Oklahoma high school basketball: Four quarters on Friday's biggest games, top players

The second day of Oklahoma high school basketball tournaments took place on Friday. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the action.

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Taking down a powerhouse

Saliyah Landon reached and grabbed a rebound over the taller athletes in the post.

But as the guard from Midwest City came down with the ball she didn’t look to pass it out. Instead, Landon decided to weave through traffic. Landon gave a hesitation move to stun one defender and then euro-stepped her way to the rim and laid it up for a score.

Landon was on top of her game and it helped Midwest City take down Bishop Miege 54-44 in the John Nobles Invitational semifinal on Friday night. Midwest City handed Bishop Miege, a powerhouse in Kansas, its third loss of the season. Landon finished with a game-high 17 points.

“I really had my scoring going off of my team and the energy,” Landon said. “I feel like us as a team, we played good. And me, I was comfortable.”

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De’Yanna Douglas followed Landon with 16 points and Myracle Washington helped with 13 of her own. The Bombers advance to the championship where they’ll play the winner of Choctaw and Tulsa Booker T. Washington.

“They just really pushed through everything the adversity,” Midwest City coach Megan Maloy said. "We told them going into this tournament, ‘It’s going to be a playoff-type state-tournament type teams.'

"And we had a tough one yesterday against Norman North and just to bounce back from a couple of injuries Tuesday night, just to see them be able to push through that and play through some of that pain and just finish strong, we’re just adjusting and learning and I feel like every day we’re getting better.”

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Best finish

Ava McIntyre knew the situation.

2.7 seconds left on the clock.

Scored tied at 44.

Saints ball at halfcourt.

McIntyre, a guard from Oklahoma Christian School, broke from the set, ran around a screen and put her back to the 3-point line.

McIntyre caught the pass, took two dribbles to set her feet and break down her defender, before letting the 3-point shot fly.

"I was feeling good about that shot," McIntyre said. "I was doing well under that pressure which was kind of odd but my teammates really backed me up on that. So that was really important to me."

McIntyre’s shot fell through the cylinder just as the buzzer sounded. She pumped her arms and legs emphatically before raising her hands in the air as the Saints stormed her at halfcourt.

McIntyre’s shot gave Oklahoma Christian School a 47-44 win over Fairview in the Cashion County Line Tournament. With the win, the Saints will play for the Consolation Championship tomorrow at 1 p.m.

"That play wasn't ever drawn up before that game," McIntyre said. "So, that was specifically for that time of the game. So, we actually executed very well I think. I cut through the middle and my friend was going to give me that pass and so I just shot it."

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Semifinal standout: Jacobe Johnson

Tulsa Union’s coaches yelled from their bench as the Mustang boys basketball team had possession.

“Point to your guy! Who you got?”

The coaches tried to make sure the Redhawks were locked in on their defensive assignments, but they had a problem.

Jacobe Johnson found an opening again. Mustang’s standout senior guard drained a 3-pointer and followed with a calm celebration, clapping his hands as he stood near midcourt. The Broncos had taken the lead.

As Mustang climbed out of an early deficit to defeat Union, 52-43, Johnson made an enormous impact. He poured in a game-high 26 points to lead the Broncos (10-5) to the Shawnee Invitational finals, where they will meet undefeated Class 6A Broken Arrow on Saturday.

The Redhawks (7-7) started the game on an 8-0 run, using their obvious size advantage. Union’s starting lineup included 7-foot center Erik Madrid and 6-foot-7 forward Miles Flemmons.

At 6-foot-4, Johnson didn’t let Union’s height deter him. The OU football signee showed why he is a dual-sport recruit, throwing down dunks and raining 3-pointers from all sides of the arc. He added 12 of his points in the third quarter, when the Broncos jumped in front of the Redhawks.

Fields, Southeast can compete with best of Class 6A

The pattern continued as the fourth quarter progressed.

Broken Arrow built a lead. Then LaDainian Fields speedily drove into the paint and gave Southeast another chance.

Although the Class 6A Tigers preserved their flawless record with a 72-70 win in the Shawnee Invitational semifinals, the Class 5A Spartans nearly pulled off the upset behind junior guard Fields’ 28 points.

“He’s getting confidence,” said Southeast coach Walter Brewer. “Sometimes he gets down on himself, but as I tell him, basketball is a big game. Let the game come to you; don’t go to the game … He’s settling down, and we’re starting to find that leadership.”

He showed it in big moments against the No. 1 Tigers, who had handily defeated several ranked Class 6A teams throughout the season. They dominated Mustang, 70-46. They stormed past Tulsa Booker T. Washington, 72-55.

Then their biggest challenge came from Class 5A, eighth-ranked Southeast. The two-point margin of victory was the closest for Broken Arrow (13-0) this season, and Fields’ dynamic game played a major role. Although the Tigers outsized the Spartans, Fields knew how to extend his 6-foot-1 frame as he drove to the basket, and his opponents couldn’t keep him out of the paint.

Micheal Graham Jr. also kept the Spartans (8-5) in the game.

The junior guard hit three straight free throws to tie the game at 70, but sophomore guard David Howell dribbled around his defenders to make the winning buzzer-beater for Broken Arrow.

Several fourth-quarter calls didn’t go Southeast’s way, and Brewer said there were multiple instances in which officials should have called fouls on Broken Arrow. But he also acknowledged that the Tigers used the crucial final play to capture the victory. Oklahoma State signee Connor Dow led Broken Arrow with 22 points, and Justice Sutton followed with 16.

Tip-ins

▶ (Girls) Booker T. Washington bested Choctaw 55-47 in the semifinal round of the John Nobles Invitational.

▶ (Boys) Millwood outlasted Norman North 46-43 to advance to the championship game. Jaden Nickens led the Falcons with 13 points to go along with a near-half court half-time buzzer beater.

▶ (Boys) Westmoore took down it's city-rival Southmoore 65-52 in the John Nobles Invitational semifinal. Evan Barber finished with 26 points.

▶ (Girls) Wewoka’s Autumn Sipes-Louis scored 23 points in the Tigers' 52-49 win over Wilson. Wewoka has won six of it’s last seven games and are now 8-8 on the season.

▶ (Girls) El Reno and Jenks will meet in the Shawnee Invitational girls finals. El Reno defeated Mustang, 46-39, in the semifinals. Jenks rolled past host school Shawnee, 56-28, with a game-high 25 points from junior guard Jill Twiehaus.

▶ (Boys) The Holland Hall boys basketball team is no longer undefeated. Class 6A Edmond Memorial shattered the Class 5A Dutch’s 13-0 record with a 64-58 win in the Bruce Gray Invitational semifinals. In the finals, the Bulldogs will face host school Deer Creek. The Antlers defeated McGuinness, 76-55, in the semis.

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma high school basketball scores, highlights for January 20