Mustang hosts first-time Holiday Classic Dec. 27-29
Lady Broncos open with Pocola at 7 p.m.; Mustang boys take on Tulsa Central at 8:30 p.m.
By John Martin
Staff Writer
Both Mustang High School basketball squads will face stiff opposition in the opening round of the inaugural Cornerstone Bank Mustang Holiday Classic to be held in the Mustang gym Dec. 27-29.
The Lady Broncos, ranked No. 16 in the latest OSSAA Class 6A rankings, will meet Class 3A Pocola, ranked No. 13, in Round 1 of the girls’ bracket with a 7 p.m. tipoff on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the unranked Mustang boys will be tested by Tulsa Central, the No. 3 ranked team in the OSSAA Class 4A brackets in the 8:30 p.m. finale on Thursday.
Kyla Lovelace passes to a teammate. The Mustang girls will face Pocala at 7 p.m. Thursday in the first round of the Cornerstone Bank Mustang Holiday Classic. (Staff photo by Jeff Harrison)
There are three defending state champions, Christian Heritage, Owasso and Seiling and a total of 22 state champions represented in the girls’ bracket, while there are 23 champions competing in the boys’ side of the tourney.
The winner of the Mustang-Pocola game will advance to the semifinals to be played at 4 p.m. on Friday where they will face the winner of Thursday’s 4 p.m. showdown between defending state champion and No. 1 ranked in Class A Seiling against the talented Lady Bombers from Midwest City, ranked No. 10 in Class 6A.
In a battle between defending state champions, 2A Christian Heritage, currently No. 4 in Class 3A will meet 6A defending champ Owasso, who are off to a 1-2 start and unranked in Class 6A. Their game is at noon Thursday.
Completing first round action in the girls’ side of the tourney is first round action at 9 a.m. between No. 2 ranked behind Seiling girls from Frontier and Edmond North, the No. 9 ranked team in Class 6A.
THE WINNER of the Mustang boys vs Tulsa Central game will meet the winner of Midwest City, ranked No. 3, and unranked Muskogee, both 6A schools, at 5:30 p.m. Friday.
The tournament’s top seed in the boys division is Carl Albert, currently No. 3 in Class 5A and just now getting players from the school’s three-time state champion football team. The Titans will open play against No. 17 Owasso at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Lawton Eisenhower, No. 7 in Class 5A, and unranked Westmoore will complete first day action with a 10:30 a.m. tipoff. The winner will face the Carl Albert-Owasso winner at 8:30 p.m. on Friday in semifinal action.
THURSDAY’S GAMES
9 a.m.: (Girls) Frontier vs Edmond North
10:30 a.m.: (Boys) Lawton Eisenhower vs Westmoore
Noon: (Girls) Christian Heritage vs Owasso
1:30 p.m.: (Boys) Carl Albert vs Owasso
4 p.m. (Girls) Seiling vs Midwest City
5:30 p.m. (Boys) Muskogee vs Midwest City
7 p.m.: (Girls) Mustang vs Pocola
8:30 p.m.: (Boys) Mustang vs Tulsa Central
