March 5, 2022 Issue, Page 4 of 28

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March 5, 2022 Sp ry Elkettes end season in Regional By Kerry Hookstra Woodward held a 12-11 edge in the second. pace the Elkettes. Others scoring were; Rob- drained another trey and Brown tossed in a Ella Sotille led the way for the Elkettes with a bins-5, Sotille-5, Delaja Martin-4, Brown-2. deuce. Elk City met up with Woodward Feb. 18 in three. Abby Brown and Jada Kimball sank 2-2 Kimball-2, Dejanae Martin-2, and Wyatt-1. Fourth frame play featured a 17-16 edge for District play. The Lady Boomers roared to a 56- free throws each while Buie an Delaja Martin Elkettes-Harrah the Elkettes. Buie ignited the attack with a three 32 decision. First round Regional action took putin a bucket apiece. The Lady Boomers tooka ‘The Lady Panthers went out to a 19-11 first the Elkettes to Kingfisher Feb. 26. Elk City faced 32-21 advantage to halftime. quarter lead. Delaja Martin paced Elk City with and a two. Delaja Martin connected on 4-4 free Harrah in the opening contest and saw the sea- ‘The third went to Woodward 10-8. Abby Jo a basket and four free throws. Hailey Buie bur- throws, while Brown buried a trey with a buck- son with a 53-41 defeat by the Lady Panthers. Robbins buried a trey and a deuce to lead the ied a trey with a deuce from Campbell Rainey. et and gift shot from Abby Jo Robbins and Jill Elkettes-Woodward Elkette offense. Buie drained her second three. ‘An 8-3 margin marked the second for Harrah. Meador put in a field goal. First quarter competition saw the Lady A 14-3 Lady Boomer run in the final frame Abby Brown Sank 3-4 free throws to account for Alyssa Hughey led all scorers and Harrah with Boomer take a 20-10 advantage. Hailey Buie set gave them the decision. Sotille put in a field goal the Elkette scoring. The Lady Panthers were on 15. Buie tossed down 11 to pace Elk City, Others the pace for Elk City with a 4-point play when top 27-14 after two periods of play. and Wyatt sank a free throw to account for the she was fouled shooting a made trey and she Elk City scoring. In the third the teams were even at 10-10. scoring included: Delaja Martin-10, Brown-8, added a deuce. Dejanae Martin and Delaja Mar- Thesally Pfeiffer poured down 24 to lead Dajanae Martin led the way for Elk City with Dajanae Martin-5, Robbins-3, Meador-2, and tin hit a basket apiece. Woodward and all scorers. Buie tossed in 11 to a three and 2-2 from the charity stripe. Buie Rainey-2. ‘It meant everything to me’: De Lapp puts heart into Cowgirls’ near-upset of OU on Senior Night Hallie Hart, Stillwater across the stat sheet, the Cow- and her family watched as she caused a slight delay heading miss from Fields, who had 15 the tough times and the tri- NewsPress girls fell short of a Bedlam up- put an exclamation point on into the fourth quarter — at points. umphs, and embraces them as set as Oklahoma escaped with her career at Gallagher-Iba one point, the screen showed This has been a theme of part of her story. Far from her home state of a 79-76 victory on Wednes- Arena. the Cowgirls leading 158-60. OSU's season: continuing to California, Kassidy De Lapp day night. With two seconds “It meant everything to me,” ‘The technical issue was re- compete in the face of adver- “Looking back, it’s just those has built a network of support- left, junior point guard Micah De Lapp said. “...[t reminds me solved, and OSU kept push- sity. De Lapp, along with se- highs and those lows and get- ers in Stillwater during four Dennis made an inbound pass of high school, of them coach- ing. With 1:39 left, De Lapp’s nior forward Brittany Reeves ting through it,” De Lapp said. years on the Oklahoma State to junior guard Lauren Fields, ing me and everything that jumper narrowed OU’s lead to and fifth-year forward Abbie women’s basketball team. whose potential 3-point equal- they've taught me, and I just 77-74, and Dennis’ layup made Winchester, have provided “Good coaching, good playing Her teammates have con- izer hit the rim but didn’t fall. love them with all my heart. It it a one-point game as 13 sec- seasoned leadership on a team and bad playing, everything. stantly uplifted her. She's It was a heartbreaker of a fi- was a game full of passion for onds remained. The Sooners continually searching for elu- It’s been an amazing experi- formed familylike bonds with nal home game for a team that me.” (23-6, 12-5) had possession, so sive wins. OSU employees and commu- has dealt with losing streaks De Lapp and the Cowgirls sophomore guard Lexy Keys, “Sometimes, it’s how you ence, and I think I've always nity members. De Lapp con- and COVID-related challenges (8-18 overall, 3-14 Big 12 Con- who finished with a game-high handle adversity that defines said this, but just the history stantly draws motivation from throughout the season. In the ference) chipped away at the 20 points, had to foul and give you,” Littell said. “It's easy of GIA and stepping into that the people around her, and postgame press conference, Sooners’ early advantage to OSU another chance. when you're winning a lot of gym every single day to prac- when the Cowgirls faced their OSU coach Jim Littell said both turn the tide late in the first ‘That sent senior guard Taylor games, and it’s a lot of fun tice, to play for four years, has biggest rival, she had an addi- teams deserved to win. The half. OU led 23-12 at the end Robertson to the free-throw when you win a lot of games, tional reason to pour her heart Cowgirls and the No. 19 Soon- of the first quarter, but OSU line, and she made both shots. and we've had some hard times been such a humbling experi- into everything she did. ers traded punches, exchang- capped the second quarter Robertson and Skylar Vann, a this year. ... But our kids keep ence knowing everything that For the first time since an ing momentum with runs, and with a 12-1 run to pull ahead sophomore from Edmond, pro- coming back and wanting to everybody did before you and exhibition matchup during senior center De Lapp fueled 42-36 just before halftime. pelled the Sooners to a victory get better.” her freshman year, De Lapp’s her team in multiple ways. When the third quarter with 19 points each. Although the Cowgirls’ everybody that will come after original supporters — her par- She scored a season-high started, the Cowgirls lost their After Robertson’s free home schedule is done, they you. ents — were able to attend a 18 points and added nine re- spark, but they settled in again throws, Keys attempted a have one regular-season game “It’s a one in a million kind game in Gallagher-Iba Arena, bounds, matching the season to cut OU's lead to 60-57 af- 3-pointer that bounced off the left: a road matchup against of experience, so to be able to celebrating with her on Senior best she set against TCU. De ter surrendering a 10-0 run. rim and out of bounds. The Texas at 1 p.m. Saturday. As Night. Although De Lapp’s Lapp also recorded four steals, ‘The game took a bizarre turn Cowgirls had one more pos- her college career winds down, be a part of that and just really contributions were evident four assists and one block — as a scoreboard malfunction session, but it ended in the De Lapp takes all aspects of it, soakit in is very cool.” = THE GRAHAM JAM Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is Making Up for Lost Time When star Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous- initiate the offense for Gilgeous-Alexander, loss on Friday night could do the Alexander missed 10 games with an ankle sprain As it turns out, that was all by design. team some good for NBA Draft in January and February, it gave other OKC play- Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault purposes. The Thunder players did ers a chance to step up. explained after the game that, moving forward, not get that memo. Players like Aleksej Pokusevski and Darius Giddey will play on-ball more often while SGA They played a thrilling, back- Bazley, who seemed like lost causes just a few will be off. It's not that Gilgeous-Alexander will and-forth contest with the Pacers weeks ago, suddenly found themselves contribut- never run the point any more, Daigneault in Indianapolis, nearly winning in ing at a high level. Tre Mann got more time and explained — he values an offense with multiple regulation but forced to overtime some starts. Even Theo Maledon flashed the creators — but given Giddey’s rapid develop- by a last-second Lance potential that made him intriguing one season ment, it makes sense to have the ball in his hands. Stephenson 3-pointer. ago. Gilgeous-Alexander admitted later that play- No matter; Oklahoma City But no Thunder player shined brighter during ing off the ball more often is not his "plan A." pulled ahead, held on, and shocked ‘SGA's absence than Josh Giddey, the Australian “It’s something that you have to sacrifice to be the new-look Pacers 129-125 on rookie guard, who picked up the slack at the a really good team. I know that,” he said, recall- their home court. point guard position and started racking up ing his experience sharing a backcourt with Chris SGA was spectacular. In his Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander goes up for triple-doubles left and right. Paul and Dennis Schroder two seasons ago. second game back from injury, he a_ basket between Sacramento Kings guard Oklahoma City went a respectable 4-6 while “T know to be one of the best teams in the racked up 36 points with eight De'Aaron Fox (5) and forward Harrison Bames (40) Gilgeous-Alexander was out, shocking many league, which we want to be very soon, you've rebounds and five assists while during the second half at Paycom Center. (Alonzo who thought the team would simply use the gotta have multiple guys that can play on the getting to the line regularly. His Adams-USA TODAY Sports) opportunity to nosedive in the standings. Finally, team was missing not only Giddey after the All-Star break, Gilgeous-Alexander was, Thunder fans were excited to see how the but also Lu Dort, Ty Jerome, Kenrich Williams points and 10 assists from Gilgeous-Alexander. back in action last Thursday night in Oklahoma SGA-Giddey pairing would continue to develop. and the indefinitely injured Mike Muscala and OKC returns to the court on Wednesday, City. Unfortunately, when Giddey missed the next two Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. March 2 when they take on Denver in the Mile You'd never know he had been away. games with hip soreness, it denied them the But that didn't stop them from beating Tyrese High City. It then returns home fora Friday con- Gilgeous-Alexander put on a show that night chance. Haliburton, Buddy Hield and the Pacers. test with Minnesota and a Sunday game against against the Phoenix Suns, the NBA's best team But it did put the ball squarely back into Oklahoma City came back to earth on the Utah Jazz. by record, logging 32 points on 13-for-22 shoot- Gilgeous-Alexander's hands, and the point guard Monday night against Sacramento at the Paycom Hopefully, Giddey will return soon and give ing in a 124-104 loss that was closer than the did not disappoint. Center, despite playing the Kings neck-and-neck Thunder fans another look at the team's back- final score would suggest. He paired nicely with Because Indiana's record is nearly as bad as through three quarters. The Kings pulled away in court of the future. Enjoy the games, everyone, Giddey, who brought the ball up more often to the Thunder's, some fans and pundits thought a the end, 131-110, but not without another 37 and Thunder Up! HERE COME THE & LAWNMOWER ENTERPRISES SHOPS. 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