Sports

Okarche High School’s girls basketball team is now one win away from making a return trip to the Class A state tourney after defeating 20th-ranked Stuart 76-55 to win the Area II, Region A Championship.

The second-ranked Warriors improved to 23-2 on the year and were slated to play fifth-ranked Vanoss in Kellyville for the Area II Championship and a berth in the Elite Eight.

Okarche, with no losses in the postseason, could fall to Vanoss and make state through the consolation bracket.

The Warriors defeated Wellston (76-27) in their other regional game.

While it took an extra day, the area rounds of the Class A playoffs are now set and Calumet High School remains one of two programs in the county still left in the chase for the Big Dance.

But the sixth-ranked Chieftains will have to do it the hard way.

Calumet suffered its first playoff loss with a 59-56 setback to 10th-ranked Cyril in the Area III, Region C Championship. The Chieftains, who slipped to 21-7 on the year, face 19th-ranked Canute in the Area III consolation quarterfinals and need three wins to reach state.

Struggling with a full-court press from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, Redlands Community College women’s basketball team dropped a 64-55 home game to the Norsemen.

The loss moved Redlands to 12-11 on the season and 6-9 in the NJCAA Region 2 standings for sixth place. The loss came on the heels of an 83-65 road win over Western Oklahoma State College.

Shakira Patterson led all Redlands scorers for the set with 36 points, 11 rebounds and seven steals. Kristen Readel followed with 28 points, 15 rebounds and five assists.

Redlands Community College men’s basketball team jumped into a tie for sixth place in the NJCAA Region 2 standings with a 78-67 home win over Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.

The victory came a day after a 74-73 road loss to Western Oklahoma State College.

The split left Redlands with a 14-14 overall record and a 7-8 mark in Region 2 play.

Deng Deang led the Cougars in scoring over the two games with 39 points and a double-double in each outing with 23 rebounds. Elijah Herron followed with a line of 29 points, 16 rebounds and eight steals.

Utilizing nine different players to score points, El Reno High School’s girls basketball team locked up second place in the Suburban Conference standings last week with a 55-29 road win over Noble.

El Reno, the West’s second seed for the pending playoffs, improved to 18-4 on the season with the 26-point win over the Bears – the 12th seed in the East bracket.

Jennifer Douglas’ team completed Suburban Conference play with a 7-2 record, with losses to Del City and Carl Albert.

Only the Titans, unbeaten in league action, have a better win-loss record than EHS.

Scoring from all three phases of the game, El Reno High School’s boys basketball team wrapped up Suburban Conference play last week with a 73-51 road win over Noble.

El Reno, the West’s seventh seed for the upcoming playoffs, picked up its fourth win in a row to improve to 13-9 on the season.

El Reno closed Suburban Conference play in second place behind Del City with a 7-2 record, both losses coming to the top-ranked Eagles.

OKLAHOMA CITY - While the rematch was closer than one might have expected, El Reno High School’s girls basketball team swept the season series from Bishop McGuinness behind a clutch third-period run.

El Reno, the No.2 seed on the West, improved to 17-4 on the season with a 58-48 non-conference win over the Irish. It was the Indians sixth win out of the past seven games.

The two schools could meet for a third time as Bishop McGuinness, the West’s 10th seed, will play in the upcoming Class 5A, Region 4 Championships at El Reno if both teams advance to the finals.

OKLAHOMA CITY – For the second time this season, El Reno High School’s boys basketball team needed extra time to settle the outcome of a top 10 matchup with Bishop McGuinness.

And for a second time it was the home team that emerged with a loss.

El Reno went into McCarthy Gymnasium and outscored the Irish 12-7 in overtime for a 69-64 victory.

The win avenged an earlier double overtime home loss to McGuinness - the East’s third seed for the upcoming playoffs.

Getting balanced scoring from 11 different players, Darlington School’s boys basketball team extended its run of titles at the recent 2022 Oklahoma Rural Elementary Schools State Championships.

Competing out of Division III, the Chiefs defeated Hodgen 47-29 in the quarterfinals and then won 55-27 over Peggs in the semifinals.

Darlington defeated Oak Grove 42-18 in the championship game for a sixth straight state championship.

The Chiefs won the Division III title in 2016 and again a year later, before taking the Division II championship in 2018 and again in 2019.

Despite making it a two-possession game twice in the third period, Redlands Community College women’s basketball team could not overcome a disastrous opening period against Murray State College.

Redlands gave up the game’s first 11 points and did not score on back-to-back possessions the entire first period en route to a 70-58 setback to the Aggies.

The loss dropped the Cougars to 5-6 in the NJCAA Region 2 standings and into sixth place. Redlands is 11-8 on the year.