Class 2A boys basketball: Pocola, Dale, Oklahoma Christian Academy, Preston advance to semifinals

The Class 2A boys basketball state tournament started Tuesday at State Fair Arena. Here's a look at what happened:

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Pocola 40, Hennessey 39

Austin Hardwick refused to let his season end the way it did a year ago.

The Pocola boys basketball team’s fate rested in his hands as he stepped up to the free-throw line with 2.8 seconds left. Hennessey’s energetic student section stomped and hollered, but the junior guard fixed his attention on the basket and watched the ball fall through it.

That was all he needed to seal Pocola’s 40-39 Class 2A state quarterfinal win against Hennessey on Tuesday morning at State Fair Arena. The fourth-ranked Eagles heaved the ball across the length of the court for a final desperation shot, but they didn’t deliver last-second heroics.

“We had to win this,” Hardwick said. “We lost in the first round last year, and I just wanted to make it to the second round this year.”

Improving from last season wasn’t Hardwick’s only goal.

He had his eyes on a specific opponent.

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Although the second quarterfinal game had yet to take place when eighth-ranked Pocola beat Hennessey, Hardwick fully expected Dale to advance to the second round, and he said he wants his team to have a chance at the undefeated Pirates.

With extra motivation from the enticing prospect of that semifinal matchup, Hardwick sank the winning free throw. He missed his second attempt, but one basket was enough for Pocola (22-7) to narrowly fend off Hennessey’s late comeback attempt.

Although Hennessey (23-4) opened the game on a 5-0 run, Pocola quickly took over in the second quarter, giving up only four points. Pocola led through much of the second half, but Jael Torres hit a free throw to tie the game at 35 with around four and a half minutes left.

Torres, a 6-foot-5 junior forward, had a tough matchup in the paint with 6-foot-7 Pocola forward Dakotah Terrell. Torres recorded a game-high 19 points, but Terrell had the rebounding advantage, racking up eight boards to go with 14 points.

“(Terrell) handled it well,” Hardwick said. “He didn’t foul him much, but (Torres is) a big guy and he did his work down there. And Dakotah did good trying to stop him.”

Hennessey continued to fight, yet Pocola always had an answer. Pocola kept the ball for much of the final minute, dribbling and passing around the perimeter before Hardwick drove in and drew the foul that sent him to the line.

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Dale 86, Wister 46

Dayton Forsythe was on the bench before halftime.

Through much of Dale’s quarterfinal game, the standout junior guard had the role of spectator, watching the action unfold like he was at the movies and rising to his feet during his teammates’ exciting moments. But he wasn’t sitting because of foul trouble or a shooting slump.

He had already done enough to win.

Dale routed Wister, 86-46, to advance to the Class 2A semifinals. Chasing their second consecutive state title, the top-ranked Pirates rolled into State Fair Arena with sheer dominance, leading 26-3 at the end of the first quarter.

Forsythe considered it a slow start.

“We didn’t score for the first two minutes,” Forsythe said. “But we just got out here, we were just gonna have fun and do what we do, and the rest was gonna take care of itself.”

As the level of competition rises, Dale (30-0) doesn’t flinch, simply expecting to dominate.

The Pirates defeated their first four postseason opponents by an average of 51 points, and with the field down to eight at the state tournament, they continued to set themselves apart.

Junior guard Deken Jones went 6 for 8 from the field to lead Dale with 12 points, while Forsythe followed with 11. The offense was flowing. The defense was locked in, and the lead snowballed.

“Everybody was pretty much going then,” Dale coach Jeff Edmonson said. “Everybody had a couple of buckets, so it was a team effort again.”

With that foundation, Edmonson could rotate the bench players in early.

Jett Higdon led Dale’s reserves with 10 points, and Ethan Douglas had seven.

CJ Halford tallied a team-high 12 points for No. 19 Wister (22-7), but the Pirates’ bench players never let the Wildcats jeopardize their lead. The starters briefly returned to the court to open the second half before the reserves swapped in again.

And Forsythe could sit back and relax.

“It’s huge,” Forsythe said. “We’re gonna have our legs for us for Friday and Saturday, but we gotta take care of Friday first.”

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Oklahoma Christian Academy 63, Colcord 56

In the midst of his quarterfinal scoring outburst, Carson Thomas eclipsed 1,000 career points.

Jeremy Roman wasn’t sure which basket marked the senior guard’s milestone, but the Oklahoma Christian Academy coach knew it happened Tuesday against Colcord.

Thomas picked an ideal time.

Oklahoma Christian Academy pushed past Colcord, 63-56, to reach the Class 2A semifinals, and the third-ranked Eagles’ seniors rose to the occasion as the school made its state tournament debut. Thomas poured in a game-high 22 points, Kemar Crawford provided 11, Ca’Ron Banks added 10 and Carter Owens had 15.

“They work together,” Roman said. “They know when another guy’s hot, and they’re willing to be selfless enough to share it.”

Thomas made an early difference with his deluge of 3-pointers, going 4 for 9 from beyond the arc before halftime. The Eagles (22-8) led 31-25 at the end of the first half, but fifth-ranked Colcord didn’t fade away.

Instead, the Hornets (18-8) turned the tide as Kolton Jones knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner, taking a 43-42 lead with 2:12 left in the third quarter. Jones led Colcord with 19 points, while Treyden Larmon had 15.

But the Hornets’ lead didn’t last long.

Crawford tied the game at the free-throw line, and Thomas increased the Eagles’ energy with a steal that led to a basket.

In the final minutes, the Thomas-to-Crawford connection gave OCA a cushion. Thomas delivered a half-court pass to Crawford, who waited at the basket and swiftly placed the ball in the hoop. On their next possession, the Eagles stuck with that strategy, relying on Thomas to find Crawford at the basket with another long pass. When Crawford’s shot didn’t fall, he just grabbed the rebound and lofted it in for a second-chance basket.

“The experience definitely pays off,” Roman said, “and having those older guys with the maturity they have, that’s why we’re here.”

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Preston 58, Hobart 36

After pulling away from Hobart, Preston’s boys basketball team knew what to do in the final minutes.

Senior guard Malachi Ligons said the Pirates practice late-game situations every day, so they were ready.

Turn down the tempo. Take care of the ball. Keep the opponent at a comfortable distance.

The second-ranked Pirates held onto their advantage, eliminating Hobart with a 58-36 win that sent them into the Class 2A semifinals.

With 3:37 left in the first half, 10th-ranked Hobart had cut Preston’s lead to 21-19.

But in the fourth quarter, the Pirates (26-4) were cruising with a 20-point advantage. Senior forward Keyton Smith fueled Preston with a double-double, logging 22 points and 12 rebounds. Smith added 16 of those points in the first half, and in the second, Ligons had his opportunity.

After a quiet first half with two points, Ligons brought his total to 12, driving to the basket and energizing the Pirates on fast breaks.

“I just knew it was my senior year, and I couldn’t let my teammates down in the second half,” Ligons said. “So I started turning up the scoring.”

Ligons made a basket off Giorgio Dunn-Spencer’s steal to bring Preston’s advantage to 52-34, and Dunn-Spencer followed with a layup to create the 20-point lead.

Then the Pirates just had to make sure they didn’t lose it. Although they intentionally stalled at times, they kept the ball in motion and continued to score. Jervais Goree finished with 15 points, and Dunn-Spencer had five.

Ty Harmon and Justice Johnson each scored in double figures for Hobart (23-7), but they didn’t return from their deficit.

In the semifinals, the Pirates will meet OCA, a team that handed them a 67-63 loss in January at the Morrison Tournament.

“We’re looking to get our revenge,” Ligons said. “And wish them the best of luck, but hope we come up with a win.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSSAA Class 2A boys basketball state tournament quarterfinal scores