Cashion squads, HHS boys reach regional final games
When Cashion qualified for the area tournament last season, it was the program’s first trip in 23 years.
There was no long wait to get back.
The Wildcats secured their spot in the area tournament Thursday with a 71-52 victory at home over Stratford in a Class 2A regional winner’s bracket game.
Before area, however, Cashion has more regional business to take care of. The fourth-ranked Wildcats play Wewoka on Saturday night in Latta for the regional championship.
Playing for the first time in nearly two weeks (Cashion received a bye in the district round), the Wildcats came out hot with a 21-point first quarter that was good for an 11-point lead.
The Wildcats pushed it to 14 points byhalftime and then closed strong again in the fourth.
The 3-point line was kind to Cashion as it was 11 of 22.
Vance Raney was 4 of 8 as part of his 16 points.
Brycen Hogan nailed two of them and five other Wildcats made one apiece.
Inside the arc, Stratford struggled with Landon LaGasse who had a team-high 17 points and also added seven rebounds.
Austin Frazier added 12 points and six assists.
Cashion enters the regional final with a 19-3 record....
Hennessey boys
While Cashion is working its way to that level, Hennessey has been a mainstay at that level.
The Eagles on Thursday secured their spot in a 2A area for the eighth time in coach Brady Page’s 10 years with their 76-37 thumping of Tonkawa in a regional semifinal at the Eagle Event Center.
Sixth-ranked Hennessey hosts Apache in Saturday’s regional championship game. Apache upset No. 11 Amber-Pocasset 40-37 in their regional semifinal.
The Eagles broke the Tonkawa game open with a 20-5 run in the second quarter.
Juan Dominguez scored seven points and Layton Choate six during the run while the Eagle defense surrendered just one field goal.
That helped Hennessey to a 20-point halftime lead, one it extended to 25 points in the third before a 22-8 run in the fourth.
Choate never let up and eventually led the team with 19 points.
Dominguez made four treys as part of his 18 points.
Jael Torres scored 12.
Twelve different Eagles scored as they upped their season record to 12-4. The Eagles beat Stroud 78-47 on Tuesday in their district game. It was Hennessey’s first outing since Feb. 5 and also snapped a three-game losing streak.
Cashion girls
A second-half comeback landed the Cashion girls in a regional championship game.
The Lady Wildcats used a 7-2 third-quarter run to take the lead, then made clutch free throws in the fourth to keep it in a 34-31 victory at home against Stratford.
The regional semifinal victory sends the Lady Wildcats to Latta for Saturday’s regional championship. They’ll play the host team, which is ranked third in 2A.
Stratford outscored Cashion in each of the first two quarters to stake a 19-15 halftime lead.
But the Cashion defense went into lockdown mode and allowed just two third-quarter points.
The Lady Wildcats maintained a lead and Stratford found itself trailing late and needed to foul.
Working against the Lady Bulldogs was the fact they hadn’t been whistled for a foul the entire half. Stratford had to foul seven straight times - starting with 2:30 to play in the fourth - to get Cashion in the bonus.
Freshman Lauren Jenkins and senior Neely Tilley-Bedick both made two free throws to seal the win.
Tilley-Bedick finished with 10 points as did Lauren Lamb.
Brook Shelly added eight as Cashion improved to 17-6.
Hennessey girls
The Hennessey girls pushed back against elimination for at least one more day on Thursday.
The Lady Eagles eliminated Tonkawa 54-52 at the Eagle Event Center to advance to the 2A regional consolation semifinals.
Hennessey hosted Cordell Friday night (after press time) for the right to advance to Saturday’s consolation final.
The Lady Eagles took a four-point lead into the fourth against Tonkawa, then “we held on,” said coach Aly Seng.
Juliana Macy made four clutch free throws late to help seal the win.
She finished with 12 points, half of which came in the fourth quarter.
Hennessey was led by Gracie Mills, who scored 10 of her 17 points in the second half.
Yudi Rios added 10 points and Harlee Dowell eight.
Hennessey was sent to the consolation bracket with Tuesday’s 42-37 loss at home to Stroud in a district matchup.
Thursday’s win improved the Lady Eagles to 6-10.