Loss sends girls to consolation where they beat Holland Hall
The Racer girls suffered their first loss in their last four games when they faced Class 4A number one-ranked Lincoln Christian in the Area Tournament Championship game.
The loss sent Newcastle, ranked number 6, into the Consolation Championship where they faced and defeated Holland Hall.
The win secured a spot in the State Tournament.
The Racers opened against number 3-ranked Fort Gibson at 4:30 p.m. yesterday (Wednesday). Since the game was after the Newcastle Pacer’s Tuesday print deadline, the outcome of the game could not be reported in this week’s newspaper.
If the Racers won that game, they would play again at 9 p.m. Friday against the winner of Bethany (number 8) and Douglass (number 2).
NEWCASTLE VS LINCOLN CHRISTIAN Lincoln Christian came out strong in the Area game scoring 17 points to Newcastle’s 10. The private Tulsa school hit 10 in the second period, 11 in the third and 11 in the fourth to maintain their lead. The Racers hit 10 in the second, but could only manage 9 and 7 in the last two periods.
The outcome was a 51-36 victory for Lincoln Christian, who was returning to the State Tournament for their fifth straight year.
NEWCASTLE VS HOLLAND HALL
The Racers then faced Holland Hall for the Area Consolation Championship. Newcastle came out strong in the first period to take a 17-8 lead, but Holland Hall took the honors in the second period scoring 12 to the Racers’ 6. Newcastle then held Holland Hall to only five points in the third period and 8 points in the fourth, while hitting for 9 and 5, to maintain their lead and the victory.
The Racers made their way to the State Tournament with the 37-33 win.
For the first round at State, Newcastle faced a Fort Gibson Tigers team which had a season record of 24-3, while winning 19 of those games in Class 4A competition and losting two. Newcastle has a 23-6 record overall, with a 13-1 record in Class 4A.
The basketball State Tournament games are held at the State Fair Grounds Arena in Oklahoma City.
