Lady Tigers battling injuries going into Skiatook game

By BEN JOHNSON

TAHLEQUAH DAILY PRESS — The hits – or better yet, the injuries – just keep on coming for the Tahlequah Lady Tigers.

Already without starting guard Shelby Ferguson, who is out for the season with a knee injury, THS found out some more bad news on Monday. Tahlequah coach Chad Walker discovered he would be without backup forward Brittney Hogan for tonight's game at Class 5A No. 17 Skiatook.

"When I went to the doctor, he was shocked and said, 'you tore a ligament in your foot," said Hogan, who noticed she had a swollen knot on her foot several games back. "He told me to stay off of it. But I still want to play because I don't like sitting out."

Hogan became the third Tahlequah player injured in recent memory. Ferguson was the first, and she was followed by senior forward Kaley McNeil, who is set to return tonight – thanks to the protection of a hard-plastic facemask.

"I've been in two practices with it (the facemask) on, but it's different," said McNeil, who suffered a broken nose in three different places in the Lady Tigers' 61-33 loss to Bishop Kelley on Feb. 2. "I'm getting used to it."

McNeil, who has to wear the facemask for six weeks while on the court, missed Tahlequah's last game, which was a 55-44 victory at Catoosa on Feb. 5. But the doctor advised her how important it is not to take any contact of her nose.

"He just said for a break, it's pretty straight," said McNeil, who is averaging close to 10 points and seven rebounds a game. "But if I get hit, it can make it worse and I would have to have surgery."

But McNeil is confident that everything will be OK with the extra protection on her face.

"I think it will be pretty good," she said. "I think it will be alright."

As for Walker's thoughts on the recent rash of injuries, the first-year coach said it's just part of the game.

"Injuries happen," said Walker, whose team is 6-12 overall and 2-6 in Metro Lakes Conference play entering tonight's game. "And it's how the team responds from those injuries. And I think our problem, right now, is a maybe a lack of focus on basketball."

However, some girls have maintained their focus while teammates continue to battle ailments. Those girls include Erica Sampson and Vanessa Rivas – filling in for McNeil – and Sara Corn, who has picked up the slack at shooting guard with Ferguson's absence.

"The girls have done a good job of picking up her slack," Walker said of the players filling in for Ferguson. "Rivas has been playing pretty good, and Erica has been playing pretty well."

Sampson and Rivas carried the Lady Tigers with 18 and 13 points, respectively, in Tahlequah's win at Catoosa.

As for Corn, Walker has been impressed with his lone senior guard even before Ferguson went down.

"Sara has done a good job all year long," he said. "She does a lot of little things right. She blocks out well, she leads the team on the floor by talking to them (her teammates) and that's something we've lacked all year long."



Tahlequah at Skiatook (preview capsules)

When: Tonight with the girls tipping off at 6:30 p.m. and the boys to follow at 8.

Where: Johnson Activity Center at Skiatook High School (1000 West 4th St., Skiatook).

Nicknames: Tahlequah Tigers; Skiatook Bulldogs.



Girls

Records: Tahlequah 6-12 (2-6 Metro Lakes Conference); Skiatook 8-11 (5-6).

Rankings (as of Monday): Tahlequah is not ranked in Class 5A; Skiatook is No. 17 in 5A.

Coaches: Tahlequah (Chad Walker); Skiatook (Greg Hathcock).

Looking Ahead: Tahlequah returns home to begin its three-game homestand, which starts Thursday agasint Claremore. Skiatook



Boys

Records: Tahlequah 10-8 (4-4 Metro Lakes); Skiatook 3-15 (1-10)

Rankings (as of Monday): Tahlequah is No. 17 in Class 5A; Skiatook is not ranked in 5A.

Coaches: Tahlequah (Wes Hayes); Skiatook (Patrick James).

Looking Ahead: Tahlequah will play Claremore at home Thursday night while Skiatook will be at Collinsville on Friday night.

Text Only