Central girls win 2A regional consolation, boys eliminated

CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL

HASKELL – The Central Lady Tigers are Class 2A regional consolation champions after rebounding from Thursday’s firstround defeat to dispatch Panama in Friday’s elimination bracket before vanquishing the Hulbert Lady Riders in Saturday’s finals to advance to the area tournament this week in Seminole.

Meanwhile, the Central boys lost a close one to Oktaha in the consolation finals, ending the Tigers’ season.

Central 49, Hulbert 17

The Lady Tigers jumped out to a comfortable lead in the first quarter, outpacing Hulbert 13-7, with Cambree Bair making 10 points for Central.

In the second stanza, Central widened the gap, outscoring Hulbert 13-3, with Bair making seven points for a lopsided 26-10 score at the break.

The second half was more of the same, with Central increasing its lead to 38-13 and in the third period enroute to the 32-point win that gave the Lady Tigers the consolation championship and kept their post-season hopes alive.

Bair was the game’s top scorer with an impressive 27 points. Hulbert’s top scorer was Lily Chambers with eight points.

Hulbert 7 3 3 4 – 17 Central 13 13 12 11 – 49 Central 34, Panama 24

Facing elimination after an openinground setback, the Lady Tigers jumped out to a 10-6 first-quarter lead to set the pace. The Lady Tigers outscored Panama again in the second stanza for a 16-10 cushion at intermission.

In the third period, Central all but put the game away, outdistancing Panama, 13-2 to forge a 29-12 advantage going into the final frame.

But Panama chipped away at Central’s 17-point lead in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lady Tigers, 12-5. But it was too little too late, as Central advanced to the championship game.

Scoring honors went to Cambree Bair of Central and Panama’s Sky Bluford, each with 11 points.

Panama 6 4 2 12 – 24 Central 10 6 13 5 – 34 CENTRAL – Cambree Bair 11, Hadlie Woods 8, Haley Check 6, Autumn Cernick 4, Aurland Jiles 3, Cheyenne Busch 2.

Oktaha 55, Central 51

A fourth-quarter rally almost did the trick for Central in Saturday’s consolation finals, but the mountain proved too tall, as the Tigers’ season came to an end.

Oktaha took a slim 14-12 in the opening quarter, with Cade Tucker sinking a pair of treys. In the second stanza, the Oktaha squad increased its cushion to 31-23 at intermission.

In the third quarter, Oktaha outpaced Central 15-8 for a 46-31 deficit going into the final frame. But that’s when Central turned the corner, pouring it on, with Connor Walters stepping up to make nine points, and Devon Baggs making Oktaha pay for its mistakes, draining 5 of 6 from the line. Central outscored Oktaha down the stretch, but the deficit was too big to overcome, eliminating the Tigers from post-season play.

Preston Holmes led Oktaha with 29 points, while Central’s Aiden Sainer paced the Tigers with 13 points.

Central 12 11 8 20 – 51 Oktaha 14 17 15 9 – 55 CENTRAL – Aiden Sainer 13, Connor Walters 11, Cade Tucker 8, Isaac Rogers 5, Joseph Lee 5, Jace Mendenhall 5, Hardy Buzzard 4.