Kiowa is Benched

Cowgirls can’t compete with Lomega’s superior depth

It took less than half a quarter to show Lomega’s biggest advantage over Kiowa.

Depth.

The Lady Raiders’ Chloe Meier came off the bench to make a 3-pointer at 4:32 of the first quarter to cap a 7-0 Lomega run, giving the Lady Raiders a five-point lead they’d never lose.

Meier made two more 3-pointers in the quarter, helping spark a 52-41 win against No. 11 Kiowa in the Class B state quarterfinals at State Fair Arena.

“Our depth played a really big role,” said coach Kevin Lewallen, whose team moved into the semifinals for a fifth straight year.

It’s also the 28th consecutive time for Lomega (28-2) to win its quarterfinal game at state, a streak that reaches back to 1985.

The second-ranked Lady Raiders played No. 4 Hammon - the team that beat them for last year’s state title - at 9 p.m. Friday in the semifinals (after press time).

Lewallen has gone deep on to his bench all season, keeping his Lady Raiders’ legs fresh for their uptempo style.

Eight Lady Raiders played at least 12 minutes and a ninth added four minutes on the court.

Kiowa, meanwhile, used just one Cowgirl off the bench.

“There were times when you could tell it affected them a little,” Lewallen said.

Abby Swart’s bucket at the end of the first quarter put Lomega up 17-8.

Hadley Ott made it 20-8 with a 3-pointer a minute into the second.

Swart’s 3-pointer with 2:53 left in the half was part of a 6-0 run to give the Lady Raiders a 28-13 lead.

It was an 11-point advantage at halftime.

Ott made it 40-28 with 3:45 left in the third before Kiowa made its last big push.

The Cowgirls used an 8-0 run - including 3-pointers from Paige Igou and Emma Roberts - to pull within 4036 with 55 seconds left in the third.

It was Igou’s third trey of the quarter as she got her total to 12 points. She didn’t score again.

Paige Wheeler - another player off Lomega’s bench - ended Kiowa’s run by banking in a 3-pointer. Her hustle led to a free throw in the quarter’s final second as Lomega grasped a 44-36 lead entering the fourth.

The third quarter saw a combined 20 points in the first four minutes.

The fourth quarter saw neither team score in its first half.

Kiowa (24-9) struck first with an Ella Roberts make at 3:56.

The Cowgirls, down six, got the ball back, but Meier affected the game with her defense.

Her blocked shot denied Kiowa and Monse Rivera turned that possession into two points on the other end.

Kiowa didn’t get closer than five points the rest of the game.

The Cowgirls were led by Igou’s 12 points.

Emma Roberts scored 11 and Ella Roberts 10.

Swart paced the Lady Raiders with 19 points and added six rebounds.

“I thought she played really well for us,” said Lewallen of his senior.

She went 4 of 4 from the free throw line in the final 47 seconds to extend Lomega’s lead. Rivera also added two free throws in the final minute.

Meier had nine points and six rebounds.

Ott scored eight and had a game-high 10 rebounds.

Wheeler had four points and three rebounds and several “hustle plays” that don’t show up on the stat sheet.

She and Meier combined to help Lomega outscore Kiowa 13-0 in bench points.

“That proved to be the difference,” Lewallen said. “Our depth paid off for us in a big way.”