Roland boys win area tournament, heading back to state
The Roland Runnin’ Rangers basketball team is heading back to state.
The second-ranked Runnin’ Rangers defeated the seventhranked Chandler Lions 5643 to win the Class 3A Area Tournament last Friday night at Okmulgee’s Mvskoke Dome.
The Runnin’ Rangers (231) will meet the Eufaula Ironheads, who knocked off the Lions 48-42 in last Saturday night’s area consolation finals, at 7:30 tonight at O.G&E. Pavilion, a.k.a. “The ‘New’ Big House,” in Oklahoma City in the Class 3A State Tournament quarterfinals.
“It’s a great feeling (to make state),” Roland Runnin’ Rangers coach Eddie Lewis said. “I’m just so proud for the kids because they’ve worked hard all year. I’m just really proud for them. My assistant coaches (Nick Mooney and Mike Webb) did a great job. They made some calls from the sideline. Some of those calls they make from the sideline are great.”
Unfortunately, the season came to an end for the Roland Lady Rangers as they lost 2524 to Spiro in the Class 3A Area Tournament consolation semifinals last Friday afternoon after beating Chandler 40-27 in last Thursday’s consolation quarterfinals.
The Lady Rangers ended the season at 17-7, but last closed out the year by losing four of their final six contests.
FRIDAY’S GAMES
BOYS AREA CHAMPIONSHIP
ROLAND 56, CHANDLER 53
The Runnin’ Rangers never trailed, jumping out to a 9-0 lead en route to a 14-8 advantage after a quarter.
A 3-point basket by Chandler’s Zaedyn Hankins for the Lions (23-6) cut their deficit to 25-21 with 3:01 remaining before halftime, but Roland’s 6-0 spurt to end the first half, capped by Damonte “Bubba” Owens’ basket with 19 seconds left, gave the Runnin’ Rangers a 31-23 lead at the half.
The Lions roared back in the third quarter to cut their deficit to 37-34 with 1:48 left on a pair of free throws by Jordan Denson, but they got no closer.
The Runnin’ Rangers finished off the period with a 7-0 run, capped by a basket by Owens with four seconds remaining, to put Roland ahead 44-34 going into the fourth quarter.
Roland got its lead to as high as 14 points on two occasions in the final period, the last time at 52-38 with 4:06 left to play on a basket by Kade Shook.
“I thought our defense was the key,” Roland Runnin’ Rangers coach Eddie Lewis said. “I thought No. 1 (Jordan Denson) is a pretty good penetrator. I thought we kept him down (just scoring 11 points). We had some layups we just missed. We missed four or five lay-ups we should have hit, but we were able to overcome that. We were able to execute at the very end.”
For the game, Mason Kemp scored a game-high 14 points and Owens added 13 points to lead Roland, followed by Landon Fowler with nine points, Shook, Cason Perryman and Raidyn Knight with six points each and Bryson Myers with two points.
GIRLS CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS
SPIRO 25, ROLAND 24
The Lady Bulldogs (22-6), who defeated Keys 46-33 to win last Saturday night’s area consolation finals and qualify for state for the first time in 12 years, used a slow-tempo style game, which led to the contest being primarily a defensive battle.
After Roland took a 16-14 lead with 1:54 left in the first half on Molly Carver’s free throws, the Lady Bulldogs scored the game’s final three points — the last two coming on a basket by Brynleigh Graham with 50 seconds remaining — to send Spiro into the locker rooms with a 17-16 lead. The game was tied at 21-all going into the fourth quarter.
Back-to-back baskets by Graham to begin the final period put Spiro ahead 25-21 with 3:28 left to play.
Ryanne Nelke’s 3-point basket with 2:46 remaining cut Roland’s deficit to 25-24. However, the final 2:46 saw neither team score a basket, and Roland having the chance for the game-winning shot in the waning seconds but never getting off an attempt.
“They just got one more stop than we did defensively,” Roland Lady Rangers coach Scott Nelke said. “That’s what it boiled down to. There wasn’t much offense out there, but we needed one more (defensive) stop — and we didn’t get that stop. Loose balls went their way. It’s always the little things that get you in the end. That’s what got us today.”
In defeat, Nelke scored a game-high 15 points to lead Roland, followed by Carver with six points and Adriana Moya with three points.
THURSDAY’S GAME
AREA CONSOLATION QUARTERFINALS
ROLAND 40, CHANDLER 27
The Lady Rangers jumped out to an 11-5 lead after a quarter en route to a 22-16 halftime advantage, only to see the Lady Lions rally in the third quarter as their 9-7 period but Roland’s lead to 29-25 after three quarters. However, an 11-2 final period for Roland sealed the deal.
For the game, Halle Freeman scored a game-high 18 points and Nelke added 15 points to lead Roland, followed by Carver with four points, Lillian Cole with two points and Moya with a free throw.
