And then that happened...

By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com

It was real tough to try to duplicate the atmosphere of the Titan Classic on Saturday after one of the most memorable days of basketball for me (personally) on Friday.

Three overtime games, eight total OTs and one monumental struggle between two of the strongest powers in girls basketball today.

The semifinal game between the second-ranked (3A) Millwood and No. 1 Union (6A) girls was supposed to tip at 8:30 on Friday. Because of all the shenanigans in the boys’ games, it was closer to 10 p.m. than anything else.

But the teams were not deterred by this.

Millwood’s Tijiasha Reid and Marisha Wallace led the charge early, scoring 14 of the team’s 22 points in the first half. I remember Wallace last year as a freshman being a little unsure of herself.

As sophomore, she’s grown in her ability to make the big play.

For Tulsa Union, it was all Roni Jefferson in the first half. She scored 12 of her 16 as Union held a narrow 25-22 lead at halftime.

The third quarter belonged to No. 20 on both sides. For Millwood, it was more solid work from Wallace while Union’s Destinee Frierson had seven of the team’s nine points as Union led 34-31 heading into the final eight minutes.

Or so we thought.

Reid hit her final three of the game to close the gap to 37-36, and JohVonna Mitchell appeared to have maybe hit the game-winner with 1:00 at 40-39.

Frierson was fouled with 42. 5 seconds left and made 1-of-2 to tie it up.

To OT we go.

The first OT was an anomaly. After a Millwood miss, Frierson held the ball on her hip for more than three minutes straight. Shea Bowden never came out to defend her, so Frierson just held it (a writer’s dream to see the clock move like that).

And with Union up 42-40, Millwood sophomore Dayla Threatt made her only basket of the game to tie it up with under a minute to go.

To double OT we go.

Millwood twice had a two-point lead, but Union wasn’t going away. So we’re entering the third overtime knotted at 46. And nobody scores in this extra session.

It’s getting near 11:30 at night now. I’m just kinda watching the game with fellow prep writer Justin Harper. Not really watching as a writer, more as a fan thus you’re getting these incomplete thoughts about everything.