Late free throw lifts Grove girls to 5A state tournament with 32-31 win; four reach double figures as Tulsa Rogers girls head to state

Grove lost at the free throw line in a playoff game two days ago.

By Buck Ringgold

JENKS - Two days earlier, the Grove girls basketball team lost a playoff game on a free throw in the closing seconds.

Saturday, it came down to a foul shot once again. But this time, it went in favor of the Lady Ridgerunners, and now they're off to the 5A state tournament as a result.

Senior Megan Gibbs broke a 31-all score with a free throw with three seconds remaining as Grove edged Shawnee, 32-31, in a 5A East area state qualifying game at Frank Herald Field House.

Thursday night, at the same venue, Grove lost to McAlester by the exact same score when the Lady Buffaloes' Elizabeth Milligan made two free throws with five seconds left.

"The other night, we didn't make enough baskets, free throws and easy shots," Grove coach Richard Bassett said. "So proud of the girls; they stepped up, we hit a big shot there at the end, and defensively, we stepped up.

"It doesn't matter, a win's a win, so I'm just extremely proud of the girls."

Gibbs was fouled while launching a 3-point try seconds after teammate Elliot Geer came up with a steal on a deflected pass while the Lady Wolves had possession in a 31-all score.

A senior who did not play for the Lady Ridgerunners last season, Gibbs made the first of the three free-throw chances to put her team up by one.

"I was thinking we just need one, we just need one, and obviously I was so nervous," she said. "Then after that first initial one, it was like a big weight was lifted off my chest."

Though Gibbs missed the next two foul shots, Grove (21-5) did one more little thing right to preserve the win.

Following the second miss, Lady Ridgerunner senior Baylee Gregg was in perfect position to snag the offensive rebound and release a shot to allow the clock to expire, as Grove players swarmed the court in celebration.

"Right there at the end on that free throw, we just didn't stand there and let them line up and get it," Bassett said. "We went through and tipped it where they didn't have a chance to throw it out and get a foul.

"Little things like that where it's effort, and you can't coach effort; the kids just have to get after it, so there at the end, pushing through and doing that, that was a huge difference."

Grove led 16-13 at halftime and was up 23-18 after three quarters. Early in the fourth, the Lady Ridgerunners went up by eight, 28-20, on a 3-pointer from Anna Bacon.

But Shawnee (10-17) came right back, reeling off nine unanswered points. The Lady Wolves took a 29-28 lead when Amaya Martinez grabbed an offensive rebound off a missed free throw and stuck it back in through the net with 2:10 left.

More than a minute later, Grove went back in front, 31-29, when Bacon connected on her second trey.

Shawnee tied the score on the next possession, as Tristyn Napier made a jumper from a few feet out. Both teams then committed turnovers, with Geer making the play on the latter and feeding Gibbs to eventually set up the game-winning foul shot.

"You put a kid in a situation there and they're kids, simple as that," Bassett said. "A free throw's a free throw, but that's a different free throw, and so (Gibbs) doing that was huge and obviously, pushed us over the top.

"I'm so proud of her; she didn't play last year, she sat out and she came back, and that free throw obviously pushed us over the top."

Grove now has qualified for state for the third consecutive season, with the 5A tournament starting up Thursday in Norman.

"We're super excited that we've kind of built something, an ongoing tradition, and it's a tough thing to do," Bassett said. "Some schools have done that, but Grove's never been that way.

"In 2015-16, it was the second time Grove's been to state, and we went then and now we've gone the last three years, so we're super excited."

Gibbs is also excited to get to play in state, after not having played at all her junior season; then two years ago with the tournament being canceled due to COVID-19.

"We went up there, and then had to come back, so my senior year, I'm glad it's not over yet," Gibbs said.

"We worked really hard and worked as a team. I'm just really proud of us; we pulled through. We didn't play to the best of our ability, but we played solid and that's all we needed."

Bacon was the lone player in double figures for Grove with 10 points. Junior Annsleigh Morris added nine points in the win.

Martinez led all scorers with 13 points, scoring nine of those in the fourth quarter.

Tulsa Rogers 67, Noble 36

In her very first game as a Lady Roper, freshman Saniyah Morrison scored 19 points.

She equaled that total in what was up to this point Rogers' biggest game of the season Saturday. Morrison's 19 led four Lady Ropers in double figures in their 5A area consolation round win Saturday. 

"We all eat together; we pass the ball to one another and put it up," Morrison said. "We worked as a team, we ran our plays and we took no breaks off."

Tulsa Rogers qualified for state for the first time since 2020, though the Lady Ropers didn't get to play it due to COVID-19. The Lady Ropers did play in the state tournament the season before.

"It's a great feeling to be back at state, and I'm ready to go," Rogers coach Carlin Adkism said.

"It's a great, talented group. ... We've got a lot of girls that have put in the work to get into double figures. They work hard, they come in (to practice), and after practice, they shoot all the time."