Lomega runs to perfection

It’s not easy for the Lomega girls basketball team to make history.

The program practically owns all of it in Oklahoma.

But on in State Fair Arena, the Lady Raiders found a way to be historic within their own dynasty

Lomega was pushed like it hadn’t been at any point this season, but still prevailed 67-60 over No. 5 Kiowa in the Class B state title game.

The team hoisted the gold ball for the second straight year and 15th time overall, which is four more than any other girls program in the state.

For Lomega coach Kevin Lewallen, it’s his seventh time to lead the Lady Raiders to gold. He now owns as many state titles as Karen Edgar and Bruce Hobgood combined.

The seven championships ties him with Rick Wilson among coaches. He sits just one behind Bertha Teague for the most among girls high school coaches in Oklahoma.

But that’s potential history for the future.

As for now, the state championship capped a 27-0 season.

It’s just the fourth time a Lomega team has completed a perfect season, but here comes the historic part: No Lady Raider squad had done it in the 5-on-5 era until now.

The previous squads 1983, 1987 and 1991 - were all from the days of 6-on-6.

“It’s unreal, honestly,” said Lomega senior Emma Duffy, who shrugged off a sluggish first half with a monstrous second one to score 18 points. “It still doesn’t really feel like we just won for the second time and especially to go undefeated against some really good teams...it makes it that much better.”

Duffy and her teammates walloped Kiowa 86-44 on Dec. 29 when the Cowgirls ventured west to help both teams make up for lost games due to COVID-19.

In the initial contest, Lomega closed the first half strong for a 17-point lead, then drained seven of its 15 total3-pointers in a 34-point third quarter.

Just over two months later, Lomega coach Kevin Lewallen knew fully well the rematch wouldn’t be the same...but he also knew his team did as well.

“We had talked about it that Kiowa was better than they showed that day,” he said. “But we didn’t harp on it because we didn’t need to. The girls understood it going into the game.

“That’s one of the great things about this team.”

Early on, however, it looked as if there might be a repeat performance thanks to a surprise from Kiowa.

“They came out in a 2-1-2 zone, which shocked me with the way they’re able to guard you man-to-man,” Lewallen said.

Lomega feasted on it, got out to a quick 9-2 lead, then continued to expand it.

When Darcy Roberts and Adysen Wilson nailed back-to-back 3-pointers, Lomega’s lead was 20-7 with 1:46 to go in the first quarter.

“They spread the zone out really wide trying to defend the 3, so we were able to get a lot of good looks with our high-low game,” Lewallen said. “And our movement still allowed us to get some open looks from the outside.”

Roberts made the most of her opportunities as she scored 13 points in the quarter, including a backdoor cut on an assist from Hensley Eaton to push Lomega’s lead back to 10 points at the end of the quarter.

But unlike the first meeting, Kiowa didn’t fold.

The Cowgirls stormed back in the second quarter.

After Sydni Walker put Lomega on top 28-21 with 4:15 to play in the half, Kiowa went on an 11-4 run.

The Cowgirls even took a lead at 32-30 on Ella Stone’s buck, but Walker’s putback 14 seconds later tied the game, which is where it stayed at halftime.

For one of the few times this season, Lomega still had a ball game on its hands at halftime.

But Lewallen wasn’t concerned and he relayed that message of calmness to his team during the break.

“He told us we were doing good and not to freak out,” Duffy said.

“We hadn’t been in a game like that all year, so he just wanted us to stay calm.”

Duffy had four points at halftime, but had missed all five of her field goal attempts. —

Lewallen — a shooter in his own right during his Lomega playing days — had a message for his senior.

“He told me to keep shooting the ball and I’d hit the biggest shots of the game,” she said.

As for the rest of the team?

“I told the girls I thought Kiowa had just given us the best punch that they had,” he said. “I thought they had to use a lot of energy to get to that point.”

Kiowa still wasn’t done, however.

After Lomega staked a five-point lead in the third, the Cowgirls went on a 7-0 run to take their own 41-39 lead.

It was 43-all with under 3:00 to play in the quarter when Lewallen’s words to Duffy came to life. She buried her first

She buried her first 3-pointer to give the Lady Raiders a momentary threepoint lead.

Kiowa answered with a 5-0 run when Chloe Crawly made her own 3-pointer at the 1:49 mark.

But, just 12 seconds later, Duffy struck again and Lomega led 49-48.

Duffy’s trey was the fifth lead change of the quarter.

It was also the final one of the game.

During the frantic quarter that saw the teams combine for 37 points, Lewallen admittedly was concerned on the sideline.

“For a stretch there, we looked like the team about to run out of gas and not have anything left,” he said.

But he never wavered. He did call a timeout at one point, but he continually barked at his team to push the pace and he also didn’t make one substitution in the second half.

In the fourth, it all finally paid off.

Kiowa went scoreless for more than four minutes.

Lomega incrementally grew its lead during that stretch.

“I tell our girls that we don’t have to play great the whole game, we just need to be great in two- to three-minute stretches,” he said. “We knew we had it in us, but we just weren’t sure when that run was going to be.”

Duffy made her third 3-pointer of the half with 5:02 to play then Roberts followed up with four straight points, including a trey, as Lomega’s lead grew to 63-54.

It remained there until Audrey Johnston ended Kiowa’s drought with 2:18 showing on the clock.

However, despite not being in the situation all season, Lomega executed down the stretch and Kiowa never got closer than five points.

Walker bumped one off the glass as Lomega beat Kiowa’s pressure.

Duffy and Roberts had back-to-back blocks on the defensive end as Kiowa had a chance to make it a threepoint game.

And Lomega was 8 of 12 from the free throw line in the fourth.

“For not having been in that predicament all season, I thought our girls handled it really well,” Lewallen said.

But he wasn’t surprised.

“That’s the way they are. They know what to do in every situation.”

When Lewallen walked into Lomega’s lunchroom early Monday afternoon, there sat members of his team.

All together.

All talking.

All laughing and enjoying the moment.

While that’s no surprise considering the team’s feat less than 48 hours earlier, it’s also not always the case.

A sophomore, Roberts was named the tournament MVP by The Oklahoman.

She dominated the title game with 24 points and four rebounds and cemented herself as a bonafide star on a team full of them.

“It’s an amazing feeling,” she said. “The girls on my team are amazing ball players and just playing on the same team as them is an honor.

But having my name right up there as MVP just goes to show that my hard work is paying off.”

Duffy, who added eight rebounds to her scoring total, was also an all-tournament selection.

Wilson has won three state titles in her career, one as a freshman at Hammon and now two with the Lady Raiders.

“I could not ask for a better ending,” said the Southwestern Oklahoma State signee. “I just feel really blessed. Doing it with this team makes it even more special.”

Wilson was a strong focus of Kiowa’s defense and was limited to six points. She did offer up six assists and three rebounds.

“It was a little frustrating not being able to get the looks I normally would, so I just focused on doing the things to help us,” she said.

And the way Lomega is built, her points aren’t always needed.

There’s always going to be a Lady Raider or two or three who step up.

Last year it was Eaton as she earned MVP honors as a sophomore. Like Wilson, she scored six points in the title game to go with four assists and three steals.

Contributing in scoring along with Roberts and Duffy on this night was Walker.

The sophomore post player had 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists.

“If we played again on Sunday, it could have been a different group leading us in scoring,” Lewallen said.

“But the thing I love about this group...they don’t care. They were sitting in that lunchroom having a great time because they didn’t care who got the points and who got the awards. They just care about winning and not every team is like that.”