Looking Back, Looking Ahead: 2021 Class 2A State Championship

<strong>2021 Class 2A Championship Game – Howe 71, Silo 57 </strong> The 2019 Howe State Champions were led by perhaps the greatest all-around player to ever do it in the state of Oklahoma in [player_tooltip player_id="30427" first="Jalei" last="Oglesby"], now plying her trade at Arkansas Tech. With Oglesby at the helm, everyone else almost took a back seat. The 2021 version (there was no tournament in 2020 in Class 2A) of the Howe Lions was a completely different team, however with a lot of the same players. This Lions class showed that they were all also stars in their own right as 10 different players scored in route to a big win in the Big House back in March. Silo’s magical run to the state championship game - a one-point victory in both the quarterfinal and semifinal game - saw them come up short after struggling with Howe’s stifling full-court press. The Silver Ball was probably not much consolation however for a team who only had three losses coming into the championship and probably felt as if they had just as much right to be there as the two-loss Howe squad. On the outside looking in was No. 1-ranked Dale who lost their fourth game of the season in the playoffs to Silo in the quarterfinals by a score of 49-48 following a big post bucket from then-sophomore [player_tooltip player_id="197957" first="Tiani" last="Ellison"]. <strong>2021 Runner-Up Outlook: Silo Rebels (2020-21 Record: 23-4)</strong> En route to the championship game, Silo showed that they could hit timely buckets and were not scared of the big moment. But, it was something that they had been doing all season long. Heading into the championship game, they had already beaten No. 1-ranked Dale once during the regular season and beat them again the day prior. The Rebels were led by No. 18-ranked (2023) [player_tooltip player_id="197957" first="Tiani" last="Ellison"], a junior this season, who averaged 14 points per game during the regular season. In the playoffs, it was Ellison who found herself with the ball in her hands time and time again when the game was on the line. Tiani will be the no-doubt focal point for any team trying to stop Silo offensively as she is a Division-I scorer in the paint and has a plethora of moves and tremendous footwork to go along with her 6’0" frame. Oh yeah, she is also a stellar post defender. Ellison holds offers from Howard, North Texas and others. Alongside Ellison in the post for Silo will be fellow big [player_tooltip player_id="211904" first="Alaria" last="Bell"] (6’1" C) who is ranked No. 96 in the 2022 class. She is a strong rebounder who is getting better and better as a post scorer. She is teammates with Tiani not only at Silo, but also with Team Trae Young, one of the better grassroots squads in the state and a member of the Prep Girls Hoops Circuit. A devastating duo inside could be the path back to the Big House for a tremendous Silo squad that is always coached very, very well. <strong>2021 Champion Outlook: Howe Lions (2020-21 Record: 25-2)</strong> Howe was led in the state championship game in every way by rising senior Kalan Nye (currently unranked) who not only had 15 points in the game but was the spark plug in the entire full-court press. In videos of the game, she can be seen time and time again making the smart read to get into the passing lane and coming up with the steal. She is a long forward who stands 5’9" and looks like she could easily add to her 7.9 ppg average from last season and become a true prospect - and be added to the rankings - this coming year. This year’s senior-laden squad, who clearly heads into the 2021-22 season as the favorite to repeat in class 2A, will also feature two other players heading into their final years. [player_tooltip player_id="211871" first="Shiloh" last="Fletcher"] and [player_tooltip player_id="211918" first="Raelyn" last="Delt"] are ranked No. 39 and No. 62, respectively. Fletcher is committed to Oklahoma Christian and is a natural athlete with tremendous basketball instincts. Delt, very much in the Howe Lion mold, is a hard-nosed defender who can fill it up from long range. Another senior who could see big minutes this season for Howe is [player_tooltip player_id="160447" first="Maddie" last="Ramsey"], a 5’10" forward who is a tremendous presence inside on defense and can hit from outside, as well. Additionally, [player_tooltip player_id="321735" first="Jurnee" last="Williams"] is our No. 75-ranked player in the class of 2023 who showed tremendous ability at the recent Oklahoma Fusion Showcase. She has great court vision and - sorry to sound like a broken record here - is a tough defender who is absolutely relentless. The future looks bright for the Lions, even after their tremendous group of 2021-22 seniors has moved on. In the meantime however, there very well could be yet another gold ball heading to Howe come March!