By Ron Holt
During the recent Class 6A Girls State Basketball Tournament, Bixby’s Lady Spartans took effort and mental toughness to another level.
But when the final field goal fell through in the final second of the final game, in overtime, the Lady Spartans came up short for the second straight year in their quest to capture a state championship.
Unlike the 48-37 loss to Norman in the 2021 state championship game in Oral Roberts’ Mabee Center, this setback was gut-wrenching.
The Lady Spartans (24-4) overcame a 23-21 halftime deficit by outscoring once-beaten Edmond North 16-6 in the third quarter for a 37-29 lead going into the fourth quarter. The Lady Huskies tied the game after regulation, forcing overtime.
The hard-fought battle came down to Edmond North having the final OT possession after Bixby standout guard Gracy Wernli was called for an offensive foul, which was her fifth. Edmond North’s Toni Papahronis sank a buzzer beater for a dramatic 59-57 victory at the University of Oklahoma’s Lloyd Noble Arena.
For three straight days, Bixby’s girls played outstanding basketball, winning in different ways while losing only after one of the most determined efforts this season. Edmond North defeated BHS by 41 points during the Bixby Girls Classic as the Lady Spartans played without an injured Wernli.
“We didn’t win a state championship, but they competed like champions,” Bixby head coach Tina Thomas said in a Tulsa World story. “They’re winners in my book. They’ve done everything I’ve asked of them all year. They have the heart of warriors and they battled as hard as any coach could expect them to.”
Wernli topped the Lady Spartans in scoring with 22 points followed by Meredith Mayes with 17 points, Alyssa Nielsen with 12, Brynn Daniel with five and Gentry Baldwin with two. T. Papahronis’ 21 points led Edmond North (28-1).
Wernli, a 5-10 junior, and Mayes, a 6-3 junior, were named to the All-Tournament first team while 5-6 junior Baldwin and 6-0 junior Nielsen were second team all-tourney selections.
En route to a return to the state championship game, Bixby dominated Edmond Memorial in the second half in rolling to a 49-29 state quarterfinal victory while the Lady Spartans capitalized on three pressure-packed three throws by Baldwin with 1.6 seconds remaining to turn back Union, 35-34, in the state semifinal.
Edmond North, which fell to the Lady Spartans 59-54 in last year’s state semifinals, defeated Stillwater (72-37) in the quarterfinals and Sand Springs (55-35) in the semifinal.
Bixby is a favored to make a third straight appearance in the state title game in 2023 since the Lady Spartans return all five starters and key bench players. Mayes, Wernli, Baldwin and Nielsen are juniors who have started in the past two Class 6A state title games. The 5-8 Daniel is a sophomore starter.
The experience gained from competing in another state title game will benefit all Lady Spartans, especially the younger players.
“I suited up last year but the only time I went in was when we were ahead by 20 points,” said the athletic Daniel. “Last year I just watched because they didn’t need me but this year, I knew I had to perform because the team needed me.
“There wasn’t pressure on me last year but there was this year. Having to step up this year was a big change. It was nerve-wracking at first. I had pregame jitters,” she said of the Edmond Memorial opener. “It’s awesome getting to play. When we win the gold ball, I will feel like I actually contributed. Getting this experience helps a lot.”
BIXBY 49, EDMOND MEMORIAL 29
(State Quarterfinal)
In the state tourney opener at Carl Albert High’s gymnasium, Bixby was out of synch at the start, uncharacteristically missing shots and playing out of rhythm. Leading 25-15 at half, Bixby got into a groove in the second half.
A 32-23 lead going into the fourth quarte expanded to 40-23 as the Lady Spartans went on an 8-0 run, featuring a 3-point play by Mayes, a trey by Baldwin and a layup by Nielsen.
“The third quarter was big for us. Once we started playing like a team that’s when started taking off,” said Baldwin, who effectively penetrated the Lady Bulldogs’ midcourt pressure. “We were getting push after push and stop after stop … it became fun at that point.
“They’re a good team defensively … their on-ball defense is really good. It was tough but it makes it earlier when our girls are hitting shots, Mere and Alyssa are getting on the boards and Brynn is taking care of the ball.”
Coach Thomas added of Baldwin, “I have a lot of confidence when the ball is in her hands. She makes good decisions on the court. She doesn’t force things and finds the open person. We played tight the first half but once we got into a rhythm, we were good.”
All four Bixby veteran starters scored in double figures with Nielsen hitting 14, Baldwin 13, Mayes 11 and Wernli 11. Avery Hjelmstad led Edmond Memorial (18-9) with 16 points.
BIXBY 35, UNION 34
(State Semifinal)
The state semifinal meeting in OU’s Lloyd Noble Arena resembled the other three battles this season between the two Tulsa area rivals with Bixby making keys plays at the end in winning three of the four contests.
Union (19-7), which led 16-14 at halftime, went on a 9-0 run late in the third quarter to take a 10-point (29-19) lead over the Lady Spartans entering the fourth quarter. The Lady Redhawks’ Desiree Marshall-Penny hit back-to-back 3-point baskets to highlight the UHS surge.
Bixby began fighting back, opening the fourth quarter with a 6-0 run featuring a trey by Kassidy Blankenship and two points each by Mayes and Wernli to trim the gap to 29-26 with 4:36 left. After another Marshall-Penny 3-pointer, Bixby used two points from Nielsen, Mayes and Wernli to tie the game at 32-all with 17.5 seconds showing.
Union’s Makenzie Malham missed the front end of a one-and-one with Mayes rebounding at the 35-second mark before teammate Aubrey Hishaw scored on a rebound put-back with six seconds left giving UHS a 34-32 lead.
In the waning seconds, Baldwin fired up a 3-pointer as Union, which had a foul to give, tried to foul, giving Baldwin three free throws with 1.6 seconds remaining. Baldwin’s first attempted bounced around before falling through while the other two shots swished the netting to lift the Lady Spartans to the win and a return trip to the state title game.
Nielsen and Wernli topped Bixby’s balanced scoring attack with nine points each while Mayes ended with eight points, Baldwin six and Blankenship three.
