By knocking off Hugo last Saturday night in the Regional finals, 56-47, Purcell tucked away its 17th Regional Championship since the first one in 1945-46.
Ironically, the 1994 State Champions defeated Hugo in the State Tournament.
Hayden Ice and Malachi Evans led the scoring attack with 17 points apiece. Lincoln Eubank nailed a pair of big treys and matched Ice in the rebounding department with nine.
“Hugo is a very athletic and attacking defense. We knew going in they would be a challenge. It’s constant pressure and being disciplined on offense was a must,” Purcell Head Coach Roger Raper said.
“In the first half, we played rushed and had to many turnovers. We were able too settle in the during the second half and really stay under control with the ball. As a result our offense started to click,” the coach said.
With great hustle the Dragons out-rebounded the Buffaloes.
“That is a must if you want to beat Hugo,” Raper said. “I loved our effort from everyone who played. Noah Mason gave us some great minutes and hit a big three in the fourth quarter.”
To reach the Regional finals the Dragons dispatched Comanche 67-55 behind Ice’s 23 points. Evans finished in double digits with 18 while Kobe Freeman chipped in 14.
“Winning isn’t easy in the playoffs,” Raper said. “Every team has the same opportunity as you and you can’t take anyone for granted. Comanche came in and executed their game plan and played really well. We were able to get our offense going in the second half and pull away.”
Up next is No. 6 Prague Friday at 7:30 p.m. at East Central University for the Area Championship and a trip to the State Tournament.
Prague is 23-2 on the season while the Dragons are 24-2.
“The Red Devils have had a great season and bring lots of momentum into the game,” Raper said. “They play extremely hard and very unselfishly.
“This will be a great match up. I know our kids are looking forward to the challenge,” the coach concluded.
After knocking off Frederick 59-53 last Thursday at The Reimer Center coach Toney Cooper’s No. 10 ranked Dragons were edged by No. 7 Silo, 51-42.
Senior KK Eck paced the Dragons in the victory over Frederick with 18 points. Joining her in double digits was sophomore Tinley Winters with 11.
Sophomore Ella Resendiz led the Dragons with 12 points in the Regional finals against Silo.
“Frederick is a solid team that has some really good guards who can shoot the ball from anywhere,” Cooper said. “Our girls came out on fire in the first quarter and got us a solid lead, led by KK Eck. “We were able to get some easy baskets in transition and get after it defensively. As anticipated though, no lead is safe with a team that can shoot the ball well. Frederick came back in the second half with a vengeance. Our team weathered the run and was able to hold them off to secure the win.”
Cooper said he thought the Dragons did a good job of controlling Silo’s big, Tianni Ellison.
“She was the focal point of our defensive plan,” Cooper said. “Both Tinley Winters and Ella Resendiz were incredible in how they defended her. She had to work for every point.
“Offensively, we just did not hit enough shots. I thought we settled more for threes and missed a ton of opportunities to attack the paint and score.
“The margin for error is extremely slim in the playoffs, and we have to maximize our opportunities. The good news is we are still playing and have an opportunity this week to get back in the hunt for State,” Cooper said.
Purcell will face No. 13 Holdenville at 6 p.m. Thursday at ECU. Holdenville is 22-5 while the Dragons are 19-7.
The girls must win the next three games to advance to State.
“We match up pretty well with Holdenville so I expect it to be a really competitive game,” Cooper concluded.
Dragon notes:
The Regional Championship for Purcell’s boys is their 17th Regional title since their first in 1945-46.
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