Claremore Daily Progress

Sports

February 25, 2013

Verdigris soars into 3A Regional Championship

Cardinals battle Kansas tonight in Muskogee

GLENN HIBDON Sports Writer

VERDIGRIS — In a sluggish, ragged game, rebounding proved to be the difference for the Verdigris Lady Cardinals.

The Class 3A No. 5 Lady Cardinals (22-3) slammed the boards for 50 recoveries and limited Vian to just 31, easing to a 48-26 victory in regional tournament basketball Friday night at Jack Collins Sports Complex.

Verdigris’ rebounding effort held the Wolverines to single shots while producing second chances for the home team.

Courtney Risenhoover, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, led the way with 16 points and 10 boards with Baileigh O‘Dell pitching in 15 points.

The Lady Cardinals bolted to a 9-0 lead and Vian never recovered.

The Wolverines got within 12-8 after the first quarter, but managed just one basket and four points in the second frame.

In a game that featured 37 turnovers, 20 by Vian, the visitor’s last futile gasp came when Jennifer Hunter followed her own stray shot, cutting the deficit to 29-21 with 2:52 left in the third quarter.

Verdigris scored the next nine points in a 14-2 run that produced a 43-23 bulge on O’Dell’s three-pointer with 2:07 into the final quarter.

The Lady Cardinals face the Kansas Lady Comets Monday night at 6:30 p.m. at the Muskogee Civic Center for a chance to advance to the area round of the playoffs.

Kansas toppled Hartshorne, 45-35 in the first round of the regional tournament at Muskogee.

* * *

Once again, offensive balance, ball handling ability and three-point field goals proved the difference for the No. 4  Verdigris Cardinals.

Junior guard Tyler Monroe scored 22 points, senior forward Blake Battenfield chipped in 17 points, along with 14 rebounds, and it was enough to spur the Cardinals’ 74-50 victory over Westville in Class 3A regional tournament action Friday night at Jack Collins Sports Complex.

Verdigris (21-4) committed just seven turnovers and drilled nine treys while finally shutting the door on the Yellowjackets’ Hershell Gifford.

Gifford, a 6-foot-2 senior forward, scored 19 points in the first half and all 12 of his team’s second quarter points, but just one in the second half before fouling out with 6:11 remaining.

Gifford scored the first six points of the game as Westville quickly shot out of the gate.

Verdigris tied the game at eight and a struggle for dominance ensued.

Monroe’s three-pointer created a 16-all knot, then he drove the lane for a layup, giving the Cards’ their first lead at 18-16.

Monroe scored 13 second-quarter points in leading Verdigris to a 38-28 lead at intermission.

Holding Gifford scoreless in the third period, the Cardinals finally pulled away.

A three ball from Dakota Brasher moved the gap to 56-39 late in the period and it grew to 67-47 on Brasher’s layin with 3:56 to go.

The Cardinals advance to play an 8 p.m. game Monday at the Muskogee Civic Center.

The Cardinals will also battle Kansas, who defeated Heavener, 58-42.

Armbrister tallied 13 points and Kendrick added 10 to lead the Comets’ offensive attack.

Text Only
Sports
  • Practice_051web.jpg ‘All-State Brace’

    All the hours and hard work of keeping the Claremore Zebra athletes injury-free in order to reach their dreams at the highest level helped graduate Averey Brace fulfill a huge accomplishment in her athletic training career.
    Brace, a recent 2013 graduate of Claremore High School, received All-State honors from the Oklahoma Coaches Association earlier this month for her three-year commitment to the Claremore High School athletic training program.

    May 17, 2013 1 Photo

  • Sign up now for OSU Baseball Camp

    Oklahoma State Baseball will be holding a pair of camps in June for players in grades 1-8, and registration is now open.
     
    Session I of the camp is June 17-19, with Session II set for June 24-26, and cost for each camp is $200. Camp runs from 9 a.m.-noon each day.

    May 17, 2013

  • Lady Zebra volleyball camp set for May 20

    The Claremore Lady Zebra volleyball camp will take place on May 20-23 at the Claremore High School gymnasium.
    Under the direction of Lady Zebra head coach Lindsey Renfroe, campers will receive instruction in fundamentals — passing, setting, hitting and serving.

    May 17, 2013

  • Green Country All-Star Games start May 23 in Catoosa

    Area senior all-star athletes from 21 schools in northeastern Oklahoma will lace up their high tops, hoist their bats and dust off their pom-poms in preparation for the 2013 Green Country All-Star Games held May 23-24 in Catoosa.

    May 17, 2013

  • SEC BASEBALL: Auburn blanks No. 13 Arkansas, 3-0

    Conner Kendrick and Terrance Dedrick combined on a five-hit shutout as Auburn defeated No. 13 Arkansas, 3-0, in the series opener on Thursday night at Plainsman Park.

    Arkansas drops to 34-18 overall and 17-10 in Southeastern Conference play, while Auburn is now 32-21 and 12-16 in league play.

    May 17, 2013

  • GOLF: Bradley gets course-record 60 at Byron Nelson

    Keegan Bradley had no thoughts of a course record, or the possibility of a 59, after consecutive bogeys in the middle of his opening round at the Byron Nelson Championship.

    Until his 136-yard wedge shot on his final hole Thursday.

    “It was going right at it. (A 59) crossed my mind for a second, and it would be unbelievable if I buried this,” Bradley said. “But I had 3 feet to shoot 60. I was actually very nervous, uncomfortable over it and thank God I made it.”

    May 17, 2013

  • Cowboys rock Mountaineers, 7-4

    Oklahoma State showcased its offensive ability in its series opener against West Virginia on Thursday at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium.

    Whether it’s small ball or the long ball — both of which came into effect — the 16th-ranked Cowboys are proving they can find a way to win here late in the season with a 7-4 mauling of the Mountaineers.

    May 17, 2013

  • OU baseball closes out regular season play at K-State

    Moods were light as Oklahoma boarded a bus for Manhattan, Kan., Thursday afternoon. What they’ll be like by Sunday depends on what transpires over the next three games.

    The Sooners’ season hinges on the outcome.

    May 17, 2013

  • Westbrook's injury hinders Thunder's playoff run

    The way Kevin Martin describes it, the Oklahoma City Thunder lost the “vision” of a potential championship run the morning they learned All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook would be out for the rest of the postseason.

    May 17, 2013

  • NSU women's golf in 8th place at NCAA Division II Championship

    The Northeastern State women’s golf team sits in eighth place after Thursday’s second round of the 2013 NCAA Division II Championships on the par-72, 6,228-yard Legends Course at LPGA International.

    May 17, 2013