By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
TULSA – Piedmont was outmatched physically Thursday night, but not mentally.
East Central’s size and athletic ability proved a problem for the Wildcats in the Class 5A quarterfinals at the Mabee Center. But even after giving up 26 rebounds, including 15 on the offensive end, and a 27-25, halftime deficit, Regan Crawford and her teammates never let up.
“I think it came down to our team’s heart,” the senior said after the game. “At halftime coach told us if we wanted to win the game we had to be tougher. And I thought we responded really well.”
The Wildcats battled back, tying the game 38-38 after the third quarter. And after two free throws from Crawford to start the fourth, Piedmont never looked back, outscoring East Central, 13-8 down the stretch for a 51-46 win.
“We weren’t as athletic or as fast as them,” said Crawford, who led Piedmont with 18 points. “They still kept getting boards, but we never stopped working.”
The Cats started hot, jumping out to a 7-2 lead to start the game. However, East Central built momentum late in the first quarter, battling back to a 16-16 tie through eight minutes. Sophomore Delanie Crawford sparked Piedmont with 10 points in the first quarter, but as the game progressed, the Wildcats couldn’t answer for East Central prowess in the paint.
“We knew that rebounding was going to be an issue against them because of their physicality and their athleticism,” Piedmont coach Eric Carr said after the game. “They really dominated from that aspect in the first half.”
Carr’s squad gritted its way through the second quarter. The two teams exchanged the lead three times before East Central grabbed a two-point lead going into the break. The Wildcats were out-rebounded by 14 in the first 16 minutes, but offensively stayed alive by shooting over 47-percent from the field.
“We kept our composure,” Carr said of his team’s ability to keep its rhythm through a tough first two quarters. “That was the key. That’s the biggest thing – believing we were supposed to win that game.”
Regan Crawford spurred the team late on the offensive end, controlling tempo while finding multiple finding driving lanes. She reached the free-throw line four times, converting seven of eight attempts for 11 points in the second half.
“We knew they were going to be super aggressive on defense,” Crawford said. “So coach told me to keep taking what they gave me. They were helping off on Delanie so much that they just kept giving me the lane.”
“It was huge,” Carr said of the senior’s performance in the second half. “She stepped up. Coach Joe (Crawford) keeps telling me she’s a gamer. She was a gamer tonight.”
The Cats went just 2-for-13 in the fourth quarter, but gave up just four shots total to East Central during the span and allowed just six boards. Regan Crawford finished the game off with six points from the free-throw line while sister Delanie scored four of her 16 points down the stretch.
“It’s so fun,” Regan Crawford after the first state tournament win of her high school career. “I’ve been to the quarterfinals before, but never the semis. These girls have worked their tails off, but there’s still work left to do.”
With the win, the Wildcats advanced to the semifinals for the second time in three years. They take on either Ardmore or Pryor Friday at 1:30 p.m. at the Mabee Center with a spot in the state finals on the line.
