Tahlequah’s girls basketball team started the season with a to-do list. The objectives were divided into small goals and big goals.

The list of small goals included items such as: finish first or second in the Metro Lakes Conference; be able to split regular-season series with Bishop Kelley and Skiatook; and win at least two games apiece in two regular-season tournaments this season.

Check, check (kind of) and check. Each goal was either attained or in the process of being crossed off (finishing in the top two of the league).

The big goals all involve postseason objectives: regional champions, state-tournament appearance, state champions, etc.

Somewhere in the middle is likely something along the lines of hosting a Class 5A regional tournament. That item was accomplished on Thursday.

The 5A No. 8 Lady Tigers were granted one of four host sites on the east side of the state when the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association released 5A and 6A playoff brackets. The other hosting sites on the east side of the state are Skiatook, East Central and Carl Albert, who was one of a few school shipped eastward for playoff purposes.

“I am extremely proud of our basketball team,” Tahlequah coach Chad Walker said. “There are not enough compliments that I can give to them. They’ve done things this year that haven’t been accomplished in a decade at Tahlequah. That’s huge.”

Tahlequah will begin its postseason journey at the TMAC on Feb. 23 against Hale (6-11). The other first-round matchup in Tahlequah’s regional tournament is 5A No. 11 Bishop Kelley (11-10) against Tulsa Memorial (5-14). The winner of both first-round games will advance to the regional finals on Feb. 25 at 1:30 p.m., while the first-round losers are eliminted from postseason play.

Tahlequah has already faced Hale once this season, beating the Lady Rangers 75-16 in the Shrine Classic in Muskogee.

“We shot the ball well that night,” Walker said.

The Lady Tigers have not played Tulsa Memorial this season. But they do currently own two regular-season wins over Bishop Kelley, including a 51-32 rout at the TMAC on Jan. 27.

“If you’ve beat a team twice, the rule of thumb is it’s hard to beat a team three times,” Walker said. “Hopefully we can get Dez (Desiree Phipps) back for that game.

“But I saw her ankle today, and it looks bad. But I know she wants to play worse than anybody out there, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”

Phipps, who was injured against Fort Gibson earlier this week, has logged 20 points in each of Tahlequah’s wins over Bishop Kelley this season.

Currently, the Lady Tigers sit at 13-6 with a home game against Collinsville on Friday night. The final two games of the regular season will be at Claremore (Feb. 14) and home against Pryor (Feb. 20).

“If we play well,” Walker said, “we could finish easily 15-7 and maybe even 16-6.”



Tigers to face Guthrie

When the final coaches poll came out in 5A, the Tahlequah boys dropped just outside of the top 20 at 21. But that wasn’t entirely bad news.

With where they landed, the Tigers drew 5A No.12 Guthrie in the first round of the regional tournament, which will be played at Tulsa Central on Feb. 24.

“It’s a good draw for us,” Tahlequah coach Mike Leafgreen said. “Out of the possible draws, I like the way Guthrie plays.”

The other first-round regional game in Tulsa will be No. 4 Central against Collinsville.

Against Guthrie (11-8), the Tigers will face a defensive-minded club says Leafgreen.

“They have the toughest defensive team I’ve seen in four to five years,” Leafgreen said of the Bluejays. “But a team like that will keep it close throughout. It’s a matchup that’s good for us.”