The Class A basketball playoffs came to an end for the Gore High School teams this past weekend at the regional tournament.
The Pirates almost got to the Class A Area Tournament at Wilburton, which will begin Thursday, but they lost for the second time in a week to the Talihina Golden Tigers — this time 61-50 in last Saturday afternoon’s regional tournament consolation title game at Quinton Event Center after falling to them 73-47 exactly one week before in the Class A District Tournament title game in Talihina.
The Pirates reached the Class A Regional Tournament consolation championship with a 61-36 rout of Riverside Conference foe Arkoma last Thursday night in Allen, then upset ninthranked Wright City 6954 last Friday afternoon at Quinton Event Center.
The Pirates ended the season at 16-9.
The Lady Pirates won their first game in consolation action in the Class A Regional Tournament, beating Riverside Conference foe Arkoma 25-19 last Thursday night in Allen, but their season came to a close with a 47-31 loss to No. 18 Wright City last Friday afternoon at Quinton Event Center.
The Lady Pirates finished the season at 1112.
In the boys’ regional consolation title game, trailing 10-7 with four minutes left in the first quarter, the Golden Tigers ended the period with a 7-2 run, capped by a pair of technical foul free throws with four seconds remaining in the period, to give Talihina a 14-12 lead after a period. It was a lead the Golden Tigers would not relinquish.
Talihina built as great as a 15-point lead at 3520 with 1:15 left before halftime on a 3-point basket by Kaden Cossey en route to a 37-23 halftime lead. Talihina’s biggest lead came at 41-23 on Sam Bryant’s basket with 6:35 left in the third quarter, which ended with the Golden Tigers taking a 44-34 lead into the final period.
The Pirates cut their deficit to six points at 4943 on a pair of Keeton Rowe free throws with 3:50 left in the game, but they got no closer.
In defeat, Gore put a trio of players into double figures, led by Tate Brooksher’s 16 points, followed by Cain Cooper’s 12 points and Eli Munson’s 10 points. Rowe scored eight points, while Gabe Hefley and Cruz Ward had two points apiece.
In the boys’ regional consolation semifinal game, the Pirates rallied from an 8-7 first-period deficit by ending the quarter with a 9-2 run, capped by an old-fashioned three-point play by Brooksher with 42 seconds left in the period, to give Gore a 16-10 lead entering the second quarter. The Pirates never trailed again.
Gore got its halftime lead to 17 points as Munson hit a 3-point basket with three seconds left before halftime to send the Pirates into the locker rooms ahead 35-18 at the half.
The Lumberjax cut their deficit to four points twice in the second half, the last time at 50-46 with 7:28 left in the game on a basket by Maddox Replogle, but they got no closer as the Pirates ended the game on a 19-8 run to seal the deal.
For the game, Brooksher scored a game-high 28 points and Cooper added 22 points to lead Gore, followed by Munson with 13 points, Rowe with four points and Hefley with two points.
In the boys’ regional consolation quarterfinals, it was all Gore as the Pirates jumped out to a 16-2 lead after a quarter, which became a 38-5 halftime advantage and a 49-22 lead going into the final period.
For the game, Munson and Cooper each scored a game-high 20 points to lead Gore, followed by Brooksher with seven points, Rowe with six points, Logan Markou with four points and Hefley and Ward with two points apiece.
In the girls’ regional consolation quarterfinals, the Lady Pirates led 13-6 after a period, 19-8 at halftime and 2512 after three quarters.
For the game, Emily Daily scored 11 points to lead Gore, followed by Kennedy Williams with seven points, Rayleigh Moore with four points and Sophie O’Connor with three points.
In the girls’ regional consolation semifinals, a basket by Moore gave the Lady Pirates a 9-4 lead with 2:09 left in the first quarter, but that was the last lead for Gore.
The Lady Lumberjax ended the period with a 7-0 run, capped by a free throw by Grace Vance with two seconds remaining in the quarter, to take an 11-9 lead into the second period.
As the game progressed, so did Wright City’s advantage. The Lady ‘Jax led 24-20 at halftime and 32-24 after three quarters. A 15-7 final period sealed the deal for Wright City.
In defeat, Moore and Williams led Gore with 10 points each, followed by Daily with five points, River Shoemake with four points and Kylie “K.J.” McEver with two points.
