NOBLE — Putnam City North is returning to the Class 6A state tournament after a 78-59 win over Mustang Thursday (March 6) in the West Area 1 Championship at Noble.

“I’m excited for this group,” Putnam City North coach Logan Martin said via phone. “We have a core that we got a taste of it last year and I think they are determined to not not go home early.”

Senior Nykaiya Dillard scored a game-high 35 points in the win.

“She was phenomenal,” Martin said of Dillard. “Really a spark, offensively and got to the rim really, really well, especially in the second half.”

Fellow senior Raya Shawareb added 15 points coming off the bench, including nine points in the fourth quarter.

“She has a knack for finishing unorthodox shots and she did that,” Martin said. “She’s one of our best offensive rebounders which is kind of deceiving, but she has a nose for the ball.”

Over the last four years, Martin has become more comfortable with Shawareb’s sometimes wild shots.

“She’s our six man and she owns that role and I love it,” Martin said. “She plays really well as a great spark for us.”

Seniors Brandie Harrod and Tehlia Kutsoati each followed with eight points.

The Lady Panthers (26-1) forced 22 Mustang turnovers.

“We definitely sped them up and executed our game plan in terms of our full court pressure,” Martin said.

North built a double-digit lead but the Lady Broncos (22-5) cut it back to 10 points, so Martin decided to turn up the pressure again.

“We had success with our full-court man and try to turn them over and almost slow down in the offensive end and get the shots we want and that the girls responded really well,they competed.” 

Martin was pleased with how her squad dealt with Mustang’s physical play.

“It was our biggest test since the Norman game and so I thought we responded really well. It was great to see us all our level of play elevated, and we were able to match their physicality.”

Since that Norman game Feb. 4, a 44-42 win, North has averaged 85 points over the last seven games while their opponents have averaged 45 points over that span.

The win extended North’s winning streak to 18 games.

UP NEXT

Putnam City North will play the winner of Owasso and Union in the first round of the Class 6A state tournament Tuesday (March 11) at Jim Norick Arena at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds in Oklahoma City.

The time will be announced later.

Owasso and Union will play in the Area 4 consolation final Saturday (March 8) at 3:30 p.m. in Henryetta.

Union beat Jenks 48-32, Thursday. Owasso fell to Broken Arrow, 55-33, Thursday in the Area 4 Championship game.

North returns to the state tournament for a second straight season. The Lady Panthers fell to Owasso, 54-38 in the first round last year.

Before the string of two straight state appearances, the Lady Panthers’ last state berth was in 2021, also a first round exit.

Martin remembers that season that the first round was at Sapulpa so she hasn’t taken a team to play at “The Big House,” the moniker given to Jim Norick Arena.

North will take its state run to the venerable arena, in its 60th and final year hosting state hoops tournaments as a new arena is being completed next door.

	1	2	3	4	F
Mustang (22-5)	14	13	18	14	59
Putnam City North (26-1)	17	19	20	22	78