Lady Bulldogs' Season Ends in Heartbreaker

The season lasted an extra four minutes, but no more.

The Edmond Memorial girls’ basketball team’s season ended Thursday night at the Edmond Santa Fe gym with a 50-46 overtime loss to Sand Springs in the area tournament consolation bracket.

Memorial (11-8) trailed most of the night but managed to fight its way into overtime.

Sand Springs (12-8) outscored the Lady Bulldogs 10-6 in the extra period to keep its season alive.

Memorial coach Rachel Crabaugh said her players played with heart.

“That’s all I wanted to ask,” Crabaugh said. “Today, I didn’t want them to think about the outcome. I wanted them to play with enthusiasm versus pressure. We started off slow, getting down by 6 and then 8. They never quit, which is all I really wanted them to do. Very proud of them.”

Memorial did not lead until a brief period of the third quarter after senior Isabel Langenberg hit a 3-pointer, her first points of the night. The Lady Sandites retook the lead from the free throw line and held on until Langenberg hit a second go-ahead 3-pointer in the fourth.

Again, Sand Springs immediately retook the lead from the line. With 5.7 seconds to play, Memorial sophomore Lexi Hensley drew a foul and hit both free throws to tie the game at 40. The Lady Sandites were unable to get a good shot before the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

Crabaugh said Hensley and fellow sophomore Baylor Franz are a dynamic duo.

“Those two help lead the pack,” Crabaugh said. “They always are making each other better, and therefore make the team better. We do drills at practice with free throws. They fouled the right girl to get us into OT. I couldn’t watch ‘cause I knew that was the pressure that I didn’t want them to feel. She stepped up. I was proud of them.”

Sand Springs scored 5 points from the line in the extra four minutes to push the lead just out of reach. Memorial sophomore Makenna Hall hit the game’s final shot, but it was not enough.

Sand Springs junior Journey Armstead led all scorers with 22 points, followed by freshman Sakauri Wilson with 11.

Franz led Memorial with 18, followed by Hensley with 12.

With only three seniors and one junior on the roster, Memorial is set to still be strong the next couple of years. Crabaugh said she would miss her seniors, but it is nice to know she has a strong sophomore class coming back.

“The seniors, to me, I think set the tone for what the culture of this program is all about,” Crabaugh said. “They really brought this team together, and I think the younger pups feed off of that. Knowing that I have four sophomore starters and a freshman and juniors, I’m excited for what the future holds for the Bulldogs, that’s for sure.”