The Roland Runnin’ Rangers basketball team is heading back to state.
The second-ranked Runnin’ Rangers defeated the seventh-ranked Chandler Lions 56-43 to win the Class 3A Area Tournament last Friday night at Okmulgee’s Mvskoke Dome.
The Runnin’ Rangers (23-1) will meet the Eufaula Ironheads, who knocked off the Lions 48-42 in last Saturday night’s area consolation finals, at 7:30 tonight at O.G&E. Pavilion, a.k.a. “The ‘New’ Big House,” in Oklahoma City in the Class 3A State Tournament quarterfinals.
Unfortunately, the season came to an end for the Roland Lady Rangers as they lost 2524 to Spiro in the Class 3A Area Tournament consolation semifinals last Friday afternoon after beating Chandler 40-27 in last Thursday’s consolation quarterfinals.
The Lady Rangers ended the season at 177, but last closed out the year by losing four of their final six contests.
In the boys’ area championship game, the Runnin’ Rangers never trailed, jumping out to a 9-0 lead en route to a 14-8 advantage after a quarter.
A 3-point basket by Chandler’s Zaedyn Hankins for the Lions (23-6) cut their deficit to 25-21 with 3:01 remaining before halftime, but Roland’s 6-0 spurt to end the first half, capped by Damonte “Bubba” Owens’ basket with 19 seconds left, gave the Runnin’ Rangers a 31-23 lead at the half.
The Lions roared back in the third quarter to cut their deficit to 37-34 with 1:48 left on a pair of free throws by Jordan Denson, but they got no closer.
The Runnin’ Rangers finished off the period with a 7-0 run, capped by a basket by Owens with four seconds remaining, to put Roland ahead 44-34 going into the fourth quarter.
Roland got its lead to as high as 14 points on two occasions in the final period, the last time at 52-38 with 4:06 left to play on a basket by Kade Shook.
For the game, Mason Kemp scored a gamehigh 14 points and Owens added 13 points to lead Roland, followed by Landon Fowler with nine points, Shook, Cason Perryman and Raidyn Knight with six points each and Bryson Myers with two points.
In the girls’ area consolation semifinals, the Lady Bulldogs (22-6), who defeated Keys 4633 to win last Saturday night’s area consolation finals and qualify for state for the first time in 12 years, used a slow-tempo style game, which led to the contest being primarily a defensive battle.
After Roland took a 16-14 lead with 1:54 left in the first half on Molly Carver’s free throws, the Lady Bulldogs scored the game’s final three points — the last two coming on a basket by Brynleigh Graham with 50 seconds remaining — to send Spiro into the locker rooms with a 1716 lead. The game was tied at 21-all going into the fourth quarter.
Back-to-back baskets by Graham to begin the final period put Spiro ahead 25-21 with 3:28 left to play.
Ryanne Nelke’s 3-point basket with 2:46 remaining cut Roland’s deficit to 25-24. However, the final 2:46 saw neither team score a basket, and Roland hav- ing the chance for the game-winning shot in the waning seconds but never getting off an attempt.
In defeat, Nelke scored a game-high 15 points to lead Roland, followed by Carver with six points and Adriana Moya with three points.
In the girls’ area consolation quarterfinals, the Lady Rangers jumped out to an 11-5 lead after a quarter en route to a 22-16 halftime advantage, only to see the Lady Lions rally in the third quarter as their 9-7 period but Roland’s lead to 29-25 after three quarters. However, an 11-2 final period for Roland sealed the deal.
For the game, Halle Freeman scored a gamehigh 18 points and Nelke added 15 points to lead Roland, followed by Carver with four points, Lillian Cole with two points and Moya with a free throw.
