Tigers survive double OT win over El Reno 67-65
NORMAN - Tahlequah got 36 points from senior Matt Qualls and held off a final shot by El Reno at the buzzer as the Tigers survived for a 67-65 double overtime win over the Indians Thursday afternoon at Norman North High School.
Qualls scored nine of Tahlequah's 11 points in the second extra period to give the Tigers their first win at the state tournament in recent memory.
El Reno had their chances to win the game in regulation and in the first overtime period as Fayzon Richey's 3-point attempt at the end of regulation was off the mark and Travis Johnson's 3-pointer at the buzzer at the end of the first overtime session rolled off the rim to send the game into the second four-minute extra period.
Tahlequah led 16-9 at the end of the first quarter and held a 28-16 lead at the intermission before El Reno outscored Tahlequah 21-10 in the third quarter to cut the gap down to one at 38-37 going into the final quarter of play.
Josh Todd was the other Tiger in double-figures with 11, while Weston Cox added 9. Jon Griggs had 6, Adam Stovall scored 3 and Rustin Peace had 2.
Richey paced the Indians with 18 points, while Devante Moore had 14 and Travis Johnson added for El Reno, who finished the year at 17-11.
Tahlequah will now face top-ranked Guthrie, a 55-38 winner over Shawnee, Friday at 4:30 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center on the University of Oklahoma campus.
The winner faces the Tulsa Edison-Tulsa Washington winner at 7 p.m. Saturday night for the state title.