, they've already beaten Bixby 65-63, Sapulpa 58-50, and Jenks 85-59. 

No. 17 Bartlesville (9-9, 4-5) picked up a a 56-45 win over Jenks last week, but fell 49-48 to Broken Arrow and 53-41 to Union this week. Barron Tanner led in all three games with 23, 17, and 25 points, respectively. 

The Bruins hold the No. 9 offense, No. 4 defense, and No. 7 margin of victory in the FVC. Of their remaining opponents they've already defeated Owasso 47-42, and Sand Springs 53-39 and 63-53. They'll need to avenge a 76-68 overtime loss to Bixby, and they'll finish with back-to-back games against Sapulpa, who they have yet to face this season. 

No. 15 Owasso (11-8, 4-6) split wins this past week, falling 77-73 to Sapulpa, but upsetting Muskogee 74-64. Jake Thompson posted 26 against the Chieftains, while Courtre Alexander led with 25 against the Roughers.

The Rams hold the No. 4 offense, No. 6 defense, and No. 4 margin of victory in the FVC. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Jenks 66-52, but they'll need payback wins against the other three. They fell 47-42 to Bartlesville, 59-57 to Bishop Kelley, and 62-39 to Union.

Sand Springs (9-10, 3-7) has picked up back-to-back conference wins for the first time this season, topping Jenks 51-44 and Bishop Kelley 46-43. Colt Savage led in both games with 19 against the Trojans and 21 against the Comets. 

The Sandites hold the No. 5 offense, No. 5 defense, and No. 5 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Bixby 76-61, but they'll need payback wins against Bartlesville and Broken Arrow. The Tigers trumped the Sandites 55-54, and the Bruins won 53-39 and 63-53.

Bixby (8-11, 3-7) is riding back-to-back losses after falling 64-54 to Union and 65-46 to Broken Arrow. Joey Homan scored 19 against the Redskins, while Will Fiser posted 20 against the Tigers.

The Spartans hold the No. 8 offense, No. 8 defense, and No. 9 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Jenks 49-36 and Bartlesville 76-68, but they'll need payback wins against Muskogee and Sand Springs. The Roughers won 65-63 and the Sandites prevailed 76-71. 

5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (7-11, 3-7) picked up a huge 56-52 upset of Muskogee, but fell 46-43 to Sand Springs. Alex Woodruff led in both games with 18 against the Roughers and 11 against the Sandites.

The Comets hold the No. 10 offense, No. 3 defense, and No. 8 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've already defeated Owasso 59-57, but they fell 60-50 to Sapulpa, 65-42 to Union, and 44-41 to Broken Arrow.

Jenks (3-13, 1-9) has had an off year, but still has the bones to finish on a strong note. This past week they fell 51-44 to Sand Springs and 54-52 to Sapulpa. Ananias Carson posted 12 against the Sandites.

The Trojans hold the No. 7 offense, No. 10 defense, and No. 10 margin of victory in the conference. Of their remaining opponents, they've fallen 66-40 to Union, 49-36 to Bixby, 66-52 to Owasso, and 85-59 to Muskogee. 

Remaining Conference Schedule

2/6 Muskogee @ Bixby
2/7 Sand Springs @ Broken Arrow
2/7 Bartlesville @ Owasso
2/7 Bishop Kelley @ Sapulpa
2/7 Jenks @ Union
2/10 Union @ Broken Arrow
2/10 Bartlesville @ Sand Springs
2/10 Jenks @ Bixby
2/10 Owasso @ Bishop Kelley
2/10 Sapulpa @ Muskogee
2/14 Sapulpa @ Broken Arrow
2/14 Bixby @ Bartlesville
2/14 Union @ Bishop Kelley
2/14 Owasso @ Jenks
2/17 Bishop Kelley @ Broken Arrow
2/17 Bartlesville @ Sapulpa
2/17 Sand Springs @ Bixby
2/17 Jenks @ Muskogee
2/17 Union @ Owasso
2/20 Sapulpa @ Bartlesville

Conference Strength:

1. Central Oklahoma (48)
2. Green Country (47.66)
3. Big Ten (47.6)
4. Frontier Valley (45.7)
5. All-City (30.09)

FVC Leading Scorers
(points-per-game)

1. Colt Savage (Sand Springs) 22.5
2. Keenan Balance (Sapulpa) 21.3
3. Ethan Chargois (Union) 18.8
4. Brooks Haddock (Muskogee) 18.4
5. Julian Smith (Sapulpa) 18.1
6. TyReece Berry (Muskogee) 17.4
7. Caleb Huffman (Broken Arrow) 16.9
8. Josh Proctor (Owasso) 16.4
9. Kyle Keener (Sand Springs) 15.8
10. Barron Tanner (Bartlesville) 15.2

Matt Price's last second layup clenches 46-43 victory over No. 17 Bishop Kelley

Matt Price has been a huge mid-season addition to the Sandite lineup. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The Charles Page High School boys basketball team (9-10) played one of their most heated games of the season Friday night at the Ed Dubie Field House, and thanks to last minute heroics from Matt Price, they prevailed 45-43 in a payback win over 5A No. 17 Bishop Kelley (7-11).

The Comets overcame Sand Springs 45-42 in the second game of the year in an equally thrilling showdown at Kelley. That time the Sandites led 12-7 after the first and 23-17 at the half before the Comets came back in the third. 

CPHS 46 Bishop Kelley 43

1Q Sand Springs 12-4
2Q Bishop Kelley 14-7
3Q All 14-14
4Q Sand Springs 13-11

Free Throws: CPHS 10-of-12 Kelley 9-of-12
Field Goals: CPHS 17-of-37 Kelley 13-of-41
Fouls: CPHS 11 Kelley 14

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Colt Savage 21, Keener 14, Price 9, Garbey 2. (Kelley) Woodruff 11, Roy 10, Gendron 8, Edmonds 8, Musto 4, Jeffries 2.

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Keener 4, Taber 2, Price 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Colt Savage 8, Keener 5, Cale Savage 2.
Steals: Colt Savage 2.
Assists: Keener 2, Colt Savage 1, Taber 1, Price 1.
Blocks: Keener 5, Garbey 1.
Fouls: Colt Savage 4, Keener 2, Garbey 2, Price 2, Cale Savage 1.

This time Sand Springs played one of their best first quarters of the season and took a twelve-point lead before letting the Comets onto the board with a three-point basket from Joe Edmonds. Colt Savage made the first shot of the night, University of Central Oklahoma-signed senior Kyle Keener rebounded and sent it right back to Savage for two. Keener made the next basket and a penalty shot, then added another off an assist from Josh Taber. Price was next in on the action then Keener added another. Ryan Gendron ended the quarter with a free throw and the Sandites led 12-4 behind Keener's seven.

The second quarter was dominated by the Comets, however, who ended on an eleven-point streak and trailed only 19-18 at the half, thanks to Alex Woodruff with eight.

The Comets came out on fire in the second half. Keener scored the opening basket, Jacob Jeffries retaliated, Jacob Garbey posted his first points of the game, then Kelley went on a six-point run with two baskets from Ryan Roy and one from Edmonds for the lead.

It was back and forth from there but the Sandites didn't reclaim the lead till the last play of the quarter. Savage hit two, then Price got a rebound with mere seconds left, took it coast to coast for a layup, drew a foul and sank the shot to finish 33-32, foreshadowing the game's finale.

Savage started off the fourth quarter with back-to-back field goals, Gendron hit one for Kelly, then Roy and Savage both added free throws. Edmonds tied it up at 38-all, Savage scored another free throw, then Gendron sank two for the one-point lead. Savage took it right back in the same manner, then Woodruff hit a long three with 40 seconds left.

Savage drew a foul on a game-tying layup with 12.4 seconds left, but missed the free throw and Kelley got the ball. Kelley used a timeout with 6.3 seconds left, but didn't get the ball inbounds in time and gave up the turnover. Price hit the bucket with one second remaining, drew a foul, and sank his free throw for the 45-43 lead and the win. 

Savage led all scorers with 21 points and had the team-high for the fifteenth time this season. Keener posted 14, and Price's 9 points were a season-best. Woodruff led his team with 11, closely followed by Edmonds with 10. Roy and Gendron both scored 8.

The Sandites will return to action next Tuesday at No. 10 Broken Arrow (13-5) who they fell to in a close 55-54 shootout back in December. The Comets will travel to No. 12 Sapulpa (11-4) who defeated them 60-50 earlier this season. 

No. 4 Sand Springs hammers 5A No. 16 Bishop Kelley 56-33, Johnson scores 15

(Photo: Morgan Miller)

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

The No. 4 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (16-1) rolled to a convincing 56-33 home victory over 5A No. 16 Bishop Kelley (6-11) Friday night at the Ed Dubie Field House, taking a 30-6 halftime lead and holding the Lady Comets to nothing but free throws in the first half. Ohio State Volleyball-commit Gloria Mutiri made her return after missing two games with a sprained ankle and scored 4.

CPHS 56 Bishop Kelley 33

1Q Sand Springs 18-4
2Q Sand Springs 12-2
3Q All 13-13
4Q Bishop Kelley 14-13

Scoring: (Sand Springs) Johnson 15, Regalado 10, Kersgieter 7, McGee 7, Taber 4, Pennington 4, Mutiri 4, Collins 3, Grant 2. (Kelley) Martin 13, Craig 6, Cyr 6, Ritchie 4, Gripado 4. 

Free Throws: CPHS 17-of-28 Kelley 14-of-21
Field Goals: CPHS 18-of-48 Kelley 8-of-30
Fouls: CPHS 19 Kelley 18

(Sand Springs only)
Offensive Rebounds: Kersgieter 3, Regalado 3, Pennington 2, Johnson 2, Taber 2, Grant 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Mutiri 4, Johnson 3, Pennington 2, McGee 2, Kersgieter 1, Regalado 1, Boaz 1.
Steals: Pennington 5, Kersgieter 3, Regalado 3, Taber 2, Johnson 1, McGee 1.
Assists: Kersgieter 3, McGee 2, Pennington 2, Collins 1.
Blocks: Kersgieter 1, Regalado 1.
Fouls: Taber 5, Pennington 3, Johnson 3, McGee 3, Bunch 2, Kersgieter 1, Regalado 1.

Sophomores Isabella Regalado and Destiny Johnson scored the first points of the game for a 4-0 lead before giving up a pair of free throws to Michaela Martin. Holly Kersgieter added one from the charity stripe for Sand Springs, then Macy Craig added two more for the Comets to make it 5-4. That was the closest they would get for the rest of the night.

Sand Springs went on an eighteen-point run from there and Johnson finished the first quarter with ten points for a 18-4 lead. Regalado kicked off the second quarter and Connors State Softball-signed senior Jessica Collins posted another two before Kelley got back into the game with another pair of free throws from Martin. Johnson hit a two and a free throw, then Mutiri scored four-straight to end the half.

The second half was far more balanced as the two teams each scored thirteen in the third quarter and Bishop Kelley actually won the fourth quarter 14-13 against the Sandite second-string.

Johnson led all scorers with fifteen points, followed by Martin with thirteen for the Comets. Regalado also broke double digits with ten.

The Lady Sandites will return to action next Tuesday at No. 14 Broken Arrow (10-8), who they already defeated 66-45 earlier this season. The Comets will travel to No. 19 Sapulpa (7-10) who they defeated 51-44 earlier this season.