CPHS Girls headed to State for first time since 2011 after 56-44 win over No. 6 BTW

The Sand Springs Lady Sandites won the Area Championship for the first time since 2011. (Photo: Morgan Miller).

CPHS 56 BTW 44

1Q CPHS 8-6
2Q CPHS 13-4
3Q CPHS 23-16
4Q BTW 18-12

Free Throws: CPHS 16-of-26, BTW 10-of-17.
Field Goals: CPHS 18-of-41, BTW 16-of-54.
Fouls: CPHS 12, BTW 18.

Scoring: (CPHS) Johnson 20, Kersgieter 12, Regalado 8, McGee 7, Pennington 5, Mutiri 2, Taber 2. (BTW) Davidson 9, Ellis 8, Davis 8, Anderson 6, Jackson 4, Fennell 4, Richardson 3, Reed 2.

(CPHS only)
Offensive Rebounds: Kersgieter 4, Pennington 1, Mutiri 1, Regalado 1, Taber 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Regalado 8, McGee 5, Pennington 4, Kersgieter 3, Johnson 2, Mutiri 2.
Steals: Johnson 3, Pennington 2, Taber 2, Mutiri 1.
Assists: Pennington 3, Johnson 1, Kersgieter 1.
Blocks: Regalado 2, Kersgieter 1, McGee 1.
Fouls: Taber 5, Kersgieter 2, McGee 2, Pennington 2, Mutiri1.

By: Scott Emigh, Editor-in-Chief

It was history in the making Thursday evening at Will Rogers High School, as the No. 3 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (23-1) rolled to dominating 56-44 victory over No. 6 Booker T. Washington (21-5) in the Area Championship. The Lady Sandites will advance to the State Championship tournament next Thursday for the first time since 2011.

Sophomore standout Destiny Johnson tied her career-high with 20 points in the victory, aided by classmate Holly Kersgieter with 12 as the only two players from either team to score in double digits. 

It was a slow starter and the two teams combined for the lowest-scoring first half since the Sandites' season-opener against Bartlesville. The first quarter was evenly paced as both teams warmed up, but by halftime Sand Springs had emerged to double-digit lead over the Lady Hornets.

Sand Springs won the tipoff but turned it over on a travel. Johnson snagged a steal off the Hornet's corresponding possession and sent a long pass to Oklahoma State University-signed senior Sydney Pennington to draw first blood. It would be the first of many combinations for the two. Johnson got on the scoreboard on the next possession to make it 4-0.

The Hornets took a lot of shots, but made few, missing their first ten attempts before getting on the scoreboard with a layup from Megan Jackson. Kambri Davidson followed it up with two more before Johnson snagged yet another steal and transition layup.

Jackson posted two more for the Hornets but junior Ohio State Volleyball-commit Gloria Mutiri entered the game and gave her team an 8-6 lead to end the first period.

Johnson continued her impressive play with the opening basket of the second period on a long in-bound throw from Pennington, and Kersgieter added another basket soon after. Rhys Anderson got the Hornets on the scoreboard, but the deadly duo went back to reeking havoc. Pennington posted two, sent another long assist to Johnson, then hit the bucket once again. Camryn Fennell made her way onto the scoreboard for the Hornets' only other basket of the period, then Pennington and Kierra McGee ended out the half for a 21-10 Lady Sandite lead.

While the first half was a bit slow, the Sandites more than made up for it with their second highest-scoring third period of the season with 23 points. Kersgieter scored three times before Booker T. found the basket. It was back and forth from there till the end of the period when the Sandites went on a seven-point run with a pair of free throws from both Kersgieter and fellow sophomore Jacie Taber, and a three-pointer from Isabella Regalado. Anderson hit a pair from the charity stripe for the Hornets, but Sand Springs held a 44-26 lead going into the final stretch.

The Hornets ate into their deficit in the fourth quarter with seven points from the charity stripe, cutting it to 50-38, but those final twelve points were unattainable and the Sandites held on for a 56-44 victory to punch their ticket to State.