Tying the standard

Bertha Frank Teague is an icon when it comes to girls high school basketball in Oklahoma… and the rest of the nation.

She now has company with one of her most prestigious records.

Lomega toppled Lookeba- Sickles 53-43 at State Fair Arena Saturday night to win the Class B girls state basketball championship.

For Lomega, it added to its Oklahoma girls record as it now owns 16 state titles.

For coach Kevin Lewallen, it put him in the rarified air of Teague.

Now the owner of eight state championships as a coach, Lewallen has tied Teague for the most in Oklahoma girls history.

“I wouldn’t say tying her was a goal I had, but once you’ve started winning a couple, you definitely take notice,” Lewallen said.

Teague won 1,157 games, had a .910 winning percentage and is labeled “Mrs. Basketball of Oklahoma.”

The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee won her eight titles in her 42 years as Byng’s head coach.

Lewallen has done it in less than half that time.

He took over the girls program at his alma mater in the 2004-05 season.

The Lady Raiders have made the state tournament 16 times during that span and reached the state championship game 12 times.

Lomega got its first title under Lewallen by beating Dover in 2007.

The Lady Raiders repeated in 2008.

They added another title in 2012.

Then came his second repeat years as the Lady Raiders hoisted gold balls in 2015 and 2016.

Then yet another double- dip as Lomega won the title in both 2020 and 2021, the latter being an undefeated season.

This year’s championship was Lomega’s fifth consecutive appearance in the title game.

Lomega is 35-8 in the state tournament under Lewallen.

Excluding Lomega, only the storied programs of Byng, Dale, Woodward, Okarche, Preston and Seiling have more state tournament wins in their histoies.

Lomega leads all programs with 74.

Again, excluding his own Lomega, only Byng (11), Woodward (9) and Seiling (9) have won more state titles than Lewallen.

Dale has eight entering this weekend’s 2A field.

Lewallen deflects all credit to the players during his tenure.

“I’ve coached some really, really good girls,” he said. “I’ve become a good bus driver. All credit goes to them. I just try to make little adjustments here and there.”

Lewallen does at least take credit for “starting them early” at Lomega.

“I try to teach them to play the game the best I can at a young age. I truly believe one reason we are good is because we do it from the third grade up,” he said.

“I try to teach the game of basketball and then I let you play and the girls have really bought into that.”

Lomega Superintendent Cory Wilson is a former girls basketball coach himplishment self.

He coached Leedey to a Class B state runner-up finish in 2000 and Kingfisher to the 4A semifinals in 2004.

His youngest daughter, Adysen Wilson, helped lead Lewallen’s 2020 and 2021 title teams.

“Before arriving at Lomega, the success of the girls basketball program had always intrigued me,” Wilson said. “Decades of dominance is a feat that’s not achieved with just the talent alone. Organizational leadership, high expectations and discipline are a few of the things that stand out to me when looking at coach Lewallen’s Lomega program.”

And, said Wilson, Lewallen’s approach remains the same whether his team is the most talented in the class or not.

“I think his consistency throughout the years is what separates him and his teams. At Lomega, that means when you enter the third grade and start playing for him, it is a consistent progression for the next 10 years.

“Because of this, if you play for him, you are going to be one of the most confi dent players on the floor. His teams play with such freedom and confidence and that is a testament to him and how he runs his program every year.”

Overall, Lewallen is 53287 (.859) in his career.

He said he won’t be chasing wins.

“I’m never going to be the guy staying around and coaching until he’s 70,” Lewallen said. “I will never be going for the most wins.”

But titles? “A state championship is a big deal,” he said. “That means something, so, yes, that record would be nice.”

For now, he’ll have to settle for being tied with Teague.

Wilson said that accom- alone is astonishing.

“I know a lot of great coaches who have never won a gold ball. It’s extremely difficult to win just one,” Wilson siad. “Having your name next to the likes of Bertha Frank Teague is an incredible feat and although he never takes credit for the success he has achieved at Lomega, he is a huge reason that the legacy of Lomega girls basketball continues to thrive.”