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 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 - 7h -
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 - 22h -
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 - 3h -
Girls basketball tournament: Benilde-St. Margaret’s wins third straight Class 3A title
Benilde-St. Margaret’s claimed its third straight Class 3A crown on Saturday at Williams Arena, downing Marshall 73-57. The Red Knights had four players score in double figures. Kendall McGee led ...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
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 - 1d -
Class B girls state basketball roundup: Parkston edges Deubrook Area in overtime
Mar. 14—HURON, S.D. — In the second overtime game of the Class B girls state basketball tournament, the Parkston girls basketball team edged Deubrook Area 56-52 in Huron on Friday. The two teams ...Yahoo Sports - 23h -
Valley basketball tops Waukee Northwest, achieves first Iowa state title 3-peat since 2014
Valley beat Waukee Northwest in the Class 4A championship at the Iowa high school basketball state tournament, claiming their third-straight title.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Check out Bucks County girls basketball second-round results for the PIAA state playoffs
It's state championship time, and several Bucks County girls basketball teams advanced to the PIAA quarterfinals after big wins on WednesdayYahoo Sports - 1d -
Class 3A boys basketball: Millwood defeats Cascia Hall to win state championship
Millwood won its 18th state championship in program history with a 60-57 win over Cascia Hall in the Class 3A boys basketball title game Saturday at State Fair Arena.Yahoo Sports - 4h
More from Yahoo Sports
-
France overpower Scotland in Paris to deny England the Six Nations title
France did not quite hit the heights of their Dublin demolition last weekend, but Les Bleus did enough on a nervy night in Paris to clinch a second Six Nations title in four years – and kill off ...Yahoo Sports - 29m -
Long balls, pitching dominance help FSU finish sweep of BC in doubleheader
FSU dominated with a run-rule blowout and then a pitching gem to close out a sweep of Boston College Saturday.Yahoo Sports - 31m -
Athletic Club star left out of squad for Sevilla clash
A leading member of the defensive ranks at La Liga outfit Athletic Club has been left out of the club’s squad for their upcoming meeting with Sevilla.The player in question? Aitor Paredes.Ernesto ...Yahoo Sports - 31m -
Clayton scores 22 as No. 4 Florida beats No. 5 Alabama 104-82 in SEC semis
Yahoo Sports - 31m -
Florida Gators men's basketball advances to SEC Tournament title game with blowout of Bama
Things started off competitive, but the Florida Gators ran away with it in the second half of an SEC Tournament semifinal matchup against Alabama.Yahoo Sports - 31m
More in Sports
-
Injured Arkansas star Boogie Fland cleared to resume basketball activities, could return for NCAA Tournament
Fland, a potential first-round pick, has been out since mid-January with a hand injuryCBS Sports - 28m -
2025 NASCAR Las Vegas race this week predictions, odds: Model that hit 19 winners gives Pennzoil 400 picks
SportsLine simulated the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway 10,000 times. Use its projected leaderboard for NASCAR picks at sites like PrizePicks, DraftKings, and FanDuelCBS Sports - 29m -
France overpower Scotland in Paris to deny England the Six Nations title
France did not quite hit the heights of their Dublin demolition last weekend, but Les Bleus did enough on a nervy night in Paris to clinch a second Six Nations title in four years – and kill off ...Yahoo Sports - 29m -
Duke vs. Louisville prediction, odds, time: 2025 ACC Tournament championship picks from proven model
SportsLine's model simulated Louisville Cardinals vs. Duke Blue Devils in the 2025 ACC Tournament championship matchup on Saturday 10,000 times with Cooper Flagg (ankle) outCBS Sports - 30m -
Long balls, pitching dominance help FSU finish sweep of BC in doubleheader
FSU dominated with a run-rule blowout and then a pitching gem to close out a sweep of Boston College Saturday.Yahoo Sports - 31m