Superlatives: Oklahoma 5A Championship
Congratulations to head coach Darlean Calip and her outstanding Sapulpa squad on their 5A State Championship! Here is a look at some of the best players and the skills they displayed during a very entertaining State Championship game at the…
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Continue ReadingCongratulations to head coach Darlean Calip and her outstanding Sapulpa squad on their 5A State Championship! Here is a look at some of the best players and the skills they displayed during a very entertaining State Championship game at the Mabee Center in Tulsa.
Best All-Around
Stailee Heard Stailee Heard 6'0" | CG Sapulpa | 2023 State OK | 5-10 G | Sapulpa | 2023 | @StaileeH
A member of the Sac and Fox nation, Heard is carrying on the legacy of one of the greatest champions of all-time, ‘Bright Path,’ otherwise known as Jim Thorpe. Thorpe excelled in every athletic venture he entered into and Heard is no different. The State Champion cross country runner is now a basketball champion as well. Much like Thorpe, Heard is very fast, extremely strong and unbelievably athletic. She finished the championship game with 14 points, scoring from every level and at the line. There is no player in Oklahoma girls basketball that is as bouncy as Stailee is. You just don’t see it very often. She can fly. She uses her speed and sheer athleticism to flash into every play and is a disruptor on the defensive end and, perhaps more so, a play-maker on the offensive end. It remains to be seen which D-I school Heard will be plying her trade for, but whoever it is will be a very, lucky team.
Best On-Ball Defender
Kacey Fishinghawk Kacey Fishinghawk 5'5" | PG Tahlequah | 2021 State OK | 5-5 G | Tahlequah | 2021 | @KaceyLynn02
Kacey is an absolute pain in the butt – in a good way – on the defensive end. The future Friends University star was the best on the court Saturday at denying the ball to her opponent. She forced several steals as Sapulpa attempted to get the ball to her counterpart. Fishinghawk may not have the sheer athleticism of a Stailee Heard Stailee Heard 6'0" | CG Sapulpa | 2023 State OK , but it honestly doesn’t matter. Anything she is lacking physically – which isn’t much except for maybe height – she makes up for in her high basketball IQ and instincts. She plays the passing lanes very well. Kacey is a vocal leader and contributed one three-pointer on a night where both teams had a hard time getting anything from deep to fall.
Best Rebounder
Alexis Lewis Alexis Lewis 5'11" | PF Sapulpa | 2021 State OK | 5-11 F | Sapulpa | 2021 | @alexisl11088020
Lewis just has a nose for the ball. She was ALWAYS there on Saturday when her team needed it. You see a shot go up from deep, a high rebound coming down into the lane and here comes number 11 flying out of nowhere to snatch the ball down. Lewis is tall and has very good length. She ended the game with 10 points, either from put-backs or more importantly getting fouled while fighting for the rebound and hitting her free throws. Alexis has several offers from some very good basketball schools and someone is going to gain a very, very good rebounder who also happens to be a state champion.
Best Inside Scorer
Lydia McAlvain | 5-8 G | Tahlequah | 2022 | @LydiaMcalvain
Speaking of crashing the boards, Alexis Lewis Alexis Lewis 5'11" | PF Sapulpa | 2021 State OK wasn’t the only presence inside on Championship Saturday. McAlvain not only has the handles to work her way inside, she does a good job of getting post position and receiving the pass from her teammates. She finished the game with 10 points all from either in the lane or from being fouled while in the lane. Lydia is unafraid to go inside and her team benefits greatly from it. She can score from just about anywhere and clearly just does what it is that her team needs her to. McAlvain is a junior and it will be very fun to see her transition into a senior leader on this very good Tahlequah team.
Most Active
Temira Poindexter Temira Poindexter 6'2" | PF Sapulpa | 2021 State OK | 6-1 C | Sapulpa | 2021 |
Poindexter has become such a fun player to watch over the course of the year. She has become a great teammate and someone that her team clearly rallies around. Now, she is a State Champion, too. Poindexter obviously has great size. That’s a given. But, she is far from a typical “big.” She is everywhere! Inside, outside, defending the inbound pass, shooting, shooting and shooting. They didn’t all fall for her, but she has the confidence to keep shooting; most likely based on the days where she shoots and doesn’t miss at all – I have seen those, too. She hits threes, is dominant inside and makes more than half of her free throws. Sometime soon Temira will announce if she is attending Eastern Michigan, UA-Little Rock or Tulsa and some coach is going to be very happy.
Best 6th Man
Alexsyah ‘Smalls’ Goudeau | 5-10 G | Tahlequah | 2022 | @AlexsyahGoudeau
Smalls came off the bench for the Tigers on Saturday. She would be starting for almost any team in any class in the state. She provided a spark for her squad and came out shooting. She made 4-of-6 field goals in the game and came out on fire, causing Sapulpa to re-focus what they were doing defensively. Goudeau is very fast and does a great job of getting up and down the court. She has great size and is a very fun player to watch. Her jumper is pretty. Her willingness to play through contact was almost unmatched on the court. Next year when Smalls is starting as a senior, she will be an absolute offensive beast for this Tigers team who very well could find themselves right back playing on Championship Saturday.
Best Pure Shooter
Tyla Heard Tyla Heard 5'10" | SF Sapulpa | 2024 State OK | 5-10 F | Sapulpa | 2024 | @HeardTyla
The fact that Tyla is only a freshman (and her sister Stailee is a sophomore) has got to send a shiver down the spine of every 5A coach in the state. While Stailee was a known commodity heading into this season, Tyla seemingly came out of nowhere. She is a tremendous scorer with a gorgeous jump shot and a very soft touch. She hit one three-pointer in route to her nine total points. Heard is quick and plays tough defense, too. Far from “just” a good shooter, Tyla is a well-rounded player. Look for her to sky rocket up the 2024 rankings as the Heard sisters work to keep the “Gold Ball” in Sapulpa.
Best Outside Scorer
Tatum Havens Tatum Havens 5'9" | CG Tahlequah | 2022 State OK | 5-9 G | Tahlequah | 2022 | @tatumhavens
On a day where almost everyone had trouble hitting from the outside, Havens was the only player with multiple made threes. She ended with two of them and a total of 10 points. Havens has long arms. She also has a quick release that is nice and high – putting her hand in the cookie jar, so to speak. She is a great spot-up shooter and one of those players that you really like to have just hanging out around the perimeter all the time. She is clutch. With one more year left to go, Havens has offers from OBU and ECU and potentially more to come after a very good championship game performance.