It was a storybook ending for Dale senior Teague Muncy at the 2024 Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic.

The Dale Lady Pirates captured the championship. They defeated nemesis Washington in a tense battle for the title. It was the same Washington team that had handed the Lady Pirates their only loss of the season in the finals of the Dale Tournament.

Of course, the icing on the cake, was when it was announced that Muncy was named the Mid-America Classic’s Most Valuable Player.

It’s no coincidence that Teague Muncy has the same first name as the annual holiday tournament’s namesake — Bertha Frank Teague. Muncy was named after the Byng High School girls basketball coaching legend.

Muncy, first and foremost, was excited for her team. To avenge a loss to the Lady Warriors, one of the best teams in the state in any class, was a big deal. However, getting her hands on the coveted Omega Johnson Trophy as the MVP of the Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic is a moment that will last a lifetime for Muncy.

“It’s indescribable for sure. I look up to coach Teague so much. Obviously, because of my name and my parents are from Ada. She’s a big deal everywhere you go in Oklahoma,” Muncy told The Ada News following the title game. “It means the world to me. I can’t even describe it. I’m so honored to get to play in her tournament. To win anything in it is so special.”

Muncy said the loss to Washington may have been a blessing in disguise. It just may have created a Dale monster, which is bad luck for the rest of Class 2A.

“This is huge. It means a lot to us. This tournament has such a history and is so special. Going into it, we were pumped,” she said. “We were all so focused. I think them beating us was probably the best thing that could have happened to us. It got us focused on our common goal.”

The first goal was to raise the Mid-America championship trophy over their heads. The next step is to add another gold ball to Dale’s trophy case. The Lady Pirate won the 2023 Class 2A State title and had to settle for the runner-up trophy last March.

The magic of the MVP moment didn’t go unnoticed by veteran Dale head coach Eric Smith either.

“It’s pretty cool. It’s pretty special for her being a senior. She works really hard,” he said. “It’s exciting for her, especially being named after Bertha Teague. It’s a pretty neat deal.”

Muncy said her parents, Erick and Devon Muncy, were living in the Ada area at the time and both are former coaches who love basketball. So when choosing a name for their second daughter, they went with Teague.

“They wanted a strong name that was different. They knew Coach Teague because she’s a legend around here and they loved everything she represented. They loved how competitive she was and everything she stood for,” Muncy said.

Devon Muncy shared the story of naming her daughter Teague with Mid-America board member Jordyn Romines.

“I come from a basketball background, and Erick thought it would be a tribute to an amazing basketball leader to name our baby after Bertha Frank Teague,” Devon Muncy explained. “We thought coach Teague’s legacy was one of tough hard-nosed teams that competed and played with class. We thought she was a pioneer for creating a program that taught resilience training for young women. These are qualities we hoped our daughters could also learn.”

Another Mid-America honor

Teague Muncy also got the distinction of accepting the honorary Mid-America Classic game ball from Carol Smith Holland, who played for Bertha Frank Teague at Byng High School. She graduated in 1949 after playing four years of varsity basketball under Bertha Frank Teague.

Holland had two older sisters who were also Lady Pirate basketball players who won state championships with Bertha Frank Teague at the helm. All three Smith sisters wore No. 22.

Holland was invited to play with the prestigious All-American Redheads but declined because she didn’t want to be away from home for that length of time and didn’t want any part of dying her hair red.

Holland said Bertha Frank Teague was a “strict taskmaster but was generous with her time.”

In a heavyweight bout for the 47th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic championship, Dale got a little more help from its role players in a 52-44 win over Washington before a big crowd Saturday night inside East Central University’s Kerr Activities Center.

Dale, ranked No. 1 in Class 2A, improved to 12-1 on the year, while the Lady Warriors — No. 1 in Class 3A — lost for the first time, falling to 9-1. The Lady Pirates’ lone setback this season was to the same Washington club that defeated host Dale in the finals of the Boomerang Classic.

“They got us in the finals of our tournament. They really gave it to us. They played really well against us (then). It was nice to get a bounce-back win,” said Dale head coach Eric Smith. “Coach (Kale) Simon does a heckuva job. He’s one of the best coaches in the state. I’m very thankful. The Washington Warriors are really, really good.”

Smith is no stranger to the Mid-America Classic. While coaching at Alva, he won the Mid-America title in 2014.

“It’s a great tournament for girls basketball. I’ve been here when I was at Alva and was fortunate enough to win it. It’s so fun. They treat us so well and you can tell everybody around here loves it,” he said.

Dale 52, Washington 44

On most nights, Dale leans on its Big 3 — Mid-America MVP Teague Muncy and newcomers Skylar Anderson and Danika Pendley. However, it was the early play of senior Ava Bell and sophomore Kynlee Bullard that sparked the Lady Pirates.

Bullard hit two 3-pointers, converted a three-point play and scored 11 points during an 18-7 Dale surge to start the game. Bell, who is a tenacious defender, also hit a 3-pointer and scored on a basket inside the paint during the initial DHS run.

“Ava Bell is a senior and she is really good on defense for what we do. She’s long and athletic. She doesn’t get the credit that she deserves,” Smith said. “She does so many intangible things for us. and Bullard stepped up huge for us. She was big tonight.”

Washington quickly erased the double-digit deficit with a big second quarter.

WHS freshman Briley Beller sank a 3-pointer and then big sister Kelby Beller, a junior, got a steal and layup that capped a 13-2 Washington run and tied the game at 20-all at the 3:50 mark of the second period.

A late bucket by Eternity Self put the Lady Warriors on top 24-23 at halftime.

Preslee Johnson hit a baseline jumper for Washington that tied the game at 28-28 midway through the third period.

Dale finished the quarter on a 10-1 run that included six straight free throws — two by Pendley and four by Anderson. After Pendley scored to open the fourth period, the Lady Pirates had established a 40-29 lead.

Washington made one final push. After a Kelby Beller steal and layup, the Dale lead had been trimmed to 44-41 with 2:46 left in the game. Briley Beller sank a triple with 1:16 to play that made it 48-44 but Dale hit 4 of 6 free throws in the final minute to secure the win.

Bullard led the Dale offense with a game-high 18 points on 6 of 10 shooting from the field. She knocked down 3 of 6 3-pointers, went 3 for 3 from the free-throw line and also tracked down nine rebounds.

Pendley registered a double-double for Dale with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Anderson just missed double figures with nine points. All of her offensive production came on 9 of 10 shooting from the charity stripe. Anderson also had five assists.

Muncy also scored nine points for the Lady Pirates and added five rebounds and three steals. Bell finished with six points, three rebounds, three assists and a steal for the champs.

Kelby Beller led a balanced Washington offense with 13 points, including a pair of 3-point shots. She also had six rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots. Johnson also reached double figures with 11 points, including two treys. Briley Beller followed with 10 points off the bench and also made two 3-point baskets.

Breanna Lindert was next for Washington with eight points to go with five boards.

Washington finished 6 of 12 from the free-throw line and Dale made 18 of 21 free shots.

It was quite the 24-hour turnaround for the Latta High School girls basketball team.

One night after Class 3A No. 1 Washington put on a shooting clinic to bury the Lady Panthers in the semifinals, Latta bounced back to defeat Class A No. 1 Seiling 46-39 to capture third place at the 47th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic, sponsored by Vision Bank.

Latta, ranked No. 4 in Class 2A, improved to 11-2 on the year, while Seiling dropped to 4-2.

“Our kids showed a ton of heart tonight after a tough one last night — just being able to rebound like that,” Latta head coach Clay Plunk told The Ada News after getting a locker room shower by some of his players. “That’s a great team. They’re ranked No. 1 in Class A for a reason.”

Plunk compared the situation to the playoffs when a team might have to win a game on a Saturday after losing Friday night.

“This is a mirror image of what can happen late in the playoffs — when you get beat on a Friday and then have to turn around and play a good team on Saturday. Good teams have to be resilient and I think we showed that tonight,” he said.

Plunk said winning two of three games at the Mid-America Tournament is no easy task.

“I can’t brag on this team enough. It’s got to build confidence with our kids to know we can compete with some of the best and have some success even when it’s not pretty,” he said.

The schedule doesn’t get much easier for the Lady Panthers. After hosting Coalgate on Jan. 7, Latta heads to the 2025 Kingston New Year’s Classic. Teams in that field include Dale, the Mid-America champions, host Kingston (No. 8 in Class 3A), Broken Bow (No. 14 in Class 4A), Bethel (No. 16 in Class 3A), Sequoyah-Tahlequah (No. 4 in Class 4A) and Atoka (No. 19 in Class 4A).

“There’s no breaks. We turn around and go to Kingston. It’s a gauntlet there just like this one is,” Plunk said.

Latta 46, Seiling 39

Seiling really never got untracked offensively against a stingy Latta defense.

The Lady Panthers hit 3-point shots as time was running out to end both the first and second quarters. Jayse Smith’s triple to end the first period got Latta off to a 12-5 start. Then, after the Lady Wildcats had crept within five late in the second period, sophomore Preshaya Oliphant drained a big 3-pointer in the waning seconds of the second quarter to boost the LHS lead to 22-14 at halftime.

During a cool first half, Seiling made just 5 of 23 (21.7%) field goals and went 0 for 11 from 3-point territory.

That last stat quickly changed when Lyndlea Nichols buried back-to-back 3-pointers to open the third quarter to get Seiling within 22-20.

Latta post player Jakobi Worcester showed her versatility when she stepped out behind the 3-point line and sank a triple at the 3:38 mark of the third period. Smith scored on a fast break after a nice pass from Kelbey Parnacher to stretch the LHS advantage to 27-20.

The Lady Panthers led 31-24 after three quarters.

Rakhia Booker’s basket at the 6:04 mark of the final frame gave Latta a double-digit lead at 35-25.

The Lady Wildcats made one final run. Teagan Hamer converted on a three-point play and Keirstin Briggs hit two free throws with 1:47 remaining to slice the Latta lead to 40-36.

Baylee Chain scored on a putback with 26.6 seconds left to get Seiling within 42-39, but Latta got a pair of free throws from Smith and Parnacher in the closing moments to seal the outcome.

Plunk was particularly proud of his team’s defense against the Seiling combo of Hamar and Briggs. They finished with a combined 16 points but were 3 of 26 from the field.

“Those two girls are so good. They’re tough to guard because they’re big and strong and they can get to their spots and finish,” Plunk said. “We wanted to try to make sure we didn’t bail anyone out on tough shots and make them earn everything they got. I thought it was a complete team defensive effort.”

Nichols led the SHS offense with 13 points, including a trio of 3-pointers. She also had eight rebounds.

Latta got contributions from a lot of spots.

Smith finished with a team-best 13 points. Savannah Senkel had eight points, five rebounds, a steal and a blocked shot. Parnacher also scored eight points and had six rebounds, three assists and a steal. Worcester finished with seven points and 11 rebounds. Macy Parks scored five points and made one of four Latta 3-pointers in the contest.

The Lady Panthers finished 8 of 14 from the free-throw line and Seiling sank 11 of 17 free shots.

Senior Jaycie Nichols refused to let Caddo’s Mid-America Classic offensive slump carry over into Day 3.

Nichols erupted for a game-high 23 points and carried Caddo to a 44-35 win over Purcell Saturday in the 2024 Mid-America Classic seventh-place contest.

The Lady Bruins, ranked No. 2 in Class A, improved to 9-2 on the year, while Class 4A Purcell fell to 3-6. Caddo won the 2022 Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America championship.

Caddo 44, Purcell 35

It was anybody’s ballgame after Purcell’s Lili Del Toro buried a 3-pointer from the corner that trimmed a Caddo lead to 35-33 with 4:27 left in regulation.

The Lady Bruins closed out the contest with a 9-2 run. Nichols started that run when she scored on an inbounds play and then Caddo hit seven free throws down the stretch.

Caddo led just 12-10 after the first quarter and 23-18 at halftime.

Purcell closed the gap at the end of the third period. Kenna Esparza hit 3 of 3 free throws and after Anna Adair knocked down a pair of her own for Caddo, Lili Del Toro scored on a strong drive to the basket that cut the Lady Dragon deficit to 30-28 heading to the fourth period.

Nichols finished 6 of 11 from the field, hit a pair of 3-pointers and also had 14 rebounds for the Lady Bruins. She connected on 9 of 13 free throws.

Hookom, one of several talented freshmen in the Mid-America field, also hit double figures with 10 points. She finished 8 of 14 from the free-throw line. Harlee Taylor was next for Caddo with seven points.

Haven Buchanan continued her steady Mid-America play with 11 points for the Lady Dragons. Del Toro followed with seven points.

Purcell went 9 of 17 from the free-throw line and Caddo made 22 of 33 attempts.

Anadarko put together a fourth-quarter rally and then went on to edge Purcell 39-36 in overtime during a thrilling consolation contest Friday afternoon at the 2024 Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Tournament, sponsored by Vision Bank.

Coach Kirk Graham’s Lady Warriors, ranked No. 3 in Class 3A, improved to 6-3, while Purcell slipped to 3-5.

In Friday’s other consolation game, Duncan dumped Caddo 54-27. The Class 5A Lady Demons evened their record at 5-5, while Caddo — ranked No. 2 in Class A — fell to 9-2.

Anadarko 39, Purcell 36 (OT)

Purcell senior sharpshooter Haven Buchanan hit a 3-pointer on an inbounds play in the closing seconds of the third quarter to put the Lady Dragons on top 31-25.

Anadarko answered by scoring the first nine points of the fourth frame. That run was capped by a 3-point shot from Jordyn Pahcoddy and two free throws from Lenaya Williams that put the Lady Warriors in front 34-31 with 1:07 left in the game.

But Buchanan did it again, nailing a game-tying 3-pointer with 52 seconds left that ultimately forced overtime.

Taejah Hightower got the OT scoring started when she hit a reverse layup following a steal by teammate Ava Pebeahsy, who followed with a free throw with 52.1 seconds left that put Anadarko on top 37-34.

Hadleigh Harp knifed down the lane for a Purcell bucket that trimmed the AHS advantage to 37-36.

Ivory Miller of Anadarko wrapped up the scoring with a free throw with 2.1 seconds left after Pahcoddy had secured a big rebound.

Purcell outscored the Lady Warriors 14-5 in the second quarter and led 18-13 at halftime.

Haywood led the Anadarko attack with 17 points. She made 4 of 4 free throws and also had five rebounds before fouling out. Miller was next with nine points and Hightower added six points and six rebounds.

Buchanan erupted for a game-high 22 points for Purcell, including two triples. Harp followed with eight points.

Duncan 54, Caddo 27

Caddo put up a goose egg in the second quarter and the Lady Demons took advantage with a 17-0 run to break open a close game and surge to a 28-6 halftime lead.

Ice-cold Caddo finished 2 of 23 from the field through the first two quarters and finished 0 of 14 from 3-point range during that span.

Duncan, which scored repeatedly on fast break opportunities, pushed its lead to 37-9 after a steal and layup by Dasia Givens with two minutes left in the third quarter. Givens exploded for a game-best 23 points on 8 of 12 shooting. She finished 7 of 8 from the free-throw line and also had nine rebounds and four steals. Amiya Williams and Ariyah Harris added nine points apiece for the Lady Demons.

Caddo got a team-high 10 points from Harlee Taylor, including a pair of 3-pointers. Belle Hookom contributed six points and six rebounds for the Lady Bruins and Jaycie Nichols yanked down nine boards.

Anadarko capped off a solid run through the consolation bracket with a 35-29 victory over Duncan in the fifth-place game Saturday at the 47th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic, sponsored by Vision Bank.

Coach Kirk Graham’s Lady Warriors, ranked No. 3 in Class 3A, improved to 8-3 while Class 5A Duncan left town at 5-6.

Anadarko 35, Duncan 29

The Lady Warriors took advantage of a cold-shooting Lady Demon squad, jumping out to first-half leads of 15-9 and 21-13. Anadarko settled for a 21-15 halftime lead after Duncan shot 3 of 15 from the field over the first two quarters.

The Lady Warriors started the second half with back-to-back buckets by Heaven Haywood and Ivory Miller to open up a double-digit lead at 25-15.

The Lady Demons closed the gap to 27-21 heading into the fourth period.

Duncan got within 29-23 after a layup by Amiya Williams early in the final frame, but the Lady Demons never got any closer.

Miller paced the Anadarko offense with 14 points to go with seven rebounds. Haywood followed with eight points. Those two combined for a 5 for 5 showing from the free-throw line.

The Lady Warriors never found their range from long distance, going 0 for 10 from 3-point territory.

Duncan got a team-best 11 points from Williams, who made 5 of 6 free shots. Dasia Givens was next with seven points, including one 3-pointer. Hannah Woods also hit a triple for the Lady Demons.

Duncan connected on 9 of 12 free throws, while Anadarko finished 11 of 13 from the line.

Washington didn’t exactly go scorched earth against Latta Friday night during the semifinals of the 47th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic.

However, the Lady Warriors were scorching inside the usually chilly Kerr Activities Center. Washington sank 7 of its first 10 3-point attempts and left Latta behind early in an emphatic 67-39 victory.

The Lady Warriors, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, improved to 9-0 on the year, while the Lady Panthers — No. 4 in Class 2A — fell to 10-2.

In Friday night’s other semifinal contest, Dale turned back Seiling 53-43 in a battle of top-ranked clubs. The Lady Pirates, ranked No. 1 in Class 2A, improved to 11-1, while Class A No. 1 Seiling lost for the first time, falling to 4-1.

Washington 67, Latta 39

The Lady Warriors were sizzling right out of the gate. After Preslee Johnson hit back-to-back 3-pointers, Dale led 15-3 at the 3:27 mark of the first quarter.

Breanna Lindert hit back-to-back baskets to end the first quarter and after Eternity Self opened the third quarter by converting an old-fashioned three-point play and the Lady Warriors lead had expanded to 27-8.

Kelby Beller made a 3-pointer and then hit a baseline jumper to end the second period. Laney Parnacher hit Washington’s seventh 3-point basket of the game to open the third quarter to put the Lady Warriors on top 41-16.

Washington made 14 of 25 (56.0%) field goals through the first two frames, while Latta hit just 6 of 22 (27.3%) attempts.

Latta closed the gap to 43-26 after Jayse Smith converted a three-point play, but that’s as close as the Lady Panthers could get.

Smith led the Latta offense with 13 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Kelbey Parncher finished with eight points, six rebounds and three steals for the Lady Panthers. Macy Parks sank one triple and scored six points.

Beller, the Most Valuable Player of the 2023 Mid-America Classic, led the Washington attack with 20 points, six rebounds and six assists. She made both of her 3-point attempts and finished 4 of 4 from the free-throw line.

Johnson was next with nine points for the Lady Warriors on the strength of three 3-point baskets. Lindert added eight points.

Washington finished 10 of 14 from the free-throw line, while Latta made 9 of 15 attempts.

Dale 53, Seiling 43

Seiling gave Class 2A juggernaut Dale everything it wanted for 28 minutes before the Lady Pirates finally got some breathing room late.

A seesaw first half that featured five ties saw the Lady Pirates clinging to a 31-30 lead at the break.

Dale got off to a 13-6 after Kynlee Bullard sank a 3-pointer with just under four minutes left in the first quarter.

However, the Lady Wildcats finished the first period on a 14-3 surge, capped by Keirstin Briggs’ buzzer-beating 3-point bucket that put her team ahead 20-16.

The game was tied three times in the second quarter — 20-20, 23-23 and 28-28.

Skylar Anderson converted a three-point play to put Dale ahead 31-28. Seiling answered when Lyndlea Nichols hit a layup after a nice cut to the basket to cut the DHS 31-30 at halftime.

The game stayed close throughout the third quarter.

Briggs made a pair of free throws to get Seiling within 38-36. Dale got a basket inside by Danika Pendley that gave the Lady Pirates a 40-36 cushion heading into the final period.

Briggs scored five straight points, including a 3-pointer that cut the DHS lead to 44-41 with 4:32 left in the game.

However, Dale ended the game on a 9-2 run.

Anderson led Dale with 16 points, including a 12 of 13 effort from the charity stripe. Pendley followed with 12 points and eight rebounds.

Teague Muncy filled up the DSH stat sheet with 11 points, 15 rebounds and three assists. She made one 3-pointer.

Briggs turned in a monster double-double for the Lady Wildcats, finishing with 20 points and 19 rebounds. She hit a trio of 3-point shots and made 5 of 7 free throws.

Nichols was next for Seiling with 15 points on 7 of 9 shooting.

The Lady Wildcats finished 6 of 8 from the free-throw stripe and Dale went 16 of 19 from the line.