In front of a near-capacity crowd that made a regional semifinal feel more like a state championship game, a poised and senior-led Keys Cougars squad pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the basketball season, taking down the fourth-ranked Sequoyah Indians 48-47 on Sequoyah's home floor.

At times trailing by as much as six points in the final period, the Cougars (11-7) refused to fold, continually coming up with big shots to get back into the game and eventually take the win and a berth in Saturday's regional championship.

"I don't even know where to start," Keys coach Duane Jones said afterward. "It was a great win. They [Sequoyah] have been that hump that we can't get over, and we finally got that monkey off our back ... it was a big win for us."

Trailing 42-36 with just under seven minutes left following a pair of free throws by Sequoyah's Kialo Vann, the Cougars clawed their way back into the game. A layup by Taylor Swanson on a pass from Marcus Scavone made the score 47-45 in favor of the Indians with just over two minutes to play.

On the ensuing possession, Indians guard Cody Fourkiller was called for a charge, giving Keys the ball back. After the Cougars missed the front end of a one-and-one, Sequoyah's Jarrett Travis grabbed the rebound, only to be tied up under the basket by the Cougars, giving Keys another shot at the lead.

This time junior guard Ross Robbins made the Indians pay, hitting a 3 from the wing to give Keys the lead for good.

"The 3-pointer by Ross was awesome," Jones said. "He's hit some big, pressure shots all year long."

But the Indians would have more chances to take the lead back. After an exchange of offensive fouls, the Indians had the final possession, but three shots from point-blank range went begging, and Scavone grabbed the rebound with 1.2 seconds left to seal the win.

For the Indians (17-6), it was a game of missed opportunities and self-inflicted wounds. Sequoyah committed 24 turnovers on the night and shot 10-of-22 from the free throw line.

"We deserve to lose just for that," Sequoyah coach Larry Grigg said. "But they [Keys] just outplayed us. They hit some big shots, got the loose balls and the key rebounds at the end."

The game was tight the whole way, with both teams struggling to find their footing in the opening minutes. The two teams combined for 10 turnovers in the first five minutes of the game. But the Cougars found their way first, grabbing an 8-2 lead before back-to-back threes by Sequoyah's Cody Fourkiller got the Indians back into the game.

The lead would change hands six times in the second quarter alone, as neither team could get larger than a four-point lead. The Indians led by a single point at the break at 24-23.

The Cougars opened the second half by racing to a five-point lead when a Swanson tip-in made the score 29-24 with 6:30 remaining in the period.

But the Indians charged back with a 14-2 run to give Sequoyah its biggest lead at 38-31. But Robbins hit a 3 to make the score 38-36 early in the fourth, a preview of things to come.

"The kids really believed in themselves," Jones said. "We talked all week about how we can beat these guys and they're one of the best teams in the state."

The Cougars will play the winner between Pocola and Spiro in Saturday's final at the Muskogee Civic Center, while the Indians will play the winner between Panama and Heavener in tomorrow's consolation round.

"We told the team to celebrate, but tomorrow we have to get back to work because our goal is to get to the state tournament and win a state championship," Jones said. "We'll have to go and take care of business Saturday night."

Keys 48, Sequoyah 47 (boys)

Keys    11    12    10    15    –    48

Sequoyah  9    15    14    9    –    47

SHS: Ramsey Nofire 11, Cody Fourkiller 9, Travis Sanders 8, Kialo Vann 7, Riley Sevenstar 5, Ramsey Butler 4, BJ Ketcher 2, Kiwah Gilbert 1.

KHS: Taylor Swanson 10, Dillon Springwater 10, Ross Robbins 9, Derek Keys 6, Jacky Walker 5, Marcus Scavone 4, Christian Daugherty 3, Copper Hall 1.