Class B girls basketball: Hammon tops Lomega for third title, first since 2018
Maylee Chaney dribbled as the clock dwindled to under 10 seconds before stopping, bending over and trying her best to control her emotions.
The Hammon senior guard had just put together a stellar performance in her final game with the Warriors.
And when the final buzzer sounded, she went straight to coach Leah Beer and gave her a big hug as the rest of the team formed a circle and celebrated.
Four teams were crowned as champions at State Fair Arena on Saturday, and the Hammon girls squad was one of them.
The Warriors defeated Lomega 59-49 in the Class B title game as it claimed its third girls basketball championship and first since 2018.
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Chaney played a key role as she finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
“Going out with a bang,” Chaney said. “I couldn’t be happier. It’s awesome.”
Hammon (25-5) dominated the first half and led 36-17 at the break.
Chaney had 11 points during that stretch, while 6-foot-4 sophomore Henley West had 17 as she dominated in the post.
West, who finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds, took over at times as Lomega struggled to deal with her length. She also thrived on defense, blocking six shots.
“We definitely had to play good defense and get out on their shooters,” West said. “I thought we definitely did that well.”
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Along with Chaney and West, Harlee Benklee had a solid game, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds and four assists.
As good as Hammon was in the first half, Lomega (29-3) was better after the break for the most part and made things interesting.
Abby Swart and Darcy Roberts led the Raiders and accounted for the majority of their offensive production.
Swart had a game-high 22 points and hit 6 of 15 shots from the field and 5 of 10 from 3-point range. Roberts had 18 points. She was 6-of-14 shooting and made 3 of 5 from behind the arc.
Lomega got within single digits, but Hammon finished strong and sealed the win.
“They weren’t going to give it up,” Beer said. “They knew it was coming. I burned a timeout to remind them that it’s coming and to weather it.”
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Lomega is the Class B runner-up for the second straight season after it claimed back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021.
The Raiders lost to Pittsburg in last year’s title game.
Lomega beat the defending champion 51-46 in the semifinals Friday for its seventh straight victory.
But Hammon’s strong start was ultimately too much for Lomega to overcome Saturday, and that’s what led to the win streak getting snapped.
Hammon played great team basketball, and players like Chaney are proud of how they ended the season.
“We just win every game together,” Chaney said. “And I think that’s the most important thing. It’s not just one person out there. It’s the whole team.”
Reporter Nick Sardis covers high school sports across the Oklahoma City metro and state. Have a story idea for Nick? He can be reached at nsardis@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @nick_sardis. Support Nick’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at oklahoman.com/subscribe or by using the link at the top of this page.
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OSSAA girls basketball: Hammon beats Lomega for Class B state title
