By Trey Hunter
Sports Editor
TULSA – Delanie Crawford has seen it before.
While growing up and playing varsity ball together the past two seasons, Delanie came to find out she could rely on big sister. Rough night shooting? No problem, Regan had her back. When the team needed it the most –against No. 4 Pryor in the Class 5A semifinals? In steps 15.
The senior guard guided No. 2 Piedmont to a 53-33 win over the Tigers Friday night at the Mabee center, drilling six three-pointers in the second half after the Wildcats struggled to convert open looks in the first 16 minutes. She went 7-for-8 down the stretch, including a triple that ultimately sealed the victory midway through the third quarter.
“She’s always done that,” Delanie said of her sister’s ability to stay composed in dire straits. “She’s a great team player and always knows what role to play. Tonight it was to pick up mine and some of the team’s slack. That’s what she does when the team is struggling. She’s just like that – it’s her personality.”
Piedmont shot just 25-percent in the first half with just one make from long range. Senior Maci Attlla and sophomore Maddy Lee combined for the team’s only five makes as the Cats stumbled into the break with a 16-15 lead.
Coach Eric Carr’s team never wavered, however. The Wildcats fired away in the third quarter as a Regan Crawford triple out of the gate sparked a 21-12 run on 8-for-13 shooting, including 5-for-8 from long distance. Crawford scored 14 points during the stretch with four threes.
“I think my teammates were just finding me,” Crawford said of her run out of halftime. “We found holes in their defense and I was able to just slide right in and find some open shots. They had to do a lot to stop all of our girls, so I just stood there and they hit me.”
The Cats never let off the brakes, closing out Pryor with a 16-6 run in the fourth quarter to reach the 5A state finals for just the second time in program history. After the game, Carr was impressed with his team’s ability to stay collected through a rough start. He also let the players decide on how to adjust.
“We never paniced through that stretch,” he said. “We struggled offesnively, but we knew if we made some adjustments to how we wanted to attack in the second half, we would be fine.
“At halftime we let them talk about fixes that they needed to make. They weren’t phased and once we settled down, Regan got hot and we made some shots. Once you’re making shots, everything is a little easier.”
Regan Crawford finished with a game-high 25 points just 24 hours after an 18-point performance in a quarterfinals win over No. 7 East Central. Attalla scored 14 while junior Tyeshia Anderson chipped in seven.
“I was so happy for her,” Delanie Crawford said of big sister’s efforts over the past two games. Delanie, the team’s leading scorer throughout the year finished with just one point on 0-for-7 shooting.
“Tonight was huge. I wasn’t shooting great and she just stepped in and picked up the slack when we needed it most. I’m so glad she is where she’s at, especially to get to play for a championship her senior year.”
Piedmont now turns its sights to Canadian County rival, No. 10 El Reno. The two teams are quite familiar, facing off twice early in the season in a pair of Wildcat wins. The Indians reached the finals after a last-second three-pointer by Merzedes Macias clinched a 40-39 win over No. 8 Lawton Eisenhower Friday.
“It’s going to be a battle,” Carr said. He coached at El Reno for seven years prior to taking over at Piedmont. “We’re going to be ready and after beating them twice this year, they’re going to be fired up and ready to go too. We have to keep the midset of we’re here for a reason and it’s time to go get it. I think it’ll be a fun game.”
The Cats and Indians tip-off at 6 p.m. Saturday at the Mabee Center in Tulsa.
