Roland wrapped up the NOAA crown on Friday night as Lee Massey poured in 27 points to lead the Rangers to a 69-57 victory over Sallisaw in front of a capacity crowd at Carl Matlock Fieldhouse.
The victory pushed Roland's record to 9-1 in the league and 19-1 overall, but it was much closer than the Rangers' 71-54 win at Sallisaw on Jan. 2.
Class 4A No. 4-ranked Roland used a 13-2 run at the end of the first quarter to open up a 23-13 lead, before the Black Diamonds battled the home team evenly over the next two periods.
Sallisaw trailed 53-43 entering the fourth quarter and senior guard Mitch Lockhart shot the Diamonds back into contention. Lockhart sank three free shots and then knocked down a 3-point basket to pull Sallisaw within six with just over a minute left to play.
However, Roland iced the game by hitting its free throws in the final minute to get the win.
Massey was joined in double figures by two of his Roland teammates. Robert Thompson had 12 and Jeff Wells scored 10. Coty Biles and Colton Daniel added six points each, Zach Roberts three, Josh Angel two, Karl Dixon two and Daxx Roberts one.
Sallisaw, which dropped to 7-10 overall, got nine points from Blaine Dutchik. Stephen Branham added seven, Kyle Eubanks and Levi McInerney six apiece, James Hoover five and Matt Oberste four.
ROLAND 67, SALLISAW 44 (G)
The Lady Rangers had already clinched at least a piece of the NOAA conference title, but they weren't in any mood to share.
Roland won the conference championship outright on Friday, breaking open a close game in the second half to put away Sallisaw for the third time this season.
The Class 4A fifth-ranked Lady Rangers finished league play with a perfect 10-0 record while moving to 19-1 overall. Sallisaw slipped to 8-1 in the NOAA and 12-5 overall as a recent four-game win streak came to an end.
The Lady Diamonds were the only team that could have caught Roland in the conference standings, but saw their title hopes slip away as the Lady Rangers used a 14-7 spurt in the third quarter to stretch an eight-point lead into a 50-35 edge.
Roland sealed the victory by outscoring the visitors 17-9 over the final eight minutes of the game.
Senior forward Katie Beshoner led all scorers with 29 points, while Jenny Beshoner and Ericka Edwards tossed in 15 points each for Roland. Lauren Edwards added four points, Keondra Manager two and Jasmine Kirkwood two.
Sallisaw was led in scoring by sophomore forward Candace McNamee with 11 points. Caitlyn Hall pumped in 10 points, Ashley Covington nine, Sarah Snider seven, Meghan Smith four an
