THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Conway High School Athletics

It's February and the Southmoore boys are beginning to play their best basketball. They went on a stretch of winning four out of five, with their only loss coming by nine points to No. 5 Norman North. They are just 5-15, but once again, look like the double-digit area seed that no one wants to play. The SaberCats were one win away from reaching the state tournament last season. Despite a 9-14 regular season record, they beat Deer Creek and Lawton to advance to the area consolation final against Putnam City West. There, in Deer Creek, Southmoore was outgunned. Down 24-12 at halftime, it lost 60-34 to the eventual state champions. Still, it was an unforgettable run, which included a buzzer beater by Quian Williams in Yukon to top Lawton. Can Southmoore really do it again this year? Can they go further? “I have confidence in our guys that we can make it to state this year,” senior Tye Blaine said. “We're getting hot at the right time. We're starting to believe in each other more. We're starting to play our game more. Everything is just falling into place right now, that's what it seems like.” The belief stems from an ability to win close games. Blaine hit 10 of 10 free throws in the fourth quarter to edge out a victory over Moore. Senior forward Dayne Taylor had a game-winning bucket in the final seconds against Deer Creek. Southmoore will need to replicate those late game heroics if they want to make a similar deep postseason run. Last season, Southmoore benefitted from a set of good playoff matchups. It faced Deer Creek in the first round, a team without much size that relied heavily on outside shooting and struggled to rebound. Southmoore biggest strength was its perimeter defense, and Taylor was able to control the paint on both ends. This season is not much different. Edmond Santa Fe is a tougher first-round test than the Antlers were, but it's still a winnable game. The Wolves (12-8) have been one of the most difficult teams to figure out this season. They have beaten Norman North, No. 6 Westmoore and No. 9 Yukon, but they've also lost to Class 5A Bishop McGuiness (7-12), Deer Creek (7-13), Norman High (10-10) and Mustang (11-9). If they're not hitting from behind the 3-point arc, they get impatient and just keep shooting. That's perfect for a team like Southmoore, who just like last year, plays tough on the perimeter and does a decent job on the defensive glass. It might have to be low-scoring, because the SaberCats won't be able to score easily against the Wolves' lengthy defense. However, there's precendent for that too. ESF has been held to 55 points or less seven times, including by these same SaberCats back in early December. So, there's a chance, and a win there would give Southmoore new life. It then takes on the winner of Lawton and Choctaw. Hard to believe the SaberCats couldn't beat the Wolverines for the second straight season. Then, they're in the area final. They've got two chances to get one win and make it to state, an even better position than they were in last season. It might not happen. Santa Fe might come out looking like it did when it beat those top-tier teams and just roll past Southmoore. Even if the Wolves slip up, Lawton could be much improved and Southmoore might lose its next two games. But, hey, there's hope. One of the beautiful aspects of Oklahoma high school basketball is everyone makes the playoffs. Everyone has a shot. That includes teams like the SaberCats, which are just beginning to show that they might have what it takes to make another memorable run.

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Conway High School Athletics

SETTING UP FOR ANOTHER DEEP PLAYOFF RUN

JOHN MCKELVEY

The Norman Transcript | 2/11/2017

PHOTO CREDIT: Southmoore High School Athletics