Senior guard does not want season to end just yet

No one was wanting to see the Sallisaw Lady Diamonds lose their Class 4A Regional Tournament championship semifinal game Tuesday night to Fort Gibson, but it happened.

Now, the Lady Diamonds will be facing elimination each playoff game from here on, beginning tonight with the Class 4A Regional Tournament consolation semifinal game at 6 p.m. against either Poteau or Idabel at Muldrow High School’s Roger Sharp Activity Center.

Sallisaw Lady Diamonds senior guard Emma Martin is not ready to see her prep basketball career end tonight, nor any time in the next two weeks thereafter.

“We need to win,” Martin said. “I don’t want this season to be over yet. If we make it to area, I want to go to state to be the first time in like forever. It would be a new first (since Martin was age 2 when the Lady Diamonds last went to state in 2008).”

Last year, the same thing happened to the Lady Diamonds. They beat Wagoner for their first Class 4A District Tournament title in eight years, but lost at home to Broken Bow in the regional championship semifinals at Paul Post Field House. After beating Stilwell in the regional consolation semifinals in Muldrow, it was the regional-host Lady Bulldogs who ended Sallisaw’s season as Muldrow won the regional consolation championship to advance to the area tournament.

Martin believes if the Lady Diamonds do some major things well, the wins will come as well as the onward advancement in the Class 4A playoffs.

“We just need to hit shots and be aggressive,” she said. “Our defense needs to be on fire. Everyone has to do their role. If we do that, we’ll win.”

To say this senior season has been a special one for Martin is an understatement wth all the “forthe- first-time-since” moments that have happened, such as beating Roland for the first time since she was a freshman, beating Muldrow for the first time since 2015 and earning a share of the NOAA Conference title with Roland — thanks to Muldrow’s 37-31 Senior Night win over the Lady Rangers on Feb. 13 — for the first time since the early 2000s.

“It’s really awesome,” Martin said. “We’re like the first-timers in like forever. It’s kind of like re-writing history. You’re a part of big moments that people will be talking about for like years. It’s awesome to be a part of this team.”

Winning on Senior Night over Hilldale on Presidents Day night also was important for the senior guard.

“It was amazing to know that it was like the last game of our schedule to win,” Martin said. “It was a big deal. We had to play them (last) Saturday, too. We knew we had to stomp them and make them scared on Senior Night so we could scare them for districts.”

Entering tonight’s game, the Lady Diamonds are five wins away from making the Class 4A State Tournament for the first time in 18 years. Martin said there would be no better way to go out.

“It’s another first time in so many years,” she said. “It just adds on to like beating Muldrow and Roland for the first time in so many years years. It just adds to the firsts. I would like to go out being able to be in the area (consolation) finals. I want to go out in the area (consolation) finals — at least. That’s how I want to go out.”

Martin is a three-sport athlete for Sallisaw High School. She has started for the Lady Diamonds on the hardwood for each of the last three seasons.

As for cheerleading, she is a four time performance state qualifier. Her cheer team recently finished fourth at the state competition. She was named to the all-region team, and was the highest scoring 4A athlete. She was named to the East All-State team as the only 4A athlete and will cheer at the 2026 Oklahoma Coaches Association (OCA) All-State Games in July.

In track, she will be seeking a hat trick in qualifying for the Class 4A State Meet.

Martin easily can and likely could receive offers to do any of her three sports at the next level. However, the senior has decided it’s time to leave the “student-athlete” part of her life behind come fall.

“I’m just going to be a student at OU,” she said. “I was thinking about it. I think I’m just going to stick to school.”

Martin is all but sure even should offers come, she would have to use one of late former First Lady Nancy Reagan’s quotes — “Just say no.”

“I think I’m still going to go to OU because I’ll be third-generation Sooner, and I’ve really just grown up and loved going around that campus,” Martin said. “I just have a love for that campus. I’m drawn to it. I don’t think anything is going to pull me away from that. I’ll definitely miss it for sure, but I’m getting old. My body is decaying, and I’m only 19.”

Martin has had nothing but the time of her life playing with her teammates.

“I have a great time with this team and cheering them on,” the Sallisaw senior guard and All-State cheerleader said. “If they do something good, I’m always the biggest supporter of everyone.”