Both Lomega teams 1 win shy of reaching Class state tournament
FRESHMAN Abby Swart and the rest of the Lomega Lady Raiders held off a stubborn Webbers Falls squad at regionals and are a win away from state. [Photo by Chris Simon/www.simon-sports-photos.smugmug.corn]
There’s just something about that regional final.
Class B’s No. 1-ranked Lomega won its regional championship against Webbers Falls as expected on Tuesday.
But it wasn’t as easy as most expected.
The Lady Raiders were held to their lowest point total of the season in a 46-32 victory at Agra.
“It’s that regional finals game,” said coach Kevin Lewallen. “That’s three years in a row it’s done it to us.”
The Lady Raiders struggled in last year’s regional championship before prevailing 48-42 over Hammon en route to the state championship.
The year before, it was a narrow 51-47 win over Timberlake as Lomega eventually reached the state semifinals.
In all three instances, the Lady Raiders struggled from the field.
“We played hard on Tuesday,” Lewallen said. “The effort was there. We just didn’t shoot it well at all.”
The Lady Raiders had just 18 points at halftime and 30 entering the fourth.
Fortunately, their defense was up to the task.
Tenth-ranked Webbers Falls didn’t score in double digits in a quarter until the fourth. The Lady Warriors were in a 30-20 hole entering the fourth.
That’s when both teams began to pick it up offensively, but Lomega was able to build some breathing room by forcing late turnovers that led to easy buckets by Abby Swart, Ady Wilson and Darcy Roberts.
Roberts came up huge in the second half as she scored 13 of her team-high 15 points.
Swart scored 14, which included seven of Lomega’s 11 second-quarter points.
Wilson added nine. She and Roberts combined for 14 of the team’s 16 fourth-quarter points.
Lomega enters area with a 23-0 mark and a 50-game win streak dating back to last season.
The Lady Raiders play No. 8 Pittsburg (17-3) at 6 p.m. Friday in Stroud for the area championship. The winner will qualify for state while the loser plays again Saturday for the right to advance.
Pittsburg knocked off No. 16 Red Oak 50-42 for its regional title.
Red Oak, Webbers McCurtain and Coyle make up the consolation bracket of the area.
Raiders in familiar spot at area
Lomega’s been in this position before.
Hopefully - for the Raiders - it has a different outcome.
Fourth-ranked Lomega defeated Glencoe 66-53 on Tuesday in Agra to win a Class B regional championship.
It put Lomega into the area championship game Friday night (after press time) in Stroud against No. 18 Pittsburg.
The winner will advance to state while the loser will play in Saturday’s area consolation championship and a spot in the state tournament.
Lomega was in the exact same position a year ago.
After beating New Lima in the regional final, the Raiders suffered losses to No. 2 Paden and No. 8 Hammon by a combined seven points at area.
This year, however, Lomega will go in as the “favorite” on
Pittsburg upset No. 5 Red Oak 41-35 in its regional final.
Against Glencoe, the Raiders’ defense was superb in the first half.
They only gave up 17 points and built a 14-point lead.
The Panthers heated up in the second half, but Lomega was able to maintain much of its lead.
That was bolstered in the third quarter by Riley Lumpkin and Noah Snowden, who scored six points apiece.
Snowden then helped close out the game with 10 of Lomega’s 20 fourth-quarter
He finished his night with a game-high 23.
Lumpkin scored 13.
The first-half surge was led by Dion Fisher.
The senior scored 12 of his 14 points in the half, including eight in the second quarter.
Glencoe had three players score in double figures, led by Jaken Weedn’s 16 points. He scored 11 in the fourth quarter.
Lomega enters area with a 21-3 record.
Teams joining Glencoe and Red Oak in the area consolation bracket will be LeFlore and Webbers Falls.