Oklahoma HS basketball: Putnam City Invitational, McGuinness Classic semifinal roundup

The championship pairings are set for the Putnam City Invitational and the McGuinness Classic. Here's a quick recap of the semifinals.

More:Oklahoma high school basketball scoreboard for 2022-23 season

Girls PC Invitational: Putnam City West: 71, Norman North: 35

Jayla Constant took a screen from Jazmin Adams on the left side of the 3-point line.

Without hesitation, the freshman point guard flashed to the middle of the lane and quickly laid up a left-handed windmill layup before the Norman North defense collapsed.

The flashy score was just one of the outstanding plays for the guard, who finished with 17 points to lead all scorers on Friday night.

“She was a floor general,” Putnam City coach Ja’Ron Jefferson said. “She got people in her spots, she took what was open, she reads the screens, read the defense. She didn’t rush and played at her pace. She dictated pretty much what we did on offense.”

Putnam West’s Caya Smith followed Constant with 15 points.

With the win, Putnam City West moves on to the Putnam City Invitational Championship to take on Edmond North, who is led by Laci Steele, an NC State commit. Steele scored 27 points in the quarterfinal and 31 in the semifinal game.

“I feel really good,” Jefferson said of how his team is playing heading into the matchup. “I’m excited we played them in the summer league in Mustang and they got us. I think they’ll be well prepared for tomorrow.”

Boys PC Invitational: Westmoore 62, Putnam City West 54

Evan Barber was just trying to find an open man.

In a close game, the Westmoore point guard broke down his defender with an in-and-out move and headed for the baseline. As he looked up he saw, Grant Loper open on the wing and flung a pass to him. Loper, without hesitation fired the shot in the air.

“I heard everyone saying ‘no’”, Loper said with a smile. “But I heard one ‘yes’ so I just let it fly.”

Loper shot fell through the cylinder all but putting the game out of reach as Westmoore took down Putnam City West.

Barber led Westmoore with 20 points followed by Garrett Loper with 11.

“To keep fighting when they’re doubling him,” Westmoore coach Todd Millwee said of Barber. “That’s pretty impressive.”

McGuinness Classic: Edmond Santa Fe 54, Southeast 53

Tyler Williams made the basket and drew the foul in the final minute of overtime.

LaDainian Fields had just given Southeast a two-point lead against Edmond Santa Fe, but Williams responded quickly, tying the game.

Then the senior big man stood at the free-throw line and drained the shot the Wolves needed for a 54-53 overtime win against Southeast. Edmond Santa Fe, a team that entered the tournament with a 1-7 record, handed the Spartans their first loss of the season Friday night to secure a spot in the McGuinness Classic finals.

Coach Troy Lallemand didn’t pretend the Wolves (3-7) played a perfect game, but he said he will take an ugly win over a good loss.

“I’m glad, and I’m proud of how they did hold on,” Lallemand said. “I thought we had some opportunities in the fourth quarter where we needed to execute offensively and defensively, and we just kind of got out of alignment. To Southeast’s credit, they capitalized on those mistakes and kept themselves in the game.”

Near the end of regulation, Southeast guard Juan Pineda drained a 3-pointer from the right wing, narrowing Edmond Santa Fe’s lead to 46-45. Nik Rhodes added a free throw for the Wolves, but Micheal Graham Jr. made the jumper that forced overtime.

Although the teams kept swapping momentum in the fourth quarter, Santa Fe had the final edge thanks to Williams and Drelen Nero, who combined for all seven of the Wolves’ overtime points. Nero totaled 22 points to lead all scorers, and Williams had to establish his presence in the paint without 6-foot-5 forward Jantz Alsup, who was injured in the first-round matchup with Choctaw.

“We told him before the game he gotta step up because we don’t have another big man that could get those points for us,” Nero said. “And so we told him before the game, talked to him and said, ‘We need you this game.’”

McGuinness Classic: Deer Creek 55, Del City 53

The team that ended the game on an 18-0 run did not win.

Despite a tremendous fourth-quarter push from Del City, Deer Creek prevailed, advancing to the championship with a 55-53 win.

The Antlers’ high-energy beginning carried them.

Del City’s often-prolific offense was quiet at first, scoring only seven points in the first quarter, and Deer Creek (5-4) capitalized on turnovers. Hudson Linsenmeyer poured in half of the Antlers’ first-quarter points as they jumped to a 16-7 lead.

They nearly lost it.

In the fourth quarter, Jamouri McCalister made the basket that ignited the Eagles’ 18-0 run. Star senior forward Brandon Garrison, who finished with a game-high 15 points, lifted Del City (6-5) back into the game, driving into the paint to make layups and draw fouls.

Although the Eagles outscored the Antlers 20-5 in the final quarter, they didn’t have enough time to erase the deficit. Clyde Davis Jr. led Deer Creek with 12 points, and Linsenmeyer added 11.

Tip ins: (Girls) Edmond North took down Classen SAS 56-46 behind Steele’s 31 points.

(Boys) Norman topped Lawton 52-49 with the help of a 21-point performance from Matthew Willenburg.

(Boys) Norman North and Choctaw will face off in the consolation championship of the McGuinness Classic. The Timberwolves rolled past Edmond Memorial, 51-39, and the Yellowjackets defeated host school McGuinness, 70-56.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma HS basketball: PCI, McGuinness Classic semifinal roundup