Class 5A girls basketball: El Reno tops Booker T. Washington for second straight state title
It's hard to win a state championship, but it's even harder to do it twice in a row.
That was the task at hand for El Reno when it tipped off its Class 5A state title game against Booker T. Washington on Saturday. And this time the Indians were without Pauline Black-Harmon and Nazhoni Sleeper, two key contributors who graduated last year.
But El Reno made it look easy. It secured a 68-52 win in a game where it never trailed, cementing itself as back-to-back state champions.
The Indians showed off their championship experience early on. Eryn Roman Nose drew first blood with a baseline floater, and fellow junior Lilly Thomas made it 4-0 a few possessions later by sinking a deep 2-pointer.
But while El Reno showed composure early on, Booker T. Washington didn't.
Senior guard Tierra Owens got called for a foul while diving for a loose ball with about six minutes on the clock. And instead of giving the ball to the referee, she chucked it out of bounds.
Celebrate El Reno's title with HS basketball book on State Fair Arena
That led to a technical foul on Owens and two free throws for Thomas, who cashed in. The sequence came during an 8-0 start by El Reno, and the Indians held a 16-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Booker T. Washington looked scrambled again to start the second quarter. The Hornets lost the ball on their opening possession, but Marcayla Johnson scooped it up and knocked down a 3-pointer.
Johnson wasn't just a calming presence on that play. The Baylor signee did all she could to get things settled for Booker T. Washington, scoring seven of its first nine points.
Even when El Reno claimed a 30-13 lead at halftime, Johnson continued to apply pressure. The senior guard intercepted a pass early in the third quarter, and she raced up the floor for a layup.
That capped off an 8-2 run by the Hornets, who trimmed the deficit to 32-21. And for a brief moment, the defending champs were the flustered ones.
Passes weren't as precise. Turnovers were uncharacteristic. And every mistake fueled an electric Booker T. Washington crowd, which could sense the shift in momentum.
But it didn't last.
El Reno fended off the comeback attempt, and it leaned on someone with experience on the big stage. The Indians turned to senior Reagan Bugaj, who showed composure in the face of adversity.
The 5-foot-2 guard broke full-court presses. She fearlessly attacked the rim and taller defenders. She dropped dimes to her teammates.
Even when Bugaj came up limping after getting fouled with 1:11 left in the game, she walked it off on her way to the free throw line and calmly sank both shots.
Championship stuff.
Bugaj wiped tears from her eyes in the closing seconds of the contest. The emotions of reaching the top of mountain once again were sinking in, but even that wasn't enough to stop the poised point guard from icing the game at the line.
And when the final buzzer sounded, celebration ensued. Bugaj finished with 30 points in the win.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Class 5A girls basketball: El Reno wins second straight state title
Topics
-
Class 5A boys basketball: Tulsa Booker T. Washington cruises past Lawton for 17th title
Tulsa Booker T. Washington boys basketball defeated Lawton on Saturday at State Fair Arena as the Hornets claimed their 17th championship.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Class L girls basketball: Northwest Catholic beats Bethel for its third straight title
UNCASVILLE – The top-seeded Northwest Catholic girls basketball team won its third straight state championship, this time in Class L, with a 56-40 victory over No. 2 seed Bethel Saturday night at ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Class M girls basketball: Bacon Academy tops Windham for championship
UNCASVILLE – The second-seeded Bacon Academy girls basketball team won its first state championship since 2012 with a 39-25 victory over ECC opponent Windham Saturday morning at Mohegan Sun Arena. ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Ada girls tee off at 5A Preview tournament
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Ada High School girls golf team got an early look at some of the top teams in Class 5A this spring Wednesday at the Class 5A State Preview hosted by the Lincoln Park Golf ...Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Class 3A girls basketball: Washington advances to championship game
The Oklahoma high school basketball Class 3A girls state tournament continued Friday at State Fair Arena. Here's a look at what happened in the semifinals.Yahoo Sports - 2d -
Class S girls basketball: Coventry beats Morgan for first title since 1988
UNCASVILLE – The Coventry girls basketball team defeated Morgan 49-38 to win the Class S state championship Sunday morning at Mohegan Sun. Hailey Mayo, one of six freshmen on the second-seeded ...Yahoo Sports - 22h -
Class 4A girls basketball: Lincoln Christian edges Douglass for first OSSAA state title
Lincoln Christian beat Douglass 39-36 in the Class 4A girls basketball championship Saturday night, claiming its first title in program history.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Morgantown set to battle George Washington in Class AAAA state semifinals
Mar. 13—CHARLESTON — The Morgantown High girls' basketball team will meet a familiar state tournament foe as the Mohigans will square off with George Washington on Friday evening in the Class AAAA ...Yahoo Sports - 3d -
Class 3A girls basketball: Washington overwhelms Sequoyah Tahlequah for OSSAA state title
Washington overwhelmed Sequoyah Tahlequah in a 73-37 victory Saturday night at State Fair Arena, winning their first title since 2007 and fourth overall.Yahoo Sports - 1d
More from Yahoo Sports
-
Change is in the air as Ohio State opens spring practice
Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes opened spring practice on Monday.Yahoo Sports - 5m -
Change is in the air as Ohio State opens spring practice
Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes opened spring practice on Monday.Yahoo Sports - 5m -
'Fantastic motivation' - Maresca on Club World Cup
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says the Club World Cup is a "fantastic motivation" as his side look to win the newly-expanded competition. The competition has been expanded to 32 teams, including 12 ...Yahoo Sports - 7m -
'Fantastic motivation' - Maresca on Club World Cup
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says the Club World Cup is a "fantastic motivation" as his side look to win the newly-expanded competition. The competition has been expanded to 32 teams, including 12 ...Yahoo Sports - 7m -
NJCAA Region 20 Semis Report
Truth Norton of Howard CC is but one standout reviewed plus more, relative to the Region 20 semifinals.Yahoo Sports - 7m
More in Sports
-
Tee Higgins extension: A look at highest-paid No. 2 WRs in NFL after Bengals star lands record-setting deal
Higgins is becoming the highest paid No. 2 wide receiver in footballCBS Sports - 5m -
Change is in the air as Ohio State opens spring practice
Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes opened spring practice on Monday.Yahoo Sports - 5m -
Change is in the air as Ohio State opens spring practice
Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes opened spring practice on Monday.Yahoo Sports - 5m -
'Fantastic motivation' - Maresca on Club World Cup
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says the Club World Cup is a "fantastic motivation" as his side look to win the newly-expanded competition. The competition has been expanded to 32 teams, including 12 ...Yahoo Sports - 7m -
'Fantastic motivation' - Maresca on Club World Cup
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says the Club World Cup is a "fantastic motivation" as his side look to win the newly-expanded competition. The competition has been expanded to 32 teams, including 12 ...Yahoo Sports - 7m