He was just a sophomore, but Eisenhower point guard Romio Harvey remembers the state tournament well.
It wasn't claiming the 2015 State 5A title over Carl Albert. Yes, that was a special moment. But the memory frozen in time was earlier that weekend against Pryor in the quarterfinals.
With the Eagles' season on the line, Ike rallied to defeat Pryor and win the state championship two days later.
"Seeing everybody come together knowing we didn't want that season to end was special," Harvey said. "That's also when I realized this was more like a brotherhood, too."
Now a senior and in his fourth consecutive state tournament, Harvey is the one of the veterans looking to make one final splash on the state preps scene. Eisenhower will take on Tulsa Memorial on Thursday at 7 p.m. at Catoosa.
"I really just want to play my hardest for our program's tradition, And now we're representing a city. We're representing Lawton going against Oklahoma City and Tulsa schools. We feel like we don't get enough credit down here, but we have to go and show it. I want to leave my mark and leave it all out on the court whether we win or lose."
Harvey's not the only Eagle who wants to soar out on top. In fact, many of the Ike players have multiple years of state tournament experience, and they plan to use that to their advantage. This isn't their first rodeo.
"We've been in this situation before working hard while chasing a gold ball and a ring," fellow senior Mookie Douglas said. "Being a senior, it's our last go-around so it's a little different. We're more hungry for it."
Over the years, Ike coach Todd Millwee has watched these veteran Eagles blossom into great basketball players and even greater young men. It'd be monumental to send those seniors off with a second state title.
"I'm pretty close to all those kids -- been around them for four years. They are great kids with high character, fun to be around, good leaders," Millwee said. "I can't say enough about them. It would be great to send those guys off with a state championship."
All of the seniors are phenomenal leaders for Ike and each does their part, but Harvey has set himself apart when it comes to leadership.
Harvey is the guy who breaks the team out yelling I-K-E! out of huddles. Harvey is the guy emphatically clapping after a big play -- whether it's himself or his teammates.
Every possession, he seems to motivate his teammates while bringing out the best in them. The senior stirs the drink for Ike.
"It's hard to put Romio into words. Everybody likes him; he has a great personality; he's never in trouble. He just does all the things you want in a leader," Millwee said. Even if his game is a little bit off, he's a vocal leader consistently, every single day. I haven't been around too many kids like that who can be a leader with their voice and then back it up in their actions also."
Of course, the stage is big and the lights are bright at state. But Ike's leader knows how to corral the Eagles and take care of business. After all, his three prior trips to this spot have granted him plenty of wisdom.
"The most I've learned about my state experience is at the end of the day, it's just a basketball game. People try to make it more than what it is," Harvey said. "Of course it's important, but if you just play basketball you'll be fine. And that first game is always the hardest -- always."
The other seniors have learned their fair share of knowledge from deep playoff runs too. Even last weekend's desperate rally to defeat Ardmore in the area consolation final taught this group a lot about themselves while also providing a one of senior Tariq Perkins' proudest moments.
"That Ardmore game was one of our toughest games of the year having to battle back," Perkins said. "Everybody kept their heads up and focused on coming back and getting the win."
Douglas, who scored 24 points against Pryor last year in the state tournament quarterfinal, is ready to show the rest of the state that Eisenhower is right up there.
In the southwest corner of Oklahoma, the Lawton schools are often forgotten about as the state ooh's and aah's over star-studded teams from Oklahoma City and Tulsa.
The Eagles arrive in Tulsa this year to show they are just as talented, if not more talented than the big city dogs.
"We've definitely got a chip on our shoulder with those schools in Oklahoma City and Tulsa because they get more rep and exposure," Douglas said. "Eisenhower and here in Lawton is slept on and forgotten about."
"We just want to come out on top and prove everybody wrong," Perkins echoed.