STILLWATER — It was a night of celebration and heartbreak for the Elgin basketball teams.
The girls squad knocked off pesky Kingfisher, 39-37, in an overtime thriller early Saturday afternoon in Pioneer Fieldhouse at Stillwater High to claim the Class 4A Area I consolations championship and clinch a spot in the state tournament. The Lady Owls (24-4) will likely play No. 4 Anadarko in the first round on Thursday.
The boys, unfortunately, didn’t experience a similar result.
The Owls’ desperate rally fell short in the final minute, as their season came to an end in a 51-46 upset loss to unranked McLain. Elgin finished the season with a 21-8 record and a No. 11 ranking.
Lady Owls edge Kingfisher for state bid
Elgin coach Brett Tahah’s entire basketball career flashed before her eyes as Kingfisher’s Hanna Matthews took the shot that would’ve sent the game into double overtime.
Dating back to even her time as a player at Hobart High School in southwest Oklahoma, Tahah never managed to qualify for a state tournament.
Last season, her first season as the Owls’ head coach ended in a grueling overtime loss to Kingfisher in the regional tournament. Her fortune turned on Saturday night.
Matthews, who was guarded by Christina Jenkins, missed the shot, subsequently giving Elgin a 39-37 victory and a state tournament berth for the first time since 2016.
“For once in the entire game, we got a stop,” Tahah said. “I had full confidence in my girls that we’d get the dub. When push came to shove, I knew we’d figure out a way to come up with a stop.
“It being my first one is super special, and I’m just so proud of the girls and the way they pulled through, especially after a tough loss against Harrah.”
The Owls held a five-point lead with 38.9 seconds remaining in regulation after Izzy Cummins hit a pair of free throws, and it appeared Elgin was going to avoid the extra period.
Kingfisher guard Brooklyn Whipple had other ideas.
The junior cut the deficit to 35-33 at the free-throw line with 30.8 seconds left, and after Cummins was whistled for a travel violation, Whipple sunk a floater with 4.5 seconds remaining to force overtime.
Cummins atoned for her error with a mid-range jumper to score the first points of the period, and her sister, Gabby Cummins, finished the job with two clutch free throws with only 38 seconds left on the clock.
Paige Pendley said the twins made plays when the team needed them the most.
“Gabby played her heart out on defense and did everything she possibly could to make stops,” Pendley said. “Izzy definitely kept us alive on offense and made some big-time shots late. They are very big when it comes to close games.”
Kailah Ballou led the team with 10 points and 10 rebounds, and Gabby Cummins added 10 points and four rebounds. Izzy Cummins pitched in six points, four of which came in the fourh quarter and overtime.
The victory marked the second time in less than a week Elgin defeated the Yellowjackets. The Owls defeated Kingfisher, 44-30, in the regional tournament on Monday.
Tahah said she wasn’t surprised with Kingfisher’s improved effort given the circumstances.
“In the consolation finals, it’s loser goes home and the winner goes to state,” Tahah said. “Both teams are going to want it just as bad, and we did what we had to do win; Kingfisher is a great team and coach (Jay) Wood is a great coach. It was an honor to beat a team and coach like that to get to state.”
Elgin boys fall short to McLain
The Elgin boys’ season ended without a state tournament appearance after a shocking 51-46 loss to McLain (16-10).
Right when it looked as if the Titans had finished off the Owls for good, Elgin, led by Holden Bartosovsky, went on a 6-0 run to come within one point at 47-46 with 44.1 seconds remaining.
Bartosovsky, who finished with 14 points and five rebounds, had a chance to tie it at the free-throw line, but he couldn’t get it to fall, and McLain held on for the upset and a state tournament bid.
“They took us out of what we like to do offensively,” Elgin coach Ryan Green said. “We couldn’t score down the stretch, and they made plays and we didn’t.”
Despite the loss, Yannik Gruenwald finished with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds, while Connor Slater added nine points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Although the season ended short of their goal, the Owls will have tremendous promise next season, returning four starters, including Bartosovsky, Gruenwald and Slater, who are all juniors.
“We have four starters returning and several young guys coming back, so we’ll have our core back,” Green said. “We should be good again, and hopefully we don’t have this same feeling again next year. Our goal is to win the state championship, but that doesn’t mean this wasn’t a successful season. We want to make it to the state championship, and we’ll stand with that.”