Crescent battles way to area

Crescent eliminated one of 2A’s favorites to reach the state tournament on Friday and made it to area on Saturday.

“There was definitely some luck involved, but we’ll take it,” coach Karl Butt said.

Lucky or not, the Lady Tigers are playing Preston at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in the area consolation quarterfinals at the Central National Bank Center in Enid.

They got there on the strength of Saturday’s 34-25 victory over Pawnee in a regional consolation championship at Pioneer-Pleasant Vale.

Raychel Johnson scored six points as the Lady Tigers got out to an 11-6 lead.

The advantage was four points entering the fourth when Crescent held Pawnee to just five points.

Elizabeth Battelo made 8 of 11 free throws to help maintain the lead. She led the Lady Tigers with 13 points.

Johnson scored eight and Alaysia Wilson six.

That win came one day after Crescent shocked No. 7 Caney Valley 31-26. It was just Caney Valley’s third loss of the year.

The game was tied at 21 entering the fourth when Crescent held Caney Valley without a field goal.

Crescent was just 3 of 9 from the foul line in the fourth, but got a big 3-pointer from Johnson as well as buckets from Battelo and Wilson.

Battelo led all scorers with 15 points. Katie Cronsiter scored five.

Crescent enters the area tournament with a 19-9 record.

Preston features one of the state’s top traditions while Crescent is climbing itself out of a long stretch of losing records. The Lady Tigers fell a win shy of area a year ago.

“We will have to truly step up and play,” Butt said. “I just hope the experience factor doesn’t give them an edge over us.”

However, Butt said, the Lady Tigers might have one advantage.

“Hopefully having played the conference tournament there (CNBC Center) will help settle our nerves and make a few more shots fall,” he said.

Crescent finished as runner-up in the Three Rivers Conference Tournament held there Jan. 10-12.