State tournament stalwarts return
Darcy Roberts provides 2nd quarter spark as Lomega hammers Paden for 33rd appearance
LOMEGA RAIDERS vs. PADEN PIRATES — DARCY ROBERTS didn’t back down from Paden’s size especially in the second quarter when she scored 17 of her game-high 27 points. [Photo by Chris Simon/wwwsimons-sports-photos.smugmug.com]
When teams scout Lomega, they know they’ve got to worry about the likes of Emma Duffy, Hensley Eaton, Ady Wilson and Sydni Walker.
Darcy Roberts made sure her name is to be included among that group.
The Lady Raider freshman had a dominant second quarter as Lomega began to pull away from Paden en route to an 81-44 win Friday night in their Class B area championship game at Cleveland High School.
That victory put the No. 1 Lady Raiders into this week’s state tournament. Making their 33rd appearance at state, they’ll be the top seed when the the first round begins Thursday at Yukon High School (see Class A and B state matchups in this edition).
Paden entered the area title game ranked 12th and had a win over No. 8 McCurtain under its belt in the playoffs.
And, for the first quarter, it was mostly able to hang with Lomega as the Lady Raiders were up 24-18.
The second quarter, however, was a different story.
“She had quite quarter,” said Lomega coach Kevin Lewallen of Roberts. “That’s when we really turned the game in our favor.”
The proof lies in Roberts’ 18 points as Lomega went on a 27-8 run.
She nailed three 3-pointers, two other field goals and all five of her free throw attempts.
Lomega’s six-point cushion turned into a 27-point blowout by half.
Paden eventually wilted against Lomega’s pressure and committed 21 turnovers despite the Lady Raiders not pressing in the second half.
A week after going 0-fer from 3-point range against Hammon in the regional final, Lomega made up for it against Paden.
The Lady Raiders went 14-of-22 from long range.
“We’re just a different team when we’re knocking down those shots,” Lewallen said.
Five of those makes came in the furious first quarter.
Duffy nailed three of them and scored 13 points.
Wilson, playing on a badly-sprained ankle that occurred during practice earlier in the week, added two more treys and eight points.
Roberts commanded the second quarter, then added two more 3-pointers as part of a 20-7 run in the fourth.
She ended the night with a game-high 27.
Duffy scored 19, which included five 3-pointers.
Wilson scored all 10 of her points in the first half and saw limited second-half action.
Tanner Moore led Paden with 16 points.
Lomega enters the state tournament with a 27-2 record. The Lady Raiders have won 24 consecutive games and are looking to add to their record of 13 girls’ state championships.