Claremore Daily Progress

Sports

Related Photos

  • Claremore junior forward Anna McGuire (10) leads the Lady Zebra defense into the Class 5A Regionals Thursday night at Tulsa Edison HS. The No. 16 Lady Zebras will face No. 14 Tulsa Memorial at 6:30 p.m. TIM RITTER

    DSC_0067web.jpg
February 20, 2013

Defense steers Lady Zebras into 5A Regionals

Tim Ritter Sports Editor

CLAREMORE — Every night the Claremore Lady Zebras take the floor, their No. 1 goal is to hold opponents under 40 points.

Under first-year head coach Stephanie Shaw, the Lady Zebras have accomplished that feat nine times in 22 games this season.

The key to their success — especially at the midway point of their season when they trailed Coweta by 15 points — the Class 5A No. 16 Lady Zebras (12-10) have relied on their feisty half-court pressure defense.

Led by junior point guard Kaleigh Cox and senior forward Ashlyn Glenn out front, as well as junior forward Anna McGuire and freshman center Bailey Steckline in the paint, the Lady Zebras pieced together their best defensive stand on Senior Night in a 57-16 win over Pryor.

According to Shaw, “Our defense against Pryor was the best it’s been in a while. We had a ton of tips and steals which led to easy baskets.”

Shaw, who was a feisty point guard during her high school career at Plainview (Texas), thrives on aggressive basketball.

On Thursday night, Shaw and the Lady Zebras open the Class 5A Regional Tournament against No. 14 Tulsa Memorial, who is led by the top scorer in the Tulsa Metro area in Faith Ihim.

The Chargers floor leader — Ihim — has 338 points in 14 games for a 24.1 points per game average.

When Ihim’s isn’t scoring, she’s crashing the boards for an average of 14 per game. On the year, Ihim’s has 196 rebounds.

The Chargers, though, enter Thursday’s game with an 11-10 record and winning three of their last four games going into regionals.

Game time for Thursday’s regional is 6:30 p.m. at Tulsa Edison High School.

The winner will advance to face Tulsa Edison or Pryor at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday in the regional finals. The losers are eliminated.

“This team still feels like they have something to prove,” Shaw said after the Pryor game. “This journey is not over.”

The Chargers have scored 40 or more points in 14 of their 21 games, including a season-high 78 in a win over Class 4A Tulsa Central.

Away from the confines of their home gymnasium, the Chargers are 4-4 on the season. Also, the Chargers are 0-1 at Tulsa Edison this season, falling to Edison, 57-47.

“When we’re able to get in a defensive rhythm, that’s when we’re at our best,” Shaw said. “Forcing people into turnovers and not giving teams second-chance points.”

McGuire’s role will be to limit Ihim’s in the paint.

“Anna does all the little things that may not add up in the stat sheet. She’s like a ninja that flies out of nowhere to get the ball,” Shaw said.



 

Text Only
Sports
  • DSC_0047web.jpg Verdigris’ Hanslovan commits to ORU

    One of the biggest decisions of her upcoming senior year is finally behind Verdigris High School soccer standout Caitlyn Hanslovan.
    The four-year letterwinner and three-time Class 4A state champion forward announced Tuesday that she will commit to playing NCAA Division I soccer at Oral Roberts University in Tulsa.

    May 22, 2013 2 Photos

  • DSC_0209web.jpg RSU's Loy earns third-straight Academic All American honor

    Rogers State senior outfielder Katrina Loy was named to the Capital One Academic All-America College Division Softball Third Team as announced by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • DSC_0202web.jpg Area players earn All-Region baseball awards

    The awards keep piling up for Verdigris High School graduate Blake Battenfield.
    After being named to the Oklahoma Coaches Association All-State Large East team earlier this week, Battenfield and numerous other players from Rogers County earned OCA All-Region accolades.
    Battenfield was joined by his teammate, Ryan Hurd, who was a senior outfielder/shortstop for the three-time Class 3A state champion Verdigris Cardinals.

    May 22, 2013 1 Photo

  • NEO softball season ends in Utah

    Sophomore pitcher Maggie Ham struck out 12 batters to lead the No. 1 seed Butler (Kan.) Community College Grizzlies to a 5-2 victory over No. 4 seed Northeastern A&M College Friday afternoon in a loser's bracket elimination game of the NJCAA Women's Division 1 National Softball Tournament at the Canyons Complex.

    May 24, 2013

  • OBU sends 41 to NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships

    Forty-one Oklahoma Baptist track and field athletes make the trek to Marion, Ind., next week for the NAIA Outdoor Track and Field National Championships.

    May 24, 2013

  • Megan Byford lands Tulsa women's basketball coaching job

    Tulsa Head Women's Basketball Coach Matilda Mossman announced today the appointment of Megan Byford as an assistant coach for the Golden Hurricane. Byford comes to Tulsa from the Oklahoma State coaching staff.

    May 24, 2013

  • Tulsa's Manning adds walk-on from Wichita

    The University of Tulsa Head Coach Danny Manning announced the addition of preferred walk-on Riley Kemmer for the 2013-14 season.

    May 24, 2013

  • Danny Manning Basketball Camp set for June 3-6

    There is still time to register for Danny Manning Basketball Summer Day Camp and Parent-Child Camp. The Day Camp runs from June 3-6, and the Parent-Child Camp takes place June 14-15, both at the Donald W. Reynolds Center on the campus of The University of Tulsa.

    May 24, 2013

  • Tulsa's Teeters shatters school record in 100-meter dash

    Freshman John Teeters shattered the Tulsa school record in the 100-meter dash en route to qualifying for the semifinals during the first day of the NCAA West Prelims at Mike A. Meyers Stadium.

    May 24, 2013

  • SLC TOURNEY: ORU's Bowen dominates Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

    Drew Bowen carried a no-hitter into the 7th inning and added to his storied postseason résumé as third-seeded Oral Roberts University knocked off second-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 6-1, on Thursday afternoon at the 2013 Southland Conference Baseball Tournament.

    May 24, 2013