Not to be outdone: Lady Warriors punch state ticket

Okarche can win with 23. Okarche can win with 57.

Okarche did both over the weekend and it equaled 32.

As in 32nd trip to the state tournament.

The Lady Warriors earned the most recent right on Saturday night by downing No. 7 Red Oak 57-45 in a Class A area consolation title game in Cleveland.

It was Okarche’s third win in as many days as it navigated the consolation bracket.

That included Friday’s grinder of a win over Mooreland, 23-18.

Katie Parham scored 16 of Okarche’s points in that win, one that saw the Lady Warriors lead 10-4 at halftime.

Okarche only had four field goals in the game, but Mooreland couldn’t catch up.

The Lady Warriors went 9 of 12 from the foul line in the second half. Parham was 8 of 9.

Red Oak had considerably more firepower than Mooreland, but Okarche kept pace.

Parham had 11 at the half as Okarche led 24-23.

That’s when Callie Cramer stepped up.

The fellow sophomore erupted for 16 second-half points.

She scored 10 in the fourth quarter as Okarche outscored Red Oak 18-0.

Cramer finished the game with 23 points while Parham scored 19.

“Our sophomores were phenomenal on Saturday,” coach Brett Tahah said. “They stepped up really big.”

Avery Schieber added seven points, but it was her defense that had Tahah glowing.

“She’s been our defensive stopper all year,” said Tahah. “She guarded their best player and did a great job.”

That would be Red Oak’s Kaytee Hood, who was scoreless in the first half and finished with 10, which included a late 3-pointer after the game was decided.

Jaylee Brascum led Red Oak with 25 points.

Okarche was set to play No. 5 Amber-Pocasset at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday night (after press time of this edition) in the quarterfinal round of state. Am-Po won 37-36 at Okarche on Jan. 31.