Whippets good; Lomega better
Fourth-quarter surge pushes Lady Raiders back into Class B semis
LOMEGA’S Darcy Roberts and Hallie Barton (23) react after Roberts made a big fourth-quarter shot during the team’s 64-52 win over Okeene. [Photo by Chris Simon/www.simon-sports-photos.smugmug.com]
Of Lomega’s five losses this season, only one was to a Class B team.
The Lady Raiders managed to avenge it…but it wasn’t easy.
Top-ranked Lomega used a 9-0 run over the final 1:19 Thursday to knock off No. 10 Okeene 64-52 in the Class B state quarterfinals at Mustang High School.
Okeene’s Madison Schmidt’s 3-pointer pulled the Lady Whippets within 55-52 with 1:19 to go.
Abby Swart answered with a three-point play 13 seconds later, then she and Darcy Roberts combined to go 6 of 6 from the free throw line in the final 50 seconds.
That was the only breathing room the Lady Raiders got all night against a team that beat them 39- 34 on their own court in early January.
All five of Lomega’s starters scored in the first quarter as it jumped to a 16-10 lead, but the offense stagnated for much of the second and Okeene pulled within 25-23.
In the third, the Lady Whippets’ Kaylin Aldrich caught fire with three 3-pointers and 11 points as they took a lead as big as four points.
The fourth, though, showed Lomega’s ability to surge.
Hensley Eaton and Hallie Barton started the quarter with back-to-back treys.
Barton added another three-point play less than two minutes in and Roberts’ free throws at the 5:09 mark saw Lomega take a 50-41 lead.
Okeene clawed back into it, but never could get within one possession.
Lomega always had an answer.
Roberts’ three-point play with 2:51 left put Lomega up 53-46.
After Aldrich nailed another trey with 2:35 to play, Swart scored again to make it 55-49 in the Lady Raiders’ favor.
Once Schmidt made her trey 15 seconds later, Lomega didn’t allow another point.
Schmidt scored 16 for Okeene, which saw its season end with a 27-4 record.
Aldrich led the team with 20.
Roberts paced all scorers with 24 points. The reigning state tournament MVP scored nine in the fourth quarter.
Swart scored seven of her 12 in the fourth.
Barton finished with all eight of her points in the second half, six in the fourth.
Sydni Walker added seven.
Lomega is not only the two-time defending state champ, but has now won at least one game at the state tournament in 26 consecutive trips.
Its last quarterfinal loss was in 1985.
The win put the Lady Raiders into Friday night’s semifinal (after press time) against No. 7 Whitesboro, which beat sixth-ranked Duke 44-34.