Class A Area I Championship: Turpin vs. Garber

Though Garber has moved on and Turpin has unfortunately failed to advance from the consolation side of the bracket, it would be a shame to not give a report of this outstanding match-up from Monday evening in Enid. These teams went back and forth in what was one of the most exciting games that I’ve seen all year and, as you can probably guess, I see a LOT of basketball games. In the end, Garber advanced to the State Finals with a 61-60 win in overtime over the Turpin Cardinals who had been the talk of the Class A tournament after coming in unranked and advancing all the way to the area finals. These Class A squads are loaded with talent and college coaches will want to a.) catch a Garber game in the upcoming finals and b.) definitely go back and get a look at Turpin in this fabulous playoff run via video. <strong>Player of the Game</strong> <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/DSC_0430-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1646235564.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-395337 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/DSC_0430-scaled-crop-1707x1121-1646235564-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>[player_tooltip player_id="211867" first="Ashlan" last="Light"] | 5-8 G | Garber | 2022 | <a href="https://x.com/Ashlan_12_Light">@Ashlan_12_Light</a></strong> Just up the road from the gym where she is committed to play her college ball for NOC-Enid, Light put on an absolute clinic of basketball skill. Not only did she score 23 points to lead all scorers, she had possibly the most important play of the game at the most important time of the game. With 40 seconds left in overtime, she used very good on-ball defense to force a steal, run the floor, and score from midrange making it 59-57. After a few free throws from a teammate and a late three from Turpin, the game was over and Ashlan’s play proved to be the decider. All game long, she seemed to be the one making the right play at the right time and it is clear to see why the Jets coveted her to begin with. She has great size and length for a guard and demonstrates an incredible basketball IQ. Her future coach had to be very happy seeing how at home she feels in Enid. Her current coach has to be happy to know that they are headed to the state finals with a tremendous senior guard leading the squad. <strong>Other Standouts</strong> <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/DSC_0099-scaled-crop-2049x1345-1646235680.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-395339 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/DSC_0099-scaled-crop-2049x1345-1646235680-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>Riley Lehnert | 5-8 CG | Turpin | 2022 | <a href="https://x.com/Riley_Lehnert">@Riley_Lehnert</a></strong> I can see now why Turpin was on the run that they were on. Riley Lehnert is a winner. Garber came out of the gate blazing, scoring 11 unanswered points in a minute after several Turpin turnovers. Lehnert took it upon herself to fix it. Three-pointer after even deeper three-pointer, Riley pulled her team back until they were tied at 18 at the end of the first quarter. Her stellar defense on the opposing guards forced Garber to their bread and butter which was the post game. She finished smoothly in transition and showed tremendous vision on the offensive end. An incredibly well-rounded guard, it’s clear that Lehnert is the heart and soul of this Turpin squad. Not to mention, she just has that "wants it" factor. There was a sense that anytime her team was down, she was the one who wanted the ball and wanted to hit the big shot. Of course, that meant double and triple teams for most of the second half, but still, she made plays when she could. College coaches, if Riley wants to play college ball and you have a spot on your roster, you would be just plain crazy not to want this winner on your squad! <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/DSC_0285-scaled-crop-2071x1360-1646235802.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-395341 alignright" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/DSC_0285-scaled-crop-2071x1360-1646235802-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>Leila Washington | 5-11 F | Garber | 2024 | <a href="https://x.com/LeilaWa93278316">@LeilaWa93278316</a></strong> I already knew of Leila’s rebounding prowess going in from having seen both she and several of her Garber teammates on the PGH Circuit last year. I thought that Turpin would have a lot of trouble on the boards and that it would be their downfall in this one. In the end, I think Turpin almost held their own down low and rebounds weren’t the deciding factor. That’s not to say that Leila still didn’t get a ton of rebounds. But, what I do feel all but decided the game was that Washington went off for 15 of her 19 points in the third quarter; a quarter where her team scored 18 and held the Cardinals to six. She went to work inside with soft hands to receive the ball and used her tremendous height and length to finish at will. She also owned the paint defensively and when Turpin’s shots weren’t falling from long range for a period, the gap widened and Garber was able to take the lead. Leila has a huge arsenal of post moves and I am really looking forward to seeing what she can do in the State Finals! <strong><a href="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/DSC_0272-scaled-crop-2308x1516-1646235894.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-395343 alignleft" src="https://prephoops-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/pgh/uploads/2022/03/DSC_0272-scaled-crop-2308x1516-1646235894-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" /></a>Brianna Behrendt | 5-9 F/C | Turpin | 2023 | <a href="https://x.com/Behrendt23">@Behrendt23</a></strong> It didn’t take long to see that Behrendt is more than just a "small school big." Clearly, a 5’9" center could struggle against college posts, but when you can stretch the floor and show the ability to defend all five positions like Brianna, you are more than "just a big." She showed a nice stroke from mid-range, quick and fluid, with good elevation coming from very good, natural athleticism. She is a strong player who battles hard down low and works to get a body on someone every time there is a rebound to be had. If there was a key to Turpin helping to close the rebounding gap that Garber most definitely should have had, it may very well have been Behrendt. She came off the bench for the Cardinals and truly was a difference-maker. Her 11 points tied for second on the team. Only a junior, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see her end up at 5’10" or 5’11" when all is said and done and any college coach who takes the chance will be rewarded with a four who can stretch the floor, works hard and scores from just about anywhere.