Head coach Kale Simon and his Washington Lady Warriors finally climbed to the very top of the Mid-America mountain.

After finishing as tournament runners-up the past two seasons, Washington knocked off Kingfisher 63-49 Wednesday night to win the championship of the 48th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic, sponsored by Vision Bank.

Washington, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, improved to 9-1 heading into 2026, while Kingfisher — No. 5 in Class 4A — fell to 7-3. The Lady Yellowjackets also dropped a 46-37 decision to Washington back on Dec. 12 at the Dale Tournament.

“It was important to our girls to win this tournament. I was proud of how they fought today. They were resilient and competed for 32 minutes,” Simon told The Ada News following the game.

Championship

Washington 63, Kingfisher 49

Kingfisher delivered the first blow, opening the game with a 12-5 run behind 3-pointers from Reese Roof, Ela Hartman and Mattie Slezickey.

Washington answered with a 9-2 surge, capped by a jumper from Harper Johnson that tied the game at 14-14 with 5:28 remaining in the second quarter.

The Lady Warriors later built a six-point advantage, but Hartman beat the halftime buzzer with a jumper to trim Kingfisher’s deficit to 28-24 at the break.

Hartman buried another 3-pointer two minutes into the third quarter to pull Kingfisher within 32-30. From there, Washington seized control with a pivotal 19-3 run that turned a tight contest into a comfortable cushion for the Lady Warriors.

Washington’s deep and talented bench proved to be the difference, as its reserves accounted for 31 of the team’s 63 points.

“Honestly — and we’re about to talk about this in the locker room — our bench came in and saved us,” Simon said. “They were the difference-maker tonight. I probably didn’t use them as much in the second half as I should have. They were really, really good for us.”

Sophomore Eternity Self led Washington with 13 points off the bench, finishing a perfect 6-of-6 from the field while converting her lone free throw. Self, an all-tournament selection, totaled 36 points across Washington’s three tournament victories.

Senior Preslee Johnson, the 2025 Mid-America Classic Most Valuable Player, scored 11 points and knocked down a pair of 3-pointers. Briley Beller also finished with 11 points and added three assists.

Freshman Hadley Beard provided another boost off the bench with eight points and eight rebounds. Kelby Beller, Washington’s third all-tournament honoree, chipped in five points, five rebounds and four assists.

Hartman poured in a game-high 17 points for Kingfisher, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-4 from beyond the arc to go along with four rebounds. Slezickey followed with 12 points on 4-of-6 shooting from 3-point range and dished out five assists.

Roof, an all-tournament pick, connected on three triples for nine points. Abbie Myers, another all-tournament selection, finished with five points, six rebounds and three assists.

Kingfisher shot 10-of-17 from 3-point range and 7-of-8 at the free-throw line. Washington hit six 3-pointers and went 9-of-11 from the stripe.

Simon said the three-game Mid-America slate provides invaluable growth opportunities and credited Kingfisher head coach Taylor Young for challenging Washington throughout the title game.

“It exposes the good and the bad. All the coaches here do a wonderful job. Coach Young had a good game plan and kind of showed our weaknesses, and that allows you to work on those and be your best in the end, and that’s super valuable,” he said.

Simon added that Washington’s players and staff remain big fans of Ada’s annual holiday girls basketball showcase.

“I know that every butt in those seats is here to watch girls basketball,” Simon said. “And that’s what makes the Mid-America special. They’re not here waiting on a boys game to start.”

The Kingfisher Lady Yellowjackets clamped down defensively down the stretch, limiting Keys to just two points in the fourth quarter of a 45-34 semifinal victory Tuesday night at the 2025 Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic.

Kingfisher, ranked No. 5 in Class 4A, improved to 8-2, while Class 3A No. 8 Keys (Park Hill) fell to 6-4.

The win also marked a milestone for Kingfisher head coach Taylor Young, who earned her 100th career victory. Young, in her fifth season with the Lady Yellowjackets, owns an overall record of 100-28.

In the tournament’s other semifinal contest Tuesday night, Washington pulled away from Lomega for a 63-34 victory. The Lady Warriors, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, improved to 8-1, while Class B-II No. 1 Lomega suffered its first loss of the season and fell to 12-1.

Semifinals

Kingfisher 45, Keys 34

The game remained tight through the first three quarters.

Kingfisher led 12-10 after the first quarter and 24-20 at halftime.

Kingfisher held a 12-10 edge after one quarter and led 24-20 at halftime. Adali Welker capped the third quarter with a tough drive to the basket, trimming the Keys’ deficit to 35-32 heading into the final period.

Reese Roof scored inside off a nice feed from Abbie Myers to open the fourth quarter, and after Payton Zodrow answered with a jumper for Keys, the Lady Cougars never scored again.

Myers later scored in the paint to push Kingfisher’s lead to 39-34 with 3:50 remaining, and the Lady Yellowjackets sealed the win by knocking down six free throws over the final 1:47.

Myers finished with a game-high 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and added seven rebounds to lead Kingfisher. Roof and Mattie Slezickey chipped in seven points apiece, while Roof also grabbed five rebounds.

Payton Zodrow paced Keys with 14 points to go with four rebounds and three steals. Sister Paizlee Zodrow added 10 points and five boards, while Welker scored eight points. The Lady Cougars finished 0 of 9 from beyond the arc.

Washington 63, Lomega 34

Lomega was still within striking distance when Alianqa Lawson knocked down a jumper to cut Washington’s lead to 39-25 with just over five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

However, the Lady Warriors responded with a dominant 20-2 run to put the game out of reach.

Preslee Johnson led Washington with a game-high 19 points. She connected on three 3-pointers, went 5 of 8 from the free-throw line and added five rebounds and three assists.

Eternity Self also reached double figures with 10 points on 3-of-5 shooting. Bentli Brantley and Jayden Wells contributed nine points apiece in a balanced Washington attack, while Briley Beller added six rebounds and three steals.

Washington knocked down nine 3-pointers, while Lomega finished just 2 of 16 from long range.

Consolation

Howe 42, Merritt 39

After Merritt’s Marlie Mong buried a 3-pointer with 4:18 remaining, the Oilerettes grabbed a 37-33 lead. Howe answered by closing the game on a 7-2 run to rally for the victory.

Slatey Jo Free scored on a fast break with 27 seconds left to put Howe on top 40-37.

Allie Britton got free inside for a layup with 12 ticks remaining to slide the Merritt deficit to 40-39. However, the Oilerettes were forced to foul and didn’t send Howe to the line until Free made a pair of free throws with less than a second left.

Free led Howe with 15 points, including a pair of 3-pointers. Kaydence Delt added seven points, 10 rebounds and four assists for the Lady Lions.

Mong registered a double-double for Merritt with a game-high 18 points and 13 rebounds. She also tallied five steals and three assists. Britton finished with nine points and three blocks.

Lomega turned in its most dominant defensive performance of the week, limiting Keys to just four field goals in the first half and pulling away for a 48-36 victory Wednesday to claim third place at the 48th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic.

The holiday tournament, sponsored by Vision Bank, was hosted at East Central University’s Kerr Activities Center.

Top-ranked Lomega (Class B-II) improved to 13-1 on the season, while Keys — ranked No. 8 in Class 3A — fell to 6-5.

“I thought we played really hard all three games down there,” Lomega head coach Kevin Lewallen told The Ada News. “Defensively, I thought we played well this week. Finally (against Keys), we made a few shots which made us look a little better.”

Third Place

Lomega 48, Keys 36

Keys held a 10-6 advantage late in the first quarter, but Lomega got a basket by Aliana Lawson and a 3-pointer from Regan Snowden in the final seconds that pushed the Lady Raiders in front 11-10.

Lomega’s defense tightened even more in the second quarter, holding Keys scoreless over the final six minutes to build a 23-14 halftime lead.

The Lady Cougars trimmed the deficit to 25-23 on a basket by Payton Zodrow at the 4:43 mark of the third quarter, but that was as close as they would get. Lomega responded with a decisive 16-2 run to close the period and take firm control of the game.

Snowden and Lawson provided a strong one-two punch for the Lady Raiders. Snowden finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and five steals, while Lawson scored 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting and added seven rebounds and seven steals.

Both players were all-tournament selections.

Paige Wheeler chipped in six points, five assists and five of Lomega’s 17 total steals.

Paizlee Zodrow led Keys with nine points to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists. Kenlee Comer added seven points and four rebounds for the Lady Cougars.

Lewallen said the Mid-America experience once again proved valuable for his program.

“It’s always been good for us because we aren’t going to be the most athletic team there, so we have to do all the little things right,” he said. “I thought Aliana and Reagan both had really good tournaments, and it should really help them in the second half of the season. We appreciate the invite and all the hospitality you guys showed us.”

Back-to-back 3-pointers early in the fourth quarter gave Howe some much-needed breathing room, and the Lady Lions held off Latta 46-40 Wednesday in the fifth-place game of the 48th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic.

Howe, ranked No. 2 in Class 2A, improved to 10-3, while the seventh-ranked Lady Panthers dropped to 10-4.

“I thought our girls did a great job executing our game plan for the majority of the game. But Howe is one of those teams that when we made a mistake, they made us pay,” Latta girls coach Clay Plunk told The Ada News. “Howe is a very balanced team with good guard play and size that can score. I was really proud of how every time they went on a run, we answered.”

The schedule doesn’t get any easier for Latta. The Lady Panthers return to action Jan. 8, facing host Kingston at 7 p.m. in the first round of the Kingston New Years Classic. The Lady Redskins are ranked No. 5 in Class 3A.

“You always want to win the week in a tournament, but finishing wins at the Mid-America can be a pretty tough feat,” Plunk said. “With us trying to balance players in new or different roles — and with players out, and all that goes with that — I was incredibly proud of how our girls competed. We gave ourselves a chance to win in each of our games against some of the best teams in the state. That’s all you can ask for as a coach in a tournament of this caliber.”

5th Place

Howe 46, Latta 40

Howe led 16-9 with just over three minutes remaining in the second quarter, but Latta responded before the break. A 3-pointer by Jayse Smith, a free throw from Rakhia Booker and a deep triple by Kelbey Parnacher tied the game at 16-16 at halftime.

After a steal by Parnacher led to a Smith layup, Latta trailed just 28-25 with 1:22 left in the third quarter. Howe, however, closed the period with the final six points, and after Brilee Scarberry knocked down a pair of free throws, the Lady Lions carried a 34-25 advantage into the fourth.

Howe created some separation early in the final frame, getting back-to-back 3-pointers from Josey Peterson and Karley Duvall to push the lead to 44-30 with 5:18 remaining.

“Those 3s they hit late that were the back breaker, and we had some shots rattle out that we typically make,” Plunk said.

Latta made one final push, closing the game on a 10-2 run, but couldn’t make up the difference.

Kaydence Delt paced Howe with a double-double that included 13 points and 11 rebounds. Scarberry added 12 points and hit a pair of 3-pointers, while Slatey Jo Free finished with nine points, six rebounds, three steals and four assists.

Smith turned in her best performance of the Mid-America Classic for Latta, scoring 19 points on three 3-pointers while also grabbing nine rebounds despite her 5-foot-5 frame. Parnacher added 15 points and six steals for the Lady Panthers.

“After graduation, injury and a plethora of other things, Kelbey and Jayse were our only two girls with serious experience in big games like we played this week, and they were fantastic,” Plunk said. “We also had different girls step up in big roles all week, and that’s exciting, seeing that and knowing those girls will do nothing but get better as we go forward.”

Parnacher was named to the all-tournament team.

Kiowa couldn’t have scripted a much better start against Merritt. Unfortunately for the Cowgirls, the ending didn’t go nearly as well.

Merritt erased a 12-point first-half deficit and pulled away late for a 60-46 victory over Kiowa Wednesday afternoon in the seventh-place game of the 48th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic, sponsored by Vision Bank.

Merritt, ranked No. 3 in Class 2A, improved to 5-2, while Class B-I No. 2 Kiowa dell to 8-5.

7th Place

Merritt 60, Kiowa 46

Kiowa stormed out to a 23-11 lead, capped by a basket inside from 6-foot-2 post player Maccie Bain with six minutes remaining in the second quarter.

Merritt began to turn things around from there, finishing the second period on a 19-3 surge to overtake Kiowa 30-26 by halftime. The Oilerettes scored the final 10 points of the period, capped by a baseline jumper from Allie Britton with four seconds left.

Merritt grabbed its first double-digit advantage when Myleigh Flowers scored off a crisp pass from Marlie Mong to make it 38-28 with 3:44 left in the third quarter.

Kiowa showed some late fight when Tenley Harkey beat the buzzer with a layup to trim the deficit to 49-40 heading into the fourth, but Merritt closed the game on an 11-6 run to secure the win.

Britton led the Oilerettes with 20 points and five rebounds. Mong and Ainsley Partain added 10 points apiece, with Mong — an all-tournament pick — also contributing seven rebounds and six steals. Preslie Taylor knocked down three 3-pointers and finished with nine points for Merritt.

Bain paced Kiowa with 19 points and eight rebounds. Paige Igou drilled four 3-pointers and scored 14 points, while Ella Roberts chipped in five points and pulled down 10 rebounds.

Washington left little doubt Monday night.

The Class 3A juggernaut overwhelmed Class B-I power Kiowa from the opening tip, cruising to an 82-51 win in a first-round matchup at the 2025 Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic, sponsored by Vision Bank, inside ECU’s Kerr Activities Center.

The Lady Warriors, ranked No. 1 in 3A, improved to 7-1, while Kiowa — No. 2 in B-1 — dropped to 8-3.

Washington 82, Kiowa 51

The Lady Warriors set the tone early, sprinting out to a 26-8 lead and never looking back.

The Lady Warriors outscored the Cowgirls 25-13 in the second quarter and built a commanding 46-21 halftime lead.

The Lady Warriors connected on nine 3-pointers, forced 20 turnovers and controlled the glass with a 28-20 rebounding edge. Washington also capitalized at the free-throw line, converting 17 of 22 attempts, while Kiowa finished 9-of-14 at the stripe.

Eternity Self led a balanced Washington attack that saw 12 players reach the scoring column. Self finished with 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field and went 5-of-6 from the free-throw line.

Kelby Beller, the 2023 Mid-America Classic Most Valuable Player, added 12 points and eight assists. Hadley Beard also reached double figures with 10 points and made 6 of 7 free throws.

Preslee Johnson knocked down three 3-pointers for all nine of her points, Bentli Brantley chipped in eight, and Anna Mitchell added seven.

Paige Igou and post player Maccie Bain paced Kiowa with 12 points apiece. Igou buried 4-of-6 attempts from beyond the arc, while Bain was efficient inside, finishing 5-of-6 from the field.

Keys refused to panic Monday afternoon during a highly competitive matchup with Merritt at the 48th annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic.

Despite trailing for much of the second half, the Lady Cougars closed the game with a dominant defensive stretch to rally past Merritt 49-41 in the first-round matchup inside East Central’s Kerr Activities Center.

Keys (Park Hill), ranked No. 8 in Class 3A, improved to 6-3, while Class 2A No. 3 Merritt suffered its first loss of the season, falling to 4-1.

“We’ve been in very similar situations this season and every time we’ve walked away from it and talked with our kids how important it is to just keep chipping away — get a stop and have a great possession on offense,” Keys girls coach Kruz Lynch told The Ada News. “Tonight we did a great job of chipping away.”

Keys 49, Merritt 41

Merritt tried to pull away late in the third quarter after a basket by Marlie Mong gave the Oilerettes a 31-22 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the period.

Keys responded by steadily closing the gap and trailed only 36-35 heading into the fourth quarter.

After Mong’s steal and assist led to a layup by Allie Britton, Merritt pushed its advantage to 41-36 with 5:09 left to play.

The Oilerettes would not score again.

Keys closed the game on a 14-0 run and took the lead for good when Kenlee Comer knocked down a 3-pointer with 3:05 remaining to give the Lady Cougars a 42-41 edge.

Adali Welker followed with a basket in the paint off an assist from Payton Zodrow to extend the lead to 44-41 with just over a minute left, helping seal the comeback victory.

“Our kids just kept getting stops, grabbing rebounds, and having great offensive possessions when we needed them to,” Lynch said.

Lynch tipped his cap to the Oilerettes.

“Merritt is a good team. They do things the right way defensively and have good pieces on offense who are very efficient,” Lynch said. “I’m really proud of our kids. They played really well tonight against a really good team.”

Comer led Keys with 14 points, connecting on 3-of-4 attempts from beyond the arc. She also grabbed five rebounds.

Sisters Paizlee Zodrow and Payton Zodrow combined for 25 points, scoring 13 and 12, respectively. Paizlee added six rebounds and five assists while making two 3-pointers, and Payton finished with six rebounds and four steals.

Mong paced Merritt with a game-high 16 points and buried three 3-pointers. She also recorded eight rebounds, five assists and four steals. Britton added 14 points and went 3-of-4 from the free-throw line.

Kingfisher kept hanging around and hanging around during the opening matchup with Howe Monday afternoon in the first round of the 48th Annual Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic.

The Lady Yellowjackets finally took the lead for good early in the fourth quarter in a gutsy 54-44 come-from-behind win.

Kingfisher, ranked No. 5 in Class 4A, improved to 6-2, while Class 2A No. 2 Howe dropped to 8-3.

“Howe is a really good team. We just kept playing and had some kids hit some big shots,” Kingfisher girls coach Taylor Young told The Ada News. “I’m just happy to see us face some adversity and respond to it in a positive way and find a way to win.”

Kingfisher 54, Howe 44

Kingfisher spent much of the afternoon playing catch-up. The Lady Yellowjackets trailed by eight late in the first quarter, fell behind by 11 midway through the second and were still down nine with just under five minutes left in the third period.

Each time, Kingfisher answered.

Howe carried a 27-24 lead into halftime, but Reese Roof drilled back-to-back 3-pointers to close the third quarter and pull the Lady Yellowjackets within 39-36 heading into the final frame.

After a 3-pointer by Josey Peterson gave Howe a 42-38 edge early in the fourth quarter, Kingfisher seized momentum for good by scoring the next 10 points.

Ela Hartman scored four straight points during the surge with a fast-break bucket followed by two free throws with 3:35 to play that put Kingfisher ahead 46-42. Abbie Myers followed with a clutch pull-up jumper over a Howe defender to extend the lead to six with 3:15 left.

Myers and Mattie Slezickey each knocked down two free throws in the final 44 seconds to help the Lady Yellowjackets keep Howe at bay.

Roof led all scorers with 19 points for Kingfisher and connected on 6-of-9 attempts from 3-point range. Myers added 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, scoring 10 of those in the fourth quarter, and grabbed seven rebounds.

Hartman finished with 10 points, while Slezickey chipped in seven points and seven steals.

Brilee Scarberry paced Howe with 13 points, including three 3-pointers. Peterson added nine points, and Breanna Wann contributed eight points and seven rebounds.

Kingfisher shot 11-of-14 from the free-throw line. Kadynce Delt made the Lady Lions’ only two attempts.

Latta did what few teams have managed this season — slow down Class B-II powerhouse Lomega — but a late surge by the Lady Raiders sent the Lady Panthers to a narrow 48-41 loss Monday night at the Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic.

Lomega, ranked No. 1 in Class B-II, stayed unbeaten at 12-0 on the year, while Class 2A Latta fell to 7-3.

The Lady Raiders entered the Mid-America Classic, sponsored by Vision Bank, averaging nearly 70 points per game and had eclipsed the 70-point mark six times this season. On this night, Latta dictated the tempo, and a 3-pointer by Jayse Smith gave the Lady Panthers a 38-37 lead with 4:05 remaining.

“The girls battled tonight. We are down a player and had some girls step up in key moments,” Latta girls coach Clay Plunk told The Ada News. “Their pressure kept us out of sync a lot of the night, but I’m proud of how we battled. It’s frustrating when you get that close and don’t come away with the win, but we saw a lot of growth from our girls tonight.”

Lomega 48, Latta 41

After a see-saw first half, Lomega carried a slim 17-16 lead into the break. Bree Yost opened the third quarter with back-to-back baskets to push the Lady Raiders’ advantage to 22-16.

Latta answered after a timeout, engineering a 13-2 run. Preshaya Oliphant capped the surge by sinking two free throws with 1:21 left in the third quarter to put the Lady Panthers on top 29-24.

Rakhia Booker then drilled a 3-pointer from the far corner at the buzzer, sending Latta into the final period with a 33-28 lead.

After Smith’s 3-pointer gave Latta a one-point edge midway through the fourth, Lomega closed the game on an 11-3 run.

Regan Snowden delivered two of the game’s biggest plays during that stretch for Lomega. On two different possessions, she muscled her way to offensive rebounds following missed free throws and converted putback baskets. Snowden’s second putback pushed Lomega ahead 47-41 and all but sealed the outcome.

Snowden scored eight of her 14 points in the Lady Raiders’ 20-8 fourth-quarter surge and added 11 rebounds to complete a double-double. Hadley Ott scored 10 points, including three 3-pointers, while Aliana Lawson chipped in eight points and a game-high 13 rebounds. Lomega won the rebounding battle 40-31.

Senior Kelbey Parnacher led Latta with 15 points, finishing 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. She also totaled four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Smith followed with 10 points, including a pair of 3-pointers, and added six rebounds and six assists.

Booker scored four points and grabbed six rebounds, while Kailey Rudd finished with six points and four boards.

Latta shot 29.2% from the field and went 6-of-13 at the free-throw line. Lomega also struggled at the stripe, converting just 12 of 25 attempts.