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The OCA Lady Eagles, Area IV District 3 Champions -
Sydney Duncan -
Brianna Wietelman (21) and Charmayne Marshall (5) await the opening tip -
Sydney Duncan shoots a free throw -
Avery Haddock
Mollie Francis knocked the ball away and raced down the court unopposed as she put the exclamation point on a playoff win.
The sophomore’s transition layup was the final bucket of the Oklahoma Christian Academy girls’ basketball team’s 62-45 win Monday afternoon in Edmond against Porter Consolidated.
OCA (14-5) claimed the Class 2A Area IV District 3 championship with the win.
Porter (14-5) held an early 3-2 lead, but OCA took the lead late in the first quarter and never surrendered it.
OCA coach Brandon Collins said Porter gave the Lady Eagles a good challenge to begin the postseason.
“I thought we got off to a really, really strong start,” Collins said. “Third quarter, we kind of got relaxed and got a little comfortable, but at the end of the day, especially in the playoffs, you’ll take a (win) no matter how you get it.”
Senior Brianna Wietelman led all scorers with 19 points. Junior Sydney Duncan followed with 18. Porter junior Brittany Welch led the Lady Pirates with 18, while junior Charmayne Marshall had 14.
Wietelman said she thinks the Lady Eagles were a little nervous at the beginning but settled down well.
“We had to find our cool and get it all together and try to finish off the game,” Wietelman said. “I think we did pretty good overall, and I think we’re really prepared for this weekend.”
OCA led 28-14 at halftime and held a double-digit lead the entire second half. Porter was able to close to within 11 at times, but the Lady Eagles did not let the Lady Pirates get any closer.
Porter finished the third quarter and started the fourth on an 8-0 run. Later in the fourth, the Lady Pirates had a 7-0 run, but the Lady Eagles finished the game on a 6-0 run from there, including four-straight free throws by senior Caton Adair. Francis’ steal and score finished things off.
Collins said Adair making the late free throws was a sign of her maturity.
“She’s one of our only two seniors, and her experience is huge for us,” Collins said. “She knocked them down, and she sealed the game for us. I was really proud of her. She deserved this game as a senior. This is their last time on this floor playing, so I’m glad she kind of got to seal the win from hitting those free throws.”
OCA advances to the winners’ bracket at regionals, potentially needing one win to reach the area tournament. The Lady Eagles will start off against either Canadian or Okemah at Porter Consolidated.