SwarT sparks regional title run

The stat line for Abby Swart was typical in most respects.

The Lomega senior made three 3-pointers, three shots from inside the arc and three free throws as her team beat Boise City 64-47 in a Class B regional championship game at Leedey.

It also had one atypical stat: Her first career technical.

Her coach will be the first to have her back.

“Abby had never done anything in her career to deserve a technical foul,” said Kevin Lewallen after his team moved within one win of another state tournament appearance.

“And she’s still never done anything in her career to deserve one.”

Swart’s team had been struggling a bit by its own standards when she made a 3-pointer in the third quarter.

The teams were in a dogfight to that point as Lomega enjoyed a measly 23-22 lead at halftime.

The game was still in doubt when Swart sank her third trey of the game.

Her exuberance was - apparently - misunderstood as a taunt.

But, in hindsight, Lewallen doesn’t hate the call.

“We went on a 10-0 run after that,” he said. “I think it was the kind of spark we needed.”

Loemga ended up outscoring Boise City 22-10 in the quarter and continued to pull away in the fourth.

Swart led her team with 18 points.

Monse Rivera added 15. She scored 12 of her points and made three of her four 3-pointers in the second half.

Kate Myers added 10 points, eight of them in the final two quarters.

The second-ranked Lady Raiders will play No. 8 Arnett for an area title at 6 p.m. Friday at the Stride Bank Center in Enid.

It will be the second meeting of the season between the two teams. Lomega (26-2) beat Arnett (24-5) 68-55 on Dec. 9 in the finals of the Canton Tournament.

Raiders earn spot at area with 2 wins

Back-to-back 15-point wins have the Lomega Raiders back in the area tournament.

Lomega avoided elimination over the weekend by downing Boise City 50-35 on Friday and then Vici 63-48 on Saturday.

Both wins came at Leedey.

The win against Vici was Lomega’s third of the season and second in these playoffs.

The teams also played for a district championship a week earlier.

The Raiders trailed by five at halftime, but turned the game in the third quarter, outscoring the Indians 23-7.

Junior Ben Marsh scored seven in the quarter while sophomore Lance Yost added six.

The two also stepped up in the fourth as Lomega continued to pull away for the win.

Yost ended his night with 22 points.

He scored eight in the second quarter as the Raiders tried to keep pace with Vici.

Maddox Morris had 10 points in the first half for the Indians, but Lomega limited him to four in the second half.

Marsh ended his night with 14 points while Jaxson Snowden scored nine.

Lomega was able to build up a 10-point lead in the first half against Boise City.

Marsh was the catalyst with 14 of his game-high 16 points in those first two periods.

Snowden added eight points in the win while Yost and Chase Burton scored six apiece.

The Raiders have now won three of their last four after ending the regular season on a four-game losing skid.

They go into area with an 18-11 record.

They play No. 12 Wesleyan Christian at 2:30 p.m. Thursday in an area consolation quarterfinal. Lomega’s area will be played at the Stride Bank Center in Enid.