DIFFERENT YEAR, SAME STORY
Lomega girls capture 5th straight Cherokee Strip tournament title
LOMEGA RAIDERS vs. CHEROKEE CHIEFS — LOMEGA FRESHMAN Emma Duffy (33) skies over everyone to grab a rebound during the Lady Raiders’ win over Cherokee in the finals of the Cherokee Strip Conference Tournament. [Photo by Chris Si
LOMEGA RAIDERS vs. CHEROKEE CHIEFS — LOMEGA FRESHMAN Sydni Walker (31) skies over everyone to grab a rebound during the Lady Raiders’ win over Cherokee in the finals of the Cherokee Strip Conference Tournament. [Photo by Chris Si
There have been a few changes in the roster the last five years, but one thing has remained constant: Lomega wins the Cherokee Strip Conference Tournament.
The Lady Raiders made it five in a row Saturday by dismantling Cherokee 75- 43 in the girls championship game at the Chisholm Trail Expo Center in Enid.
Adysen Wilson buried nine 3-pointers and scored 30 points in the title game en route to being named Most Valuable Player.
She made six of those 3-pointers during the second half, which started with a 22-9 Lomega run.
That turned a 14-point halftime lead into a 25-point blowout going into the final quarter.
“We started a little slow, but really got going toward the end of the second quarter and in that third quarter,” coach Kevin Lewallen said after his team won its 16th straight game and improved to 19-2.
It was Emma Duffy who kept Lomega on top early.
The junior, still less than two months into her season since returning from injury, scored 10 points in the first quarter as Lomega led 19-11.
Duffy finished with 15 and was named to the all-tournament team. She scored a team-high 15 in Friday’s 72-18 victory over Kremlin-Hillsdale.
“I thought she really played well,” Lewallen said. “She’s starting to get into basketball shape.”
Sydni Walker added 10 points and was also on the all-tournament team. Like Duffy, Walker, a freshman,missed the first half of the season with injury.
Darcy Roberts scored 10 as well.
Raiders take 4th
Back-to-back heartbreaking losses forced the Lomega boys to settle for fourth place in their bracket.
The Raiders were outscored 23-11 in the fourth quarter and overtime Saturday in a 61-55 loss to Cherokee in the third-place game.
The Raiders led by six points going into the fourth, but surrendered a 12-6 run. The Chiefs then had an 11-5 run in OT.
Noah Snowden scored 21 points for Lomega and earned a spot on the all-tournament team. Blake Snowden added 14 points.
Lomega also led Ringwood entering the fourth quarter of their Friday semifinal.
Ringwood, however, outscored the Raiders 12-8 to win 42-39.
Ringwood went on to beat Burlington, 68-34, in the championship game.
Blake Snowden led the Raiders with 17 points in the loss.
Lomega was 14-7 at the conclusion of the tournament.