High school basketball: A look at the season's top performances

Stephen Clark's 51-point game, Jordan Woodard's tip-in and the Mount St. Mary girls' run were just a few of our writers' season highlights.

 
By Ryan Aber and Ed Godfrey and Jacob Unruh and Scott Wright | Published: March 17, 2013    Comment on this article Leave a comment

It's hard to imagine high school basketball season in the state ending any better than it did.

First, in Tulsa, Oklahoma signee Jordan Woodard's tip at the buzzer gave Edmond Memorial the Class 6A boys title. A bit later at State Fair Arena in Oklahoma City, Millwood finally finished off Okemah in a triple-overtime game to win the school's record-tying 15th title.

photo - Mount Saint Mary coach Rory Hamilton talks to his team in a timeout during the state high school basketball tournament Class 4A girls championship game between Fort Gibson High School and Mount St. Mary High School at the State Fair Arena on Saturday, March 9, 2013, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman
Mount Saint Mary coach Rory Hamilton talks to his team in a timeout during the state high school basketball tournament Class 4A girls championship game between Fort Gibson High School and Mount St. Mary High School at the State Fair Arena on Saturday, March 9, 2013, in Oklahoma City, Okla. Photo by Chris Landsberger, The Oklahoman

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Now that it's over, we asked The Oklahoman's writers to share the best games, best individual performances and best finishes they saw this season, and the biggest surprises.

Best game

Ryan Aber: I'll save the Edmond Memorial-Midwest City game for later. This one wasn't in the state tournament, but it got the Mount St. Mary girls there. Aimee Rischard's 3-pointer with 12 seconds left helped lift the Rockets to a 54-50 win over Heritage Hall in the area consolation finals on the Monday before the state tournament began, capping a wild back-and-forth game.

Ed Godfrey: Hard to top Millwood's double overtime win over Centennial in the Class 3A boys semifinals, or Douglass' two-point win over Roland in the 4A boys state championship game, but the Falcons' triple overtime win over Okemah in the 3A title game was one for the ages.

Jacob Unruh: Erick beats Lomega 56-53 in double overtime to win the Class B girls title. Erick held an eight-point lead in regulation before falling behind five with less than a minute remaining. Maranda Janz then delivered a deep 3-pointer to tie the game and force overtime. In double overtime, it was her sister Makenzie who delivered the game-winning shot and free throw with 10 seconds remaining.

Scott Wright: Millwood 59, Okemah 53, 3OT in the Class 3A boys championship game. In the game that would never end, Millwood had destiny on its side, but Okemah kept pulling out the plays to stay alive. It was the last game of the year, and we couldn't have closed the season any better.

Best performance

Ryan Aber: There was plenty more about Bailey Taylor's semifinal game for Shawnee over Carl Albert in the 5A semifinals than just her 15-point total. Taylor, a sophomore, wore the No. 20 of her teammate, McKenzie Cooper. Cooper tore her ACL in the first round, and Taylor asked to wear the jersey for the rest of the tournament. She turned in an inspired performance to help Shawnee come out with a 50-46 overtime win.

Ed Godfrey: It has to be Stephen Clark's 51-point effort in the 4A state championship game, and Douglass needed every one of them. Roland was right there and might have won if not for missing three free throws in the final minute, including the front end of a one-and-one.

Jacob Unruh: Stephen Clark and Seth Youngblood battle it out in Class 4A boys championship. I didn't cover it, but I was there and I'll never forget what I saw. It was perhaps one of the greatest games played in State Fair Arena history, and the most challenging in Clark's storied career. Well worth just being in attendance.

Scott Wright: Stephen Clark's 51 points in Class 4A championship victory. Clark has scored 50 points more than a couple times in his career, but 51 in the state finals, an 84-82 win over Roland (which got 41 from Seth Youngblood), might have been his best. Clark had never been pushed to the brink with so much on the line before, and the Oklahoma State signee delivered.

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