It’s survive and advance. It’s win or go home. That’s right — it is time for the area basketball tournaments in Class 5A.
The Eisenhower and MacArthur girls both won their regionals to reach this point, and the stage only gets bigger from here on out as teams battle for position in next weekend’s state tournament.
The No. 1 Lady Eagles (17-6) take on No. 8 El Reno (15-10) on Thursday at Norman North, while the Lady Highlanders (16-7) travel to Edmond North for a matchup with No. 2 Woodward (21-4). Both games are scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Ike looks to limit athletic El Reno guards
Upsets are a part of any sport, especially basketball.
Last season, Ike shocked the state by reaching the state tournament despite having only six wins entering the playoffs. That is all the more reason for the Lady Eagles to take care of business against a potential sleeper team in El Reno.
The Indians enter the game on a five-game winning streak, and though they average only 48 points per game, they have the necessary players to lead an upset bid.
Ike coach Daniel Wall said the Indians are a disciplined and sound basketball team.
“They have a couple of guards who can shoot it really well,” Wall said. “They’re just a solid team that’s really fundamental.”
Point guard Hayden Freeman is one such player on Ike’s radar.
After watching El Reno’s film this week, Wall said it is clear Freeman shoots well, handles the ball with precision and often pushes the game’s tempo. She, along with small forward/power forward hybrid Massey Beard, makes for a competitive challenge.
“She kind of runs the show, so she’s going to be the main focal point for us defensively. (Beard) is a girl who they got who plays 3-4 inside and out, and she’s pretty aggressive and rebounds well. They also have two or three other shooters who are kind of interchangeable in that they can all handle the ball really well and shoot it.”
How does a team stop an opponent with several key players? For Wall, the answer is simple.
“Our game plan is to pressure, pressure, pressure,” Wall said. “I see a lot of full court stuff from El Reno, so we’re going to try to take the ball out of (Freeman’s) hands and see who else can kind of step up and do anything. A heavy dose of defensive intensity and pressure is what we’re going to apply.”
Defensively, the Indians like to show multiple looks and schemes to confuse opposing offenses.
El Reno mainly likes to run a 2-3 zone, but it also has no problem stacking guards for a 1-1-3 stack. These schemes have allowed the Indians to hold opponents to an average of 44.8 points this season.
They’ve given up 60-plus points only three times this season, but offensive firepower is the Lady Eagles’ strength. Ike has managed 60 points or more five times this season and 70-plus six times.
To limit the potential chaos El Reno could cause with its sturdy defense, Wall said his team has worked out of a zone offense this week at practice.
“There’s been a lot of shooting to give our guards some confidence in shooting from the outside,” Wall said. “But at the same time, if we can get one-on-one on the inside, we’re definitely going to try to take advantage of that.”
Wall said it is hard to pinpoint one player who he thinks will have success against the Indians because he’s going to make adjustments based on what they try to take away.
“We have so many weapons, so as long as we’re pushing the transition and applying a lot of pressure, we can force some turnovers, and who knows who can score off that,” Wall said. “I want our shooters to have confidence. Delicia Brown, Ginger Reece, Hallie Horton, Jada Laster and Gena Rogers can all kind of shoot it. And when we get those one-on-one matchups on the inside with Jaeda Reed and Mikaela Hall, we’re going to take advantage of that.
“If they double up, we’re going to kick it out and knock down shots. If they’re not going in, we’re going to rebound offensively because we’re a little bigger than them.”
Mac not intimidated by Woodward’s ranking
Playing a top-ranked can be a daunting task for any squad.
Add the stress of doing so in the playoffs, and coaches have a stressful situation to handle. That is what MacArthur faces against Woodward on Thursday night.
However, Lady Highlanders coach David Vann’s confidence in his team hasn’t wavered all season, and it certainly is going to start now.
“They’re ranked No. 2 for a reason, but I had a talk with the girls and told them we’re ranked, too,” Vann said. “I just don’t want Woodward being ranked No. 2 in state getting in their heads. What I looked at the other night is Bishop McGuinness (9-15), ranked 18th, almost beat them (53-51). Woodward hasn’t played an athletic team like us, but don’t get me wrong — they’re 21-4 for a reason.”
The Boomers enter the game on a five-game winning streak, their last loss coming to 4A No. 6 Elgin in overtime on Feb. 2.
Another reason for confidence? In addition to Woodward’s lackluster performance against the lowly Fighting Irish, the Boomers struggled against Altus, needing overtime to oust the unranked team Mac has beaten four times this season. That happened only a week before the Lady Highlanders beat the Bulldogs by nine.
Despite Woodward’s apparent struggles, it has several players who are capable of scoring in double figures on a nightly basis.
Kaylee Hurst, Brennley Cloyd, Kami Porter and Maison Moseley have that potential and have shown it several times this season. The quartet scored 48 of the Boomers’ 53 points against McGuinness on Monday.
If not for a clutch shot with six seconds left from Hurst, who finished with 19 points, Woodward could be in a consolation bracket instead of one win away from the state tournament.
Vann is well aware of the number of weapons Woodward has in its possession, but he isn’t worried about his defense’s ability to take away options.
“The defense they normally play against is a 2-3 zone, a 3-2 zone or a 1-3-1, but we don’t play zone,” Vann said. “We match up well, and we’re not going to let those girls have that many points. We cannot leave open shooters out. If we get out and cover like we’re supposed to and do what we need to do, we’ll be OK.”
Offensively, Vann said his team will try to take advantage of the Boomers’ lack of a presence on the inside by utilizing Victoria Lewis.
“They don’t have a big girl, so I’m eager to see how they come out and defend (Lewis),” Vann said. “I would imagine they’re going to double her or front her, so I had a talk with her as well, so she’s going to be ready to go. She’s the key. We have to get her going early.”
Vann said the team knows what it is up against, and with a chance to qualify for the state tournament for the first time in a few years at stake, he said he believes the girls will be up for the challenge.
They like playing as the underdog.
“Nobody knows anything about MacArthur,” Vann said. “I think we’re that sleeper team that comes out of nowhere. Ike knows about us, but they’re going to be on the top portion of the bracket. If it doesn’t work out like it should, then we’ll have another chance and end up playing Piedmont or Carl Albert.”