The Highway 97 Rivalry never fails to thrill, and the Class 6A No. 8 ranked Charles Page High School girls basketball team (9-2, 6-0) played a barn burner against No. 19 Sapulpa (5-4, 2-2) Tuesday evening on the Chieftains’ home court.

Sand Springs won only one period against their arch rivals, but that first period lead was just enough to keep the Sandites undefeated in conference action with a 45-43 victory. The teams tied in the second and fourth periods, and the Chieftains won the third, but came just a hair short of the upset.

The Sandites struck first, scoring on a three-pointer from Madison Burris on their second possession. Isabella Regalado scored in the paint on a pass from Jacie Taber and the visitors were up 5-0 before the Chieftains ever left their half of the court.

Taylor Dement kickstarted the Sapulpa offense, scoring three of the Chieftains’ first four field goals, and the home team hung close till the end of the first period. Taber made a three-point play on a foul, Holly Kersgieter scored on a layup, and the Sandites ended the quarter 20-12.

The second period wasn’t even half as explosive as the first, and the two teams tied 7-7. Johnson and Kersgeiter scored back to back to start the stanza, expanding their streak to nine, before Ray Osborn and De’Asia Thomas undid that damage. Kersgeiter responded with her first three-pointer of the night, then De’Shawnti Thomas scored in the paint and Dement hit a free throw to end the half 27-19.

The Chieftains came out hot in the second half with a ten point run for their first lead of the game. Kersgieter tied it with a pair of free throws and Regalado hit her first three for the lead, but Zoey Mason and Temire Poindexter put the Chieftains back out front. Johnson and Dement traded layups and the lead, but Burris sank a three moments before the buzzer to start the final stretch 37-35.

Both teams gave up three straight turnovers to start the period before Kersgeiter scored two. Dement drilled a three to make it a one-point game, but Burris and Johnson hit back-to-back deep balls for a seven-point cushion with 2:37 to play. That advantage wouldn’t last for long.

Osborn scored two, Dement iced a long three, and the Sandites only led by two. They ran two minutes off the clock in a game of keep-away, but Johnson missed a free throw and the Chieftains rebounded with 24 seconds left to keep the game alive. Dement shot a long three with ten seconds left, but Johnson came up with the rebound to secure the win.

Kersgieter led all scorers with seventeen points, closely followed by Dement with sixteen. They were the only players from either team to score in double digits. The game was the second-lowest scoring of the season for Sand Springs, and the lowest scoring win.

Sand Springs will return to action next Tuesday at No. 9 Union (8-0, 5-0). The Chieftains will compete in the Westmoore Jaguar Classic, beginning with a Thursday battle against No. 17 Ponca City (4-3).

CPHS 45 SHS 43
1Q: CPHS 20-12
2Q: All 7-7
3Q: SHS 16-10
4Q: All 8-8
Free Throws: SHS 5-of-8, CPHS 3-of-6.
Field Goals: CPHS 18-of-46, SHS 18-of-47.
Offensive Rebounds: SHS 10, CPHS 9.
Defensive Rebounds: CPHS 17, SHS 15.
Total Rebounds: CPHS 26, SHS 25.
Steals: SHS 9, CPHS 5.
Blocks: SHS 6, CPHS 2.
Fouls: CPHS 7, SHS 9.

Frontier Valley Conference Standings
6-0 No. 8 Sand Springs
5-0 No. 9 Union
3-1 No. 11 Bartlesville
3-1 No. 14 Booker T. Washington
3-3 No. 20 Jenks
2-2 No. 18 Bixby
2-2 No. 19 Sapulpa
0-4 Owasso
0-4 Muskogee
0-5 Broken Arrow

(Sand Springs Stats)
Scoring: Kersgieter 17, Johnson 9, Burris 9, Regalado 7, Taber 3.
Offensive Rebounds: Johnson 3, Regalado 3, Kersgieter 2, Burris 1.
Defensive Rebounds: Johnson 4, Taber 4, Kersgieter 3, Regalado 2, Jordan 2, Burris 2.
Total Rebounds: Johnson 7, Regalado 5, Kersgieter 5, Taber 4, Burris 3, Jordan 2.
Steals: Taber 2, Jordan 2, Kersgieter 1.
Assists: Taber 3, Johnson 3, Kersgieter 2, Burris 1.
Blocks: Regalado 2.
Fouls: Taber 3, Kersgieter 1, Johnson 1, Regalado 1, Burris 1.

(Sapulpa)
Scoring: Dement 16, De’Asia Thomas 8, Osborn 7, De’Shawnti Thomas 6, Poindexter 4, Mason 2.