The triumph put the Lady Wolverines in the area playoffs for the first time since 1994.
“It’s very exciting,” said Vian head coach Tina Ramos. “I’ve been telling these girls that this is the goal for us and it was an achievable goal for us. They believed it.”
Vian improved to 17-9 on the season, but the Lady Wolverines had to overcome a three-point deficit with less than three minutes to play.
The key moment came at the 2:40 mark, when Ashley Hooper bombed in a three-point shot from the wing as Spiro was whistled for a foul away from the ball. The basket was counted and Jessica Brunson stepped to the line to convert a pair of free throws.
The five-point play handed Vian a 34-32 edge and the Lady Wolverines led the rest of the way.
“That was a huge turning point in the game. That was a chaotic deal because we weren’t sure what the call was,” said Ramos. “For her to knock that three down and then to get those two free throws was a big deal.”
Hooper went on to sink two free throws and come up with two big steals in the last minute to seal the win.
“I kind of challenged her a little and she stepped up today. I was real proud of her. She did a great job,” Ramos said of the senior guard.
Brunson, a senior post, scored a game-high 15 points and grabbed five rebounds for Vian. LeiLoni Smith added nine points and six boards. Hooper finished with seven points, Kiona O’Neal six and Brooklyn Cox two. Alyx Sovo grabbed five rebounds for Vian.
Angel Miller scored 14 points to pace Spiro.
Ramos said she was pleased with the resilience her team showed after a regional semifinal loss to Sequoyah-Tahlequah on Thursday night.
“We had some games that didn’t look so great, but these kids are pretty good about bouncing back—like after that tough loss to Sequoyah,” said Ramos. “They came back the next day at 1:30 to win that game and then came back the next day to win again. It’s been a long road.”
It was Vian’s second win over Spiro after defeating the Lady Bulldogs for a district title a week earlier.
“It was very scary, but I felt like our kids were prepared and they had the confidence they could play with Spiro,” said Ramos. “They’re a happy group for the most part and they believe they can play with people, which is important at this time of the year.”
Vian 35, Salina 31 (G)
LeiLoni Smith scored 14 points for the Lady Wolverines in a defensive struggle against Salina on Friday in the consolation semifinals.
Smith netted nine points in the first quarter to hand Vian an 11-8 lead.
Vian was up 21-15 at halftime, but Salina pulled even by the start of the fourth period. The Lady Wolverines held Salina to two points over the final eight minnutes to secure the win.
Jessica Brunson scored seven points for Vian, Rachael Sanders five, Kiona O’Neal four, Alyx Sovo three and Brooklyn Cox two.
Courtney Backwards led Salina with 20.
Salina 76, Vian 71 (B)
Dylan Manchell poured in 30 points as Salina came back from nine points down to eliminate the Wolverines in a consolation semifinal on Friday night.
Vian led 41-32 at halftime, but Salina pulled even by the end of the third quarter and outscored the Wolverines 26-21 in the fourth.
Tyren Knight scored 21 points for Vian, while Tyren Samuels had 16, Dylan Taylor 13, Colby Ross five, Dalton Craighead four, Justin Blackbird three, Luke Swafford three, Hunter Spencer two and John Steely two.
Salina moved into the consolation finals and lost to Spiro on Saturday.
