Oklahoma 2A girls basketball championship: Pocola fends off LeFlore County rival Howe once again, this time for the title

By Buck Ringgold

OKLAHOMA CITY - Fourteen years ago, it seemed as if Mark McKenzie would go out on top to end his coaching career.

In 2008, Pocola's coach decided to step down from coaching following the Lady Indians' dramatic run to the 2A state championship, capped by a miracle buzzer-beating shot by Callie Slate for the title.

A few years later, though, McKenzie had the itch to start coaching again, and eventually took over the Lady Indians once again. Saturday at State Fair Arena, McKenzie made it a successful second act as their coach by bringing home another gold ball.

This time, Pocola did so by beating a longtime bitter LeFlore County foe and a team it had already beaten once this season.

Despite falling behind at halftime on a buzzer-beating shot by Howe, Pocola opened the second half on a 7-0 run to take the lead and held on to it the rest of the way.

The Lady Indians then got a steal and a free throw in the final seconds to clinch a 40-36 win against the Lady Lions for the 2A championship.

"Last year's seniors didn't have a coach in sixth grade, so I started coaching them and just went through with them and these kids came through with them, and we're here now," said McKenzie, who finished his third season in his second stint at Pocola.

"The kids just kept playing hard and competing, and you know when you play hard, sometimes things go your way. They were told to play the whole game and they did."

Saturday's win was also the third state title for Pocola (28-1), along with the 2008 team and the 1995 team, the last to win state during Oklahoma's 6-on-6 era.

Pocola claimed its latest title despite having just one senior on its roster - guard/forward Mika Scott, a Northeastern State signee.

"I just told them to not be nervous, go out there and have fun and treat it like it's another game because you're never going to get this time back, so just go out there and have fun and work hard," Scott said. "Whatever happens, just keep a positive attitude and keep on going no matter what."

Howe (24-6) came in attempting to claim a rare and unique three-peat. The Lady Lions won 2A in 2019 when six seniors were freshmen, and then won 2A again last season after the 2020 tournament was canceled due to COVID-19.

Plus, the Lady Lions were seeking revenge after falling to Pocola, 66-65, in overtime in the LeFlore County Tournament title game in January.

It appeared as if it was headed to overtime again in Saturday's rematch, as Pocola held a 39-36 lead and Howe had the ball with time running out. In that earlier game between the two, the Lady Lions hit a game-tying 3-pointer that forced overtime.

But Pocola junior forward Bailey Lairamore, right in front of Howe's bench, anticipated the dribble from a Howe player and immediately swiped the ball. The Lady Indians quickly called time out as Lairamore was about to be tied up in a possible jump-ball situation.

Just seconds prior to that, Lairamore had missed the front end of a one-and-one that would have given her team at least a four-point advantage. But she quickly shook that off to play on defense.

"After I missed that free throw, I realized that I had to pick up something for my team to make sure we secured the win. ... I just tracked the ball with my hand and got the steal," Lairamore said.

With 1.8 seconds left, Pocola freshman Allyssa Parker was fouled, sending her to the line to put the state title to bed. She made the all-important first one for the four-point lead as the Lady Indian bench and fans erupted in jubilation.

"It was basically just do what we do, and it was the same thing we did last time (Pocola played Howe)," Parker said. "Take time on offense, hit our easy shots and just play ball really."

The Lady Indians trailed at halftime, 22-19, when Howe senior point guard Shiloh Fletcher hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

But Pocola came right back out of the locker room and took the lead with a 7-0 run. That was highlighted by a 3 from Kail Chitwood, whose basket in overtime in the final seconds in Friday's 2A semifinal win against Dale got Pocola to the title game.

Then, the Lady Indians hit a buzzer-beating shot of their own, as freshman Lety Parga's 15-foot shot at the buzzer was good, as Pocola took a 30-27 advantage into the fourth.

Pocola then built a six-point lead, 33-27, early in the fourth. Howe closed to within three twice, the latter 39-36 after senior Raelyn Delt got a backcourt steal and a successful layup with 2:18 left.

The Lady Lions had a couple more chances to possible tie but missed those shots. Then Lairamore made the steal with Howe trying to force overtime.

"We had talked about that; that was a mistake we made in the county tournament," McKenzie said. "We gave up that late 3 and we didn't want to give up another late 3 (Saturday), so they did a good job with that.

"We knew going in that defense was going to win this game, just like any other game up here, and that's how we've won all three games (at state). We turned up our defensive intensity, and when it was there, we would get turnovers and create some transition points and that's what really helped us all week."

Junior forward Kylee Smith led Pocola with 12 points, 10 of those coming in the second half.

"I had a really rough start, so coach just reminded me to keep on pushing and keep on going and just keep grinding; then it would eventually fall," Smith said.

In her final game, Scott had nine points, all in the first half.

Fletcher, an Oklahoma Christian signee, had 11 points to lead the Lady Lions, which included making three 3-pointers.

With Saturday's win, Pocola's players are now able to have a legacy of their own in the years to come, just like that 2008 team, which had several of its players in attendance for the Lady Indians' latest gold ball.

"We all grew up around those girls, the 2008 girls," Lairamore said. "They were all around us when we were babies, and them here supporting us, it just means so much and it means so much to Coach McKenzie.

"It was really cool that Coach McKenzie came back and I'm glad he did; he's an amazing coach and we couldn't ask for anything better."