jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Achieving "Seventh Heaven" was a challenge.
Oiler Magic (AKA team basketball) rescued Central Plains when Jennah Jeffrey and Lexi Oeser delivered back-to-back assists that held off Cunningham's amazing upset bid 39-35 to capture Saturday's 1A Division 2 state championship. The title game was played at a true championship level defensively.
Kassidy Nixon sparked the Oilers with 14 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Brynna Hammeke scored 13 points and Jennah Jeffrey added nine points.
The Oilers (22-3) broke an all-time state record with their seventh consecutive state basketball championship. Their current 22-game state tournament winning streak and 47-game postseason winning streak are all-time Kansas state records. Oiler coach Pat Stiles (223-7) owns a 49-1 postseason record with his only postseason loss to Sterling.
"It's an amazing way to end my basketball career," said Oiler Jennah Jeffrey. "It gets better every time you win a state championship."
Central Plains' strategy of playing the clock nearly backfired when underdog Cunningham missed a tying shot and a go-ahead 3-pointer. The Oilers committed three fourth-quarter turnovers and bypassed quality shots in a failed attempt to run time. Madie McGuire missed a tying 2-pointer and Reese McGuire misfired on a go-ahead 3-pointer with the Wildcats down 33-31.
It was finally time for Oiler Magic.
Jeffrey passed to Kassidy Nixon for a 35-31 lead at the 1:12 mark. Assistant coach Jim Ryan called a perfect inbounds play after a timeout. The Oilers spread the court and Brynna Hammeke converted a pretty give-and-go pass from Lexi Oeser for a 37-31 lead with 44 seconds left.
"The players executed those plays so well," said Central Plains coach Pat Stiles. "That halfcourt play was one coach Jim Ryan has run successfully. It came up big for us."
Jennah Jeffrey said the back-to-back baskets were enjoyable to see.
"It took a lot of stress off us," Jeffrey said. "We hung in there and played together. Our defense was really good. We moved around and talked to each other."
Hammeke accepted the challenge of guarding Meyers in the Oilers' triangle-and-2 defense after Myers scored eight first-quarter points in a 15-point effort. Monica Short and Mollie Steiner also shadowed Reese McGuire.
"It worked to stop Morgan Meyers," Hammeke said. "The coaches obviously had confidence in me. I had to maintain confidence in myself. Cunningham was a really good team. They fought hard. We just fought a little bit harder."
Coach Stiles said he tinkered with the idea of running a special defense and went with it when Meyers scored a pair of unguarded 3-pointers.
"We hang our hat on defense," Stiles said. "The last five minutes of practice we tried that defense for a defense to fall back on. It was taking a chance. We knew Myers was an unbelievable player, so we needed someone guarding her. I saw No. 20 (Reese McGuire) make quite a few threes. A key was Kassidy Nixon was able to double team their post player."
The Wildcats (22-3) shot 28 percent on 9 of 32 field goals against the quick Oiler defense.
"During our playoff games our team played really good basketball," Stiles said. "Cunningham is a really good basketball team. I knew it'd be a battle."
The Wildcats' defense was also spectacular. The Oilers converted 15 of 35 field goals and committed 11 turnovers.
Cunningham coach Eric Meyers was pleased the Wildcats had a chance to tie and a shot to go ahead.
"We have broken hearts, but our girls played their tails off," coach Meyers said. "We knew it'd be a four-quarter game. If we hit that 3-pointer late, it's a different ballgame,. In that defense, they gave us an extended elbow shot and we hit one of them. We needed to cash in."
Central Plains 11 6 14 8 — 39
Cunningham 14 3 8 10 — 35
CENTRAL PLAINS (22-3)—Hammeke 6-11 0-0 13, Jennah Jeffrey 2-5 4-5 9, Nixon 6-11 2-3 14, Lexi Oeser 1-5 0-0 2, Short 0-3 0-0 0, Steiner 0-0 0-2 0, Totals 15-35 6-11 39
CUNNINGHAM (22-3)—Meyers 3-11 6-7 15, Reese McGuire 3-7 0-0 7, Madie McGuire 0-3 5-8 5, Panek 2-4 1-2 5, Alayna McGuire 1-4 1-2 3, Wright 0-3 0-0 0, Hansen 0-0 0-0 0, Totals 9-32 13-19 35
3-pointers—CP 3-7 (Jeffrey 1-1, Hammeke 1-3, Lexi Oeser 1-3); C 4-13 (). Rebounds—CP 28 (Nixon 11), C 22 (Panek 8, M. McGuire 8). Assists—CP 11 (Nixon 4), C 7 (Meyers 5). Steals—CP 5 (Nixon 3), C 8 (R. McGuire 3). TO—CP 11, C 9
OILER ALL-TIME STATE RECORDS—47 consecutive postseason wins; 22 consecutive state tournament wins
Pat Stiles 223-7, 49-1 postseason (22-3, 1A-Div. 2 state champion; 25-0, 1A state Final Four; 27-0, 1A state champion; 26-0, 2A state champion; 26-0; 26-0, 2A state champion; 25-1, 2A state champion; 26-0, 2A state champion; 20-3, substate runner-up)
1A DIV. 2 GIRLS FINAL—Central Plains 39, Cunningham 35; SEMIFINALS—Central Plains 50, Golden Plains 39; Cunningham 52, Beloit St. John's 31; QUARTERFINALS—Golden Plains 57, Dighton 45; Central Plains 51, St. Paul 32; Cunningham 56, Ashland 28; Beloit St. John's 52, Wetmore 40
