By PORKY FALCON
The last time the McAlester Lady Buffs won a state basketball title,
most of the current Lady Buffs weren’t born yet. For the first time in
18 years, the McAlester basketball program earned the gold ball,
winning the girls’ Class 5A State Championship, Saturday at the Mabee
Center against the No. 3 Tulsa East Central Lady Cardinals.
Tears flowed from the eyes of both benches, McAlester’s being joy and
the Lady Cards disappointment. The Lady Buffs (No. 7) earned the title
after they defeated Carl Albert Lady Titans (No. 1) 43-42 in the first
round of the playoffs at Supulpa High School, Thursday. McAlester moved
up to the semifinal match against No. 2 Memorial (Tulsa) and won 42-39
at the Mabee Center, Friday.
The Lady Buffs’ final game of the season ended with a win over the Lady
Cardinals 49-45 for the state title.
The Lady Buffs (25-3) ended the Lady Cardinals’ (24-5) eight game win
streak in front of a dominating McAlester crowd.
The win gave McAlester their third state title in program history.
McAlester was on the board first in all four quarters. They kept the
lead the entire game and only allowed East Central to tie three times,
once at the end of the third quarter 32-32.
In the first quarter, LaShanda Green scored the first of McAlester’s
points from the charity stripe with one minute off the game clock.
Green had game high honors with 17 points. She went 11-16 at the line
with three field goals.
The Cards tied the game 40 seconds later with their own free throw from
Ashlie Baker.
McAlester gained a five point lead the next two-minutes. They scored a
2-point shot from Keleshia Johnson and a trey from senior Lesley Huff.
Huff scored nine points in the contest hitting all threes. She went 3-7
behind the arc, had one foul and three rebounds.
The Lady Buffs controlled the tempo of the game with their defense
holding the Cards to only six points in the first quarter. They jumped
to an eight point lead, 14-6 after the first quarter.
The Lady Buffs’ Jami Steidley hit the first two points of the second
quarter and another 2-pointer with 6:31 left. Steidley, scored six
points for the Lady Buffs before she went out with a knee injury 5:52
left to play in the second quarter. She also had three rebounds.
Steidley allowed the Buffs to control a 10 point lead, 8-18, early in
the second then was forced to watch from the bench as her team lost
momentum. The Lady Cards clawed their way out and brought the game back
within four at the end of the half, 20-24.
McAlester senior standout Shay Griffin put the first point up for
McAlester with a free throw. Griffin scored four points for the Lady
Buffs with one rebound.
The Cards tied the ball game twice in the second half. The first 25-25
and 32-32 to close out the third quarter.
McAlester senior Whitney Anderson put the Buffs out front for the
fourth and final time in the game with a free throw with 32 seconds off
the game clock. Anderson scored six points for the Lady Buffs and
helped out with eight rebounds.
The Lady Buffs held on to their lead controlled by much needed free
throws and defensive plays by senior Kirsty Cook. Cook had five points
with two rebounds, one being her own rebound in the fourth quarter,
then making the basket that brought the Lady Buffs 48-43 with 30
seconds left to play.
The McAlester cheering section boiled over with excitement then erupted
with Griffin’s free throw that made the score 49-43 with seconds left.
The Lady Buffs allowed the Lady Cardinals’ Arial Williams to shoot two
free throws at the end of the game. The Buffs defeated the Lady
Cardinals 49-45 and were crowned the top team in girls’ Class 5A
basketball.
Contact Porky Falcon at pfalcon@mcalesternews.com
