Mayberry is new sheriff in town

By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@Oklahoman.com

If you get that Andy Griffith pun, then you’re as bad and hokey as me. After a great opening session at State Fair, it was off to the Ford Center for some 5A girls basketball.

Booker T. Washington vs. Coweta, 5A girls: I was impressed with the Hornets’ Taleya Mayberry. I grew up loving her father’s Arkansas team. Todd Day, Oliver Miller and Lee Mayberry, it pained me to not see that group doing something truly special.

Back to Taleya, one look at the game, and you knew she was a player. Her skills, her composure, she couldn’t be touched. Her shot wasn’t on, but I’ll forgive her for that.

Coweta just wouldn’t die. Give a lot of credit to Jenni Bryan. She didn’t do much from the floor in the second half but made a living at the free throw line.

But that vicious hit on Mayberry was tough to watch. I know you can’t give up a free lay-up at that stage of the game (Booker T. was up 39-38 with under two minutes left), but that was, ugh, borderline dirty.

I guess I can live with the hit, but I didn’t appreciate that Coweta fans were loving watching the replay of Mayberry absolutely get leveled right across the face.

Mayberry told me after the game she doesn’t remember if Jenni said anything to her. I hope she did. They were the two best players on the floor that entire game. A play like that didn’t need to take away from great outings from both on the biggest stage.