The Central Tigers had a shot Sunday night to become county basketball champions as the fourth-seeded Tigers stunned the top-seeded and 2025 Sequoyah County Classic host Roland Runnin’ Rangers 64-61 last Wednesday night in the championship semifinals at the Ranger Dome.
The Tigers faced the Muldrow Bulldogs on Monday night for the county title.
The Tigers defeated the Vian Wolverines 47-42 on Jan. 7 at Gore Event Center in their opening-round game.
The Lady Tigers suffered a 37-25 championship semifinal loss to the Muldrow Lady Bulldogs last Wednesday night at the Ranger Dome after beating the Gore Lady Pirates 51-30 on Jan. 6 at Gore Event Center.
The Lady Tigers were slated to meet Stigler in the third-place game Monday afternoon, but the Lady Panthers could not return. So, Central ended up facing the Vian Lady Wolverines, who were scheduled to meet the Lady Pirates for the consolation title on Monday but could not return.
The Lady Wolverines lost 57-24 on Jan. 7 at Gore Event Center, then got a bye into the consolation title game.
The Wolverines received a bye into the consolation finals after losing to Central.
The Gore teams split their two games in this season’s county tournament as the Lady Pirates, after losing to Central, handled the Gans Lady Grizzlies 5512 in the consolation semifinals last Wednesday afternoon at Gore Event Center.
The Pirates lost their opening-round game 58-47 to Stigler, then tamed the Gans Grizzlies 78-31 last Wednesday at Gore. The Pirates were to have played the Wolverines for the consolation championship on Monday, but they could not come back on Monday. So, the Vian boys ended up playing Central on Monday.
OPENING-ROUND GAMES At Gore Girls Central 51, Gore 30
The Lady Pirates (26) kept the game close, trailing only 13-9 after a quarter. Back-to-back baskets by Gore’s Ricki Huckbay and Rayleigh Moore cut the Gore deficit to 14-13 with 4:18 left before halftime. However, that was as close as the Lady Pirates got.
The Lady Tigers (6-3) ended the first half with an 8-3 run, capped by a pair of free throws by Cheyenne Busch with 44 seconds remaining in the first half, to give Central a 22-16 lead at halftime.
The Lady Tigers took control of the game with a 14-5 third quarter to increase their advantage to 36-21 after three quarters.
For the game, Central put three players into double figures, led by Cambree Bair’s gamehigh 14 points, followed by Haley Cheek’s 12 points and Paris Campbell’s 10 points. Busch scored six points, followed by Ayrland Jiles with five points and Hadlie Woods with four points.
In defeat, Huckbay led Gore with 10 points, followed by Kennedy Williams with seven points, Emily Daily and River Shoemake with four points each, Moore with three points and Hallie Brewer with two points.
to an 8-4 lead thanks to Cain Cooper’s 3-point basket with 5:49 left in the opening period.
A 3-pointer by Stigler’s Cade Parker capped a 7-3 run by the Panthers to knot the game at 11-all with 3:29 remaining in the quarter.
The Pirates ended the period with an 8-5 run to take a 19-16 lead after the first quarter.
However, the Panthers outscored the Pirates 12-4 in the second quarter to take a 28-23 lead at halftime, then used an 11-6 third period to up their advantage to 39-29 after three quarters.
In defeat, Cooper scored a game-high 33 points to lead Gore, followed by Tate Brooksher with seven points, Duane Hunt with four points and Keeton Rowe with three points.
Stigler 57, Vian 24
With the game tied at 6-all with 2:49 left in the first quarter, the Lady Panthers outscored the Lady Wolverines 8-2 the rest of the period to take a 14-8 lead into the second quarter.
A basket by Vian’s Avery Wright to open the second period cut the Stigler lead to 1410 with 7:44 left in the first half. It ended up being as close as the Lady Wolverines (2-5) would get.
Stigler ended the first half on a 17-9 run to take a 31-19 halftime lead.
After the Lady Panthers outscored the Lady Wolverines 11-5 in the third quarter to take a 42-24 lead into the final period, Stigler blanked Vian 15-0 in the fourth quarter.
In defeat, Wright led Vian with eight points, followed by Halli Russell with four points and Rebel Simon, Kala Gibbins, LaKoeta Cheater, Jaiden Soap, Rayleigh Terrill and Blazi Dieter with two points apiece.
Central 47, Vian 42
The Tigers (6-3) led pretty much the whole way, taking a 16-10 lead after a quarter, a 28-21 halftime advantage and a 43-29 lead after three periods.
The Wolverines (3-4) tried to rally as they outscored the Tigers 13-4 in the fourth quarter but came up short.
For the game, Josh Brunk scored 16 points and Hardy Buzzard added 13 points to lead Central, followed by Braxin Goodson with eight points, Gavin Randolph and Aidan Sainer with four points each and Paitton Merrill with two points.
In defeat, Masyn Wright scored a gamehigh 23 points to lead Vian, followed by Joe O’Neal with six points, Cash Trammel with five points, Trace Sanders with three points, Jeremiah Marshall and Jacob Brannick with two points each and Cash Collins with a free throw.
CHAMPIONSHIP SEMIFINALS At Roland Boys Central 64, Roland 61 The Runnin’ Rangers, who tasted defeat for the first time this season, had a 14-9 lead after a quarter, a 32-26 advantage at the half and a 4542 lead going into the final period.
In the fourth quarter, the Tigers got the game tied twice, the last time at 54-all on a basket by Central’s Aidan Sainer with 3:54 left to play.
A basket by Roland’s Kade Shook with 2:40 remaining in the game put the Runnin’ Rangers ahead 59-55.
However, the Tigers closed the game with a 9-2 run to complete the upset.
For the game, Josh Brunk scored a gamehigh 27 points to lead Central, followed by Sainer with 13 points, Hardy Buzzard with nine points, Gavin Randolph with eight points, Paitton Merrill with five points and Braxin Goodson with two points.
Girls Muldrow 37, Central 25 The Lady Bulldogs avenged an earlier 51-44 loss to the Lady Tigers suffered on the first-ever home game on the new court at Roger Sharp Activity Center on Dec. 10.
The Lady Bulldogs led 7-5 after the first quarter, but the Lady Tigers doubled them up 6-3 in the second period to take a 11-10 halftime lead. A 13-11 third quarter for the Lady Bulldogs put them back ahead 23-22 going into the fourth quarter.
Muldrow put away the game with a 14-3 final period to win going away.
In defeat, Hadlie Woods scored a gamehigh 14 points to lead Central, followed by Paris Campbell with six points, Haley Cheek with three points, Cambree Bair with two points and Ayrland Jiles with a free throw.
CONSOLATION SEMIFINALS At Gore Girls Gore 55, Gans 12
The Lady Pirates snapped a three-game losing streak with the win.
The Lady Pirates blanked the Lady Grizzlies by a count of 14-0 in the first quarter en route to a 24-5 halftime advantage and a 37-7 lead going into the fourth quarter.
For the game, Emily Daily scored a gamehigh 18 points and CoCo Parker added 10 points to lead Gore, followed by Rayleigh Moore with six points, Kennedy Williams with five points and Ricki Huckbay, Sophie O’Connor, River Shoemake and Lily Wooten each with four points.
The second half instituted a running clock.
Boys Gore 78, Gans 31
The Pirates put away the game early, outscoring the Grizzlies over the first eight minutes 30-10 for a 20-point lead heading into the second quarter. Gore enjoyed a 51-13 halftime advantage and a 60-17 lead after three quarters.
All throughout the second half, the running clock was used.
For the game, Cain Cooper’s game-high 28 points lead Gore, followed by Eli Munson with 16 points, Logan Markou with eight points, Tate Brooksher with seven points, Duane Hunt with six points, Nash Thouvenel with five points, Cruz Ward with four points, Ayden Cox with three points and Gabe Hefley with a free throw.
