Fort Gibson girls claim Old Fort Classic title by defeating Stilwell
FORT GIBSON, OKLAHOMA - Addy Whiteley is the unquestioned leader of this edition of Fort Gibson girls basketball.
And if the Lady Tigers add to their state record with a 20th consecutive state tournament trip in two months, she'll be heard from plenty.
For Fort Gibson (Oklahoma) girls basketball, continuing 'The Streak' remains the primary pinnacle
Whiteley, the point guard and three-year starter, had a season-high 31 points in the championship game of the Old Fort Classic here Saturday, and Class 4A No. 7 Fort Gibson let everyone know they'll have to be dealt with again as they rolled past No. 5 Stilwell, 52-46.
"She's just made of the right stuff," said Scott Lowe, Fort Gibson head coach. "It's hard not to take it for granted because we see it from her all the time.
"She just has the heart of the champion. She was running on fumes from probably midway through the third to the end of the game, but was just relentless."
Fort Gibson Lady Tigers, the Old Fort Classic girls champion
Fort Gibson (11-4) was up 16-10 after one as Whiteley and freshman Kashae Brown combined for 14 points; Whiteley on drives and short jumpers and Brown inside the block. The Lady Tigers were hurt by seven second-quarter turnovers, but managed to hold the lead, Whiteley finding Brown inside with a second left in the half to end it with her team up 23-19.
Whiteley, the tournament's MVP, had seven points as part of a 12-0 run in the third quarter as the Lady Tigers took control, going up 37-22 with 1:20 to go. She was 9-of-21 from the field with just one of those a 3, and was an even bigger factor at the line, going 12-of-14 from the stripe.
"They're tough to go against," said Whiteley of the Lady Indians, now 12-3. "They play very physical and they pressure me all the time, but you just got to go."
Brown, a transfer from Muskogee who finished with 12 points and a season-high 14 rebounds, had nine boards in the third, five on the defensive end and nine there in all. She and junior Laynee Stanley (7 points, 8 rebounds, 2 blocks) were all-tournament selections.
The final score was as close as it got down the stretch.
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"We talk about rebounding and blocking out and it takes the little things to come together as a team," said Brown. "I'm new here, but I know what Fort Gibson is about and it's important to me to help keep this streak up."
Lowe saluted Brown's effort.
"Her window for improvement is so big. She doesn't know what she doesn't know right now, but she's becoming more actively engaged with what the game plan is and how to execute it and stays locked in," he said.
It was the 50th edition of the Old Fort Classic. Fort Gibson has had a few streaks of its own over the years as the clear dominant force, including 13 consecutive titles in a streak snapped by Bartlesville in 2018.
This one marked a repeat after downing Inola in last year's final. It also featured the 5-8 squads in the Oklahoma Secondary School Athletic Association coaches poll.
Fort Gibson avenged a 32-27 loss to Stilwell in the loaded Lincoln Christian Winter Classic two weeks ago in the third-place contest. Fort Gibson also beat No. 6 Tuttle a second time with a 49-44 win in the semifinals on Friday, following a decisive opening-round win against Cushing.
Lowe called the title win a significant step. He thought his team - actually both his and Stilwell's - was flat in the meeting two weeks ago, but saw his group come out with a surge of energy to start this contest that set the tone.
"Energy speaks about where we're at in terms of our growth," said Lowe, who starts two freshmen, two juniors and a sophomore. "Sometimes you're ready for moments and sometimes you're just almost ready for moments. I thought we were on the precipice of it and we kept preaching the same things we always preach. Set up with each segment of the season, preseason, the part prior to Christmas, the regular season past Christmas and then the postseason, and work on the goals we need to get accomplished in each.
"That's kind of our mindset and we try to stay patient with it. We want the kids to gain poise as we go and I felt like they stayed more poised in a pressure situation than we had in the past. But we come to expect that and credit goes to them. They've got the target on their back every single night."
Stilwell, which got 15 points from standout guard Snowda Watie, reached Saturday's final with a 44-43 win over No. 8 Inola on Friday. Of Watie's total, nine came in the fourth quarter.
Prairie Holmes had eight points as did Shannon Catron. Watie and Holmes also made the all-tourney team.
"I think 4A is the deepest class in girls basketball every year and to have this kind of competition bodes well for the future," said Lowe. "Even in winning, we were exposed in some areas and we can use that to improve."
Added Whiteley: "It boosts our confidence and I mean, the streak, it's always been a thing here. I don't let it bother me. It's not about expecting to get there, it's about putting the work in to get there."
Stilwell Indians, the Old Fort Classic boys champion
Old Fort Classic Boys Championship
Stilwell 56, Inola 48
The Indians made sure of one title plaque, riding Brayden George's quick start and free throws down the stretch by Tyrus Teehee and Keller Hitcher to a win over Inola. George had eight points, including a pair of 3s to give unranked Stilwell a 14-4 lead through one quarter of play.
Inola, ranked 12th in 4A, trimmed it to 16-13 at the half, though coming up empty on three possessions in the final minute or so, and the Indians answered in the third with eight different players in the scoring column.
Foul trouble plagued both teams in the fourth, but Teehee, who led Stilwell with 15 points en route to MVP honors, was 8-of-8 in the fourth. Hitcher was 5-of-7 from the stripe in the fourth but fouled out, as did George, who finished with 13 points.
Hitcher had 10. George and Hitcher both made all-tournament.
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"They came out and changed and went from man to zone. They're lean and that back line is so long it was hard to get looks on the back line," said Stilwell coach Michael George of the contrast between the first two quarters. "We talked about some things and made some adjustments, but our man-to-man offense was very effective early and got us going."
The Indians (11-4) held on despite losing Hitcher and George down the stretch to fouls.
"Our reserve guys stepped in during that last five minutes and helped us weather the storm in a pressure situation," the coach said. "That's huge for growing.
"We use this tournament as a springboard to our playoff run. I thought we showed some real resiliency and toughness."
Inola (12-3), which knocked off Class A's top-ranked team in Okay in the semifinals, was led by Trevor Groff with 12. Jaxon Marlin had 11.
Aidan Clark was the Longhorns' all-tourney rep, with Okay's Duckee Swimmer and Fort Gibson's Blaine Scott also making the team. Fort Gibson was fifth.
Photo of Fort Gibson girls by Michael Kinney
-- Mike Kays | @SBLiveOK
