Lady Titans finish runners-up in home tourney

By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon

 

 

When Carl Albert’s shooters are on, they’re tough to beat.

 

The Lady Titans hit 14 3-pointers Saturday night in the finals of the Titan Classic.

 

But it wasn’t enough.

 

Class 6A’s No. 2-ranked Edmond Memorial held off the Lady Titans 60-52 in the tournament finals at Carl Albert High School.

 

Carl Albert, which was ranked No. 2 in 5A, overcame a seven-point deficit midway through the fourth quarter. Ausha Moore drained a 3-pointer, Ariana Diaz made a pair of free throws and Plunkett scored five straight for a 65-64 lead with 3:27 left in the game.

 

Memorial’s Makenna Hall put her team back on top 67-65 with a free throw and a basket in the lane.

Diaz later hit one of two free throws to make it a one-point game, but that’s all the closer they’d get.

 

Memorial hit six free throws in the final 1:18 for the 73-67 victory.

 

Coach Kyle Richey was disappointed in the loss but commended his team’s effort.

 

“I’m more proud in this loss than I have been in some wins,” he said after the game. “These girls went toe to toe with one of the top 6A schools for 32 minutes. I told them before the game that it’d be like a classic prize fight, and it didn’t change.”

 

Richey said the game proved his team is a serious contender in Class 5A.

 

“Memorial made one more play at the end, but I told our girls, we don’t have to beat them to bring home a gold ball,” he said. “I guarantee that if we play like that night in and night out, we’ll be there in March.”

 

Sutton and Kennedy Cofer were both named to the all-tournament team. Sutton finished with 23 points including seven 3-pointers.

 

“I have no idea why I was shooting so well tonight,” Sutton said. “Before the game, I was like ‘I’m going to make all of my threes today.’”

 

Diaz and Plunkett had 12 points apiece and Cofer added 10.

 

Carl Albert advanced to the finals with wins over Bishop McGuinness and Tahlequah.

 

In the first round, the Lady Titans topped McGuiness 67-45. Kamryn Sutton scored a game-high 12 points – all of which came in the fourth quarter. Freshman Skylar Anderson was also in double figures with 11.

 

On Friday night, Carl Albert downed Tahlequah 57-49 in the semifinals. Kennedy Cofer and Anderson scored 15 points apiece to lead the team, while Moore and Sutton were also in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

 

Carl Albert started the game with three straight 3-pointers. Cofer and Sutton each hit a pair of treys, but Memorial led by two at the end of the first.

 

Sutton continued to light it up from the perimeter with four 3-pointers in the second. Memorial’s Avery Hjelmstad scored seven of her 22 points in the second, giving the Lady Bulldogs a 39-35 advantage at the break.

 

Memorial’s lead grew in the third period. Diaz scored nine for the Lady Titans, but they trailed 60-53 heading into the fourth.

 

Carl Albert continued to scrap in the fourth, taking the lead twice on shots by Plunkett. But Memorial held off the rally for the championship victory.

 

“These girls don’t quit, they have hearts of champions,” Richey said. “These seniors know what it’s like and these freshmen are finding out what an Area finals would be like.”

 

The Lady Titans return to action Friday night as they host No. 6 Piedmont in the start of conference play.