By Jeff Cali | The Ada News

Kami Beller fondly remembers when her daughter Kelby was 8-years old and entered a free throw contest during the Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic.

Kelby Beller proudly defeated a boy from Alva and won herself a shiny, new bicycle.

“She was super excited. When I came out of the locker room at halftime, she ran up to me and said that she had won the bike,” Kami Beller, the assistant girls basketball coach at Washington High School, recalled. “I was super happy for her, but I was thinking about how we get the bike home on the bus coming home. We still have the bike. It is in our garage. She rode that bike a lot for many years.”

Kelby Beller was the water girl for Washington back then.

Fast forward to last week. Kelby made her Mid-America Classic return with her Washington teammates and almost led the Lady Warriors to a win over Class 5A power Carl Albert in a thrilling championship game Saturday night inside the Kerr Activities Center. The Lady Titans were able to hang on for dear life and defeat Washington 42-40 in a finals instant classic.

However, Kelby would be named the Mid-America Most Valuable Player for her stellar play.

Kami said she remembers Kelby always wanting to be a player in the Mid-America Tournament after bringing home the bicycle.

“She would always talk about wanting to play in the Bertha Teague. She wanted to be the first Washington team to win the tournament,” Kami said. “Her dad (Washington head football coach Brad Beller) and I would talk to her about how we would go watch the Bertha Teague when we were young and how that was the tournament that all the great ball teams would go play in. She definitely had a goal when she was little to play in it. She would always talk about how she wanted to make sure that her team was good enough to be able to get an invite to play.”

Kelby got to check that off her basketball bucket list last week and her Washington team — guided by head coach Kale Simon, a name many local fans are familiar with from his days at Roff High School — proved they were plenty good enough to compete in the prestigious annual holiday girls basketball tournament.

When tournament announcer Tyrel Jones read Beller’s name as the MVP, all of the family was surprised but thrilled.

“It was super exciting and emotional. I felt a lot of pride in our team and that Kelby was getting the opportunity to play in this tournament. I know Kelby felt the same. She really wanted to win the championship game more than anything,” Kami said. “That was her top priority and goal for the team. However, it was super special for her to win the Bertha MVP. Honestly, she said she was in shock. She thought that she didn’t think that she made it after they announced the all-tournament team and then went on to announce MVP. She said she thought that a Carl Albert girl would win it.”

Kami said by the time they got home, the huge accomplishment still hadn’t quite sunk in yet.

“When they called her name, she said she was humbled and excited that she was honored with that title. She got super emotional when we got home because she realized she would be in the history books for the tournament forever,” she said. “But still she was not happy that the team had come in second. Kelby is kinda tired of runner-up trophies.”

Kelby was widely considered one of the best freshmen players in the state last year when she and the Lady Warriors finished as runners-up to Jones in Class 2A. Jones edged Washington 39-33 in the finals but Kelby wasn’t on the floor for the final buzzer.

Late in the first quarter, Kelby was driving to the basket on a transition layup and in a blur was laying on the ground with what turned out to be a torn ACL. That was March 11, 2023. For her to be helping the Lady Warriors at the Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic is an amazing feat in and of itself.

Kami said doctors told the family they didn’t think she would be able to return to the court until this month — January of 2024. Kelby had other ideas.

“Kelby told them her goal was to be back by November so that she would have time to get ready for the Bertha Teague. Kelby rehabbed three to four times a week for seven months. She also did all of her PT homework every day. She was super determined,” Kami said.

Thanks to that hard work, Kelby was given her full release on Oct. 30, way ahead of the schedule the medical professionals predicted.

Kami said she was a bit concerned about how Kelby’s knee would react to playing three consecutive grueling games at the Mid-America Classic. But, as fans can attest too, she looked great all the way to the end.

“Her dad and I, along with coach Simon, were super worried about Bertha Teague week. She had not gone three tough days in a row of playing. We knew we had to get her rest as much as we could during the games. We didn’t want what happened in the state tourney to happen again,” Kami said.

Kami said the Kelby and the Lady Warriors enjoyed their Mid-America experience — except for getting that darn runner-up trophy.

“We are super tired because it resembles a state tournament week, but we had the best time as a team. This tournament helps us prepare for the playoffs. It gives our girls tough competition and helps them prepare for what’s to come,” Kami the coach said. “We enjoy how Mid-America takes care of the players and teams. The atmosphere and excitement of the tournament make it very special to be a part of.”

Kami and Kelby would love another three-day stay in Ada, Oklahoma.

“Hopefully, we get another opportunity to play it again. Maybe next time we can reach our goal of winning the tourney,” she said.

By Jeff Cali | The Ada News

Carl Albert senior Ausha Moore is an All-State softball player and those skills came in handy in the final seconds of the Lady Titans’ exhilarating 42-40 win over Washington Saturday night in the finals of the 2023 Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic.

Moore caught a tough pass, was fouled and hit two pressure-packed free throws with 3.3 seconds left in the game to snap a 40-all tie.

Washington had one last gasp, but Carl Albert’s Skylar Anderson picked off the inbound pass just across half-court to end the game.

CA girls head coach Kyle Richey was just as impressed with Moore securing the basketball as he was with her hitting the two clutch, game-deciding free throws.

“She made a heckuva catch. It looked like her All-State ability as a shortstop. She just snagged it,” Richey told The Ada News following the game. “Then she was calm, cool and collected and knocked them down. That’s why we can’t leave the gym without making so many free throws a day.”

The Lady Titans improved to 9-1 on the year and have now won nine straight games since a season-opening road loss to unbeaten El Reno. Washington ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, saw its nine-game win streak to open the season come to an end and dropped to 9-1.

The fourth quarter alone featured three ties and three lead changes.

“This is what a championship game should be. I told the girls it was going to be a battle for 32 minutes,” Richey said. “It was kind of like a prize fight. They hit us in the mouth early and we came back and they came back and we had the ball last. “

Richey and Washington head coach Kale Simon are no strangers. They had a number of head-to-head matchups back when Richey coached at Prague and Simon was at Okemah.

“Kale Simon is as good a basketball coach as there is. You knew they were going to be fundamentally sound,” Richey said.

Carl Albert 42, Washington 40

Washington sophomore standout Kelby Beller scored the final four points, had a steal and assisted on a breakaway basket by Breanna Lindert during an 8-0 run to end the third period that gave the Lady Warriors a 33-29 lead heading into the thrilling final eight minutes.

The Lady Titans took their first lead since midway through the third quarter on a basket inside by Essence Curry with 5:30 left that put her team ahead 36-35.

After Beller hit a free throw to knot the score at 36-36, WHS teammate Breanna Lindert scored on a tough putback to put the Lady Warriors on top 38-36 with 4:46 remaining in the game.

After a timeout by Carl Albert, Skylar Anderson hit a contested basket in the lane that tied the score at 38-38.

The Lady Titans regained the lead when Jakary Brown knifed through traffic for a layup with 1:35 showing that put Carl Albert in front 40-38.

Not to be outdone, Beller grabbed a rebound and went coast to coast, driving past a host of CA defenders along the way, and hit a layup in traffic to again tie the score at 40-40 with 20.4 seconds left.

That set up the dramatic finish by Moore.

It was a seesaw affair throughout.

Washington scored the first seven points of the contest, but Carl Albert responded with a 12-6 run to get within 13-12 early in the second quarter. Washington held a 21-19 lead at halftime.

Moore hit a jumper at the midway point of the third quarter to put CA ahead 29-25 but didn’t score again the rest of the period.

Bellar, who was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, finished with 14 points, hit 6-of-8 free throws and also had eight rebounds to lead Washington. Lindert — an all-tournament selection — followed with 10 points and nine rebounds. Shelbie Caveness was next with seven points.

Moore led a balanced CA offense with 15 points and finished 4-of-4 from the free-throw stripe. Anderson was next with 10 points and Essence Curry — an all-tournament player — chimed in with seven. Audrey Plunkett — Carl Albert’s other all-tournament pick — ended up with five points and three steals.

“In my opinion, you just can’t take one person away. We are 9-1 now and have had six different leading scorers,” Richey said. “ It’s WE over ME with us, and that was said in our locker room.”

Carl Albert finished 10-of-16 from the free-throw line and Washington went 6-of-10.

The Mid-America experience

Richey said his team was thrilled with the three days it spent at East Central University and Ada.

We loved it. I know the legacy of Bertha Teague and it’s special. The way you guys treat us with the meals and the speakers — this is why the tournament is as good as it is. I know all the hard hours of work you guys put into it,” he said. “Anybody this year could have won this tournament. It doesn’t matter what classification you are, there are a lot of good basketball players from top to bottom. Thank you to the committee for the incredible hospitality this weekend. There’s a reason your tournament is elite.”

By Jeff Cali | The Ada News

The Kingfisher Lady Yellowjackets showed some sting in their final two games at the 46th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic.

After a tough first-round loss to McAlester, Kingfisher shut down Hartshorne 51-29 before KO-ing Bethel 57-22 Saturday to capture fifth place in the tournament.

Kingfisher head coach Taylor Young, who has guided her team to back-to-back state tournament appearances, said she was glad to see her team turn up its defensive intensity.

“I felt like the last couple of games our defense and rebounding were good. Defensive rebounding opened up our transition offense which helped lead to some easy baskets,” Young told The Ada News.

Young said she and the Lady Yellowjackets enjoyed their entire Mid-America experience.

“It was a well-ran tournament from top to bottom in all aspects. Anytime you get invited to a tournament like this, it’s special, and it’s an opportunity to go out and compete against some of the best teams in the state in their respective classes,” she said.

Kingfisher, ranked No. 11 in Class 4A, left town at 4-3 while Class 3A No. 7 Bethel sits at 7-4.

Kingfisher 57, Bethel 22

The teams went toe-to-toe in the early going and Kingfisher held a slim 10-8 lead after the first period. However, the Lady Yellowjackets limited Bethel to just three points in the second quarter and used a 16-3 surge to build a 26-11 halftime lead.

It was more of the same in the second half as Kingfisher outscored Bethel 16-5 in the third period and ended the contest on a 15-6 run in the 35-point victory.

Reagan Snider, who was selected for the all-tournament team, paced Kingfisher with 17 points and six rebounds. She finished 7-of-10 from the field, including one 3-pointer, and hit both free-throw attempts.

Abbie Myers followed with 12 points and eight rebounds. She also hit a 3-point basket. Peyton Walker just missed double figures with eight points and dished out four assists.

Kingfisher won the battle of the boards 26-13.

Ava Gascon paced the Bethel offense with 12 points, including a trio of 3-pointers. No other Bethel player scored more than four points.

Josie Megehee was named to the all-tournament team for the Lady Wildcats.

By Jeff Cali | The Ada News

The game couldn’t have started any better for Merritt. and the game certainly couldn’t have started much worse for McAlester.

The Oilerettes jumped out to a huge early lead and coasted past McAlester 59-45 Saturday in the third-place game of the 2023 Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic. Merritt, ranked No. 7 in Class 2A, improved to 8-1 on the year while Class 5A McAlester left town at 6-4.

Merritt 59, McAlester 45

Merritt bolted to a 22-2 lead to start the game and buried McAlester early. The Lady Buffs started the contest by hitting just one of their first nine field goal attempts and coupled that with six first-quarter turnovers.

By the time Merritt’s Chloe Stout buried a 3-pointer late in the second period, the Oilerettes’ lead had grown to 35-9.

Credit McAlester. Coach Jarrod Owen’s club put together a strong second half but couldn’t claw its way out of the big hole.

The Lady Buffaloes pulled within 55-39 after a 3-pointer from playmaker Tori Kilburn with just over six minutes to play but never really threatened down the stretch. McAlester outscored the Oilerettes 34-22 in the second half.

Merritt got a team-high 17 points from Addison Hartman, who finished 5-of-6 from the free-throw line and also had three steals. Marlie Mong buried four 3-pointers and scored 15 points for Merritt, while Stout was next with 12 points, including four triples of her own.

Ella Porter also hit double figures for the Oilerettes with 10 points to go with seven rebounds and five assists.

As a team, Merritt finished 8-of-14 (57.1%) from beyond the arc while McAlester sank 5-of-16 3-point attempts.

Hartman and Mong were all-tournament selections for Merritt.

Kilburn, who was limited to three points in the first half, erupted for a game-best 28 points and corralled 13 rebounds to finish with an impressive double-double. She sank four 3-point shots and also blocked three shots and had a pair of steals. No other McAlester player scored more than five points.

Kilburn was McAlester’s lone all-tournament selection.

By Jeff Cali | The Ada News

Byng senior Alona Cooper made sure her Lady Pirates left the 46th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic with a victory.

Cooper turned in an incredible 42-point outing to lead Byng past Hartshorne 69-50 Saturday in the seventh-place contest inside East Central University’s Kerr Activities Center.

Richard R. Barron | The Ada News — Byng senior Alona Cooper is all smiles after accepting her medal for being named to the all-tournament team Saturday night at the 46th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic, sponsored by Vision Bank. Cooper poured in a career-high 42 points to lead Byng past Hartrshorne 69-50. The 42-point outing is believed to be a Mid-America Classic single-game 5-on-5 record.

The Lady Pirates now enter a mini-break with a 6-6 record. Hartshorne — ranked No. 10 in Class 2A — left town at 5-6. The Byng girls are now off until a Jan. 9 road trip to Madill, led by former Calvin girls coach Eric Holmes.

Cooper’s 42-point outing — which is believed to be a 5-of-5 Mid-America single-game scoring record — included eight 3-pointers and a pair of free throws. Her big night also included three assists and three blocked shots.

“I’m proud of Alona. Today was special for her — for her to have her career high at the Mid-America tournament. The kind of work she puts in — man, that means the world to her,” Byng head coach Luke Clark told The Ada News. “I’m so glad I get to be the coach that got to coach her in this tournament.”

Cooper was part of the Mid-America All-Tournament team.

Byng 69, Hartshorne 50

The Lady Pirates got off to a hot start, jumping out to a 10-0 lead. That initial surge was capped by a Cooper 3-pointer and a putback.

Byng still led 15-6 after Lorren Shaw’s basket off a nice pass from Torri Gustin at the 3:21 mark of the opening quarter.

The Lady Miners trimmed the BHS lead to 33-27 after Jayda Moore buried a 3-pointer with just over two minutes left before halftime. However, the Lady Pirates responded by scoring the final 12 points of the second quarter to carry a 45-27 lead into the break. During that late Byng surge, Cooper hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored on a fast break just before the stanza ended. Hannah Wort scored on a putback and Piper Presley got free inside for two easy points to start the run.

Byng went ice cold in the third quarter, scoring just five points on 2-of-19 shooting.

Hartshorne was able to get within 52-45 with 5:30 left in the game, but Byng again picked up the pace, outscoring the Lady Miners 17-5 the rest of the way.

“With the way things ended (against Bethel), most coaches might have thought their team was going to have a letdown. I just didn’t feel like that about our team,” Clark said. “ We were resilient and we don’t ever quit. I’m proud of them. I hate that we didn’t do a better job the first two days, but I’m so thankful we ended it on a high note. This is something we hope can propel us throughout the rest of the season.”

No other Byng player reached double figures. Gustin and Presley chipped in six points each. Cadence Carlos filled up the boxscore with five points 10 rebounds, seven assists and five steals.

Hartshorne had three players finish with double-digit scoring. Jayda Moore hit three 3-point baskets and scored 13 points to go with seven rebounds and a pair of blocks. Brooklyn Suringer, another all-tournament selection, added 11 points and six steals for the Lady Miners.

By Jeff Cali | The Ada News

The Kingfisher Lady Yellowjackets stung Hartshorne during their consolation contest Friday afternoon at the 46th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic.

Coach Taylor Young’s team got off to a hot start and flew past Hartshorne 51-29. Kingfisher, ranked No. 11 in Class 4A, evened its record at 3-3 on the year, while the Lady Miners — ranked No. 10 in Class 2A —slipped to 5-4.

Kingfisher’s two pre-tournament losses came at the hands of Class 4A No. 1 Bethany and Class 4A No. 5 Tuttle.

Richard R. Barron | The Ada News — Kingfisher sophomore Abbie Myers finished with 18 points and nine rebounds to help her team defeat Hartshorne 51-29 in consolation play Friday afternoon at the 46th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic, sponsored by Vision Bank.

Kingfisher 51, Hartshorne 29

The Lady Yellowjackets started the game on a 15-4 run and it only got worse from there for Hartshorne.

After Brooklyn Suringer hit a tough shot in the lane to end the first period, the Lady Miners went ice cold, missing their next 10 field goals in a row.

Hartshorne went scoreless in the second period, Peyton Walker scored the first basket of the third period for Kingfisher to put the Lady Miners in a 29-6 hole.

Hartshorne started the game a frigid 2-of-22 from the field and never recovered.

Sophomore Abbie Myers dominated the paint for Kingfisher, finishing with 18 points, nine rebounds and three assists. She went 10-of-14 from the free-throw line. Oddly, she was the only KHS player to attempt a free shot.

Addy Matthews also hit double figures for Kingfisher with 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Payton Walker sank 3-of-5 3-point attempts for all nine of her points. Reagan Snider chimed in with eight points, three steals and three blocked shots for the winners.

Suringer, who scored 24 points during a first-round contest against Washington, led Hartshorne with eight points. Alanna Williams followed with seven points and Sofia Camp added six points for the Lady Miners.

Kingfisher won the battle of the boards 26-15.

Richard R. Barron | The Ada News — Jayda Moore (3) of Hartshorne looks to make a pass in the paint against Kingfisher in Mid-America Classic action Friday inside East Central University’s Kerr Activities Center.