VINITA — With a berth in the Big Dawg Shoot-Out championship hanging in the balance, it often looked like neither team was eager to seize it.
Between 61 combined turnovers, 22 missed free throws and a steady stream of errant layups that flirted with nothing but air, Sequoyah and Salina spent Friday night searching unsuccessfully for the dagger that would separate them.
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In the end, the Lady Wildcats found just enough offense to escape with a 32-25 victory over the Lady Eagles in the semifinals inside the James E. Sooter Activities Center at Vinita High School.
In a game where free throws, rebounding and turnovers largely canceled each other out, the biggest difference came from beyond the arc.
Salina made 2 3-pointers. Sequoyah made none.
That margin proved decisive.
The Lady Wildcats’ second 3-pointer — a deep shot from Jordan Hawk — snapped a 25-24 Lady Eagles lead and ignited a game-ending 8-0 run. Sequoyah did not score again after Abilene McGee’s free throw gave them their first and only lead of the night with 5:04 remaining.
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The Lady Eagles’ struggles from the perimeter loomed large.
Lanie Thompson, who torched Catoosa with 5 3-pointers in the opening round, was held to 5 points and could not get a shot to fall from deep.
The game was a grind from the opening tip.
Salina jumped out early behind Maci Proctor and Izzy Pritchett, leading 11-4 after the first quarter. Sequoyah clawed back in the second behind Emmyn Gibson and Abilene McGee, trimming the deficit to 16-12 at halftime despite continued turnover issues.
The third quarter was more of the same with frantic possessions, missed chances and constant trips to the free-throw line.
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Gibson sparked a brief surge, and Lexis Breshears tied the game at 22 entering the fourth, setting up what appeared to be a tense finish.
However, after McGee’s free throw gave the Lady Eagles a 25-24 lead, the Lady Wildcats finally delivered the separation it had been searching for.
Hawk’s 3-pointer broke the tie, and Salina added points off free throws and a Zoe Stephenson basket to pull away as Sequoyah went scoreless over the final five minutes.
The Lady Wildcats committed 33 turnovers and the Lady Eagles 28, with the teams combining for 32 giveaways in the second half alone. Free throws told a similar story, as Sequoyah went 9-of-19 [47.4%] and Salina 10-of-22 [45.5%].
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Gibson led the Lady Eagles with 9 points and 7 rebounds, while Breshears added 7 boards alongside 3 points. Thompson finished with 5 points and 3 boards, and Sequoyah grabbed 16 offensive rebounds compared to the Lady Wildcats’ 9 but could not convert enough second chances.
For Salina, Pritchett led the way with 8 points and 7 rebounds, while Jordan Hawk added 7 points and 3 boards, including the game’s biggest shot.
The loss ended the Lady Eagles’ hopes of setting up an all-Claremore championship game against the Lady Zebras — a rare matchup that hasn’t occurred since Jan. 21, 2016, when Claremore beat Sequoyah 49-38 in the Catoosa Port City Classic.
The Lady Wildcats advanced to Saturday’s championship game at 7 p.m. against the Lady Zebras. Sequoyah will play Kiefer in the third-place game at 5:30 p.m.
Lady Eagles coach Lee Ott was unavailable for comment after the game.
