- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,252,932
- Reaction score
- 59
Asia Roper has spent countless hours inside Frank Mobra Gymnasium, but never like this.
The Claremore senior knows every echo and every bounce of the old building from daily practices, yet Tuesday marked the first time she ever felt it alive in a true game atmosphere.
And under the glow of its nostalgic balcony and tightly packed bleachers, she delivered a performance worthy of the moment.
Roper poured in 26 points and 10 rebounds, powering the Lady Zebras to a 55-46 District 5A-4 victory over East Central in a rare home game played away from the Doug K. Mosier Athletic Complex, which is undergoing updates.
“I liked it; it’s like a throwback,” Roper said of playing in the Frank Mobra. “A lot of people in the crowd played here, so they really enjoyed it. It was nice, it was great. The [Doug K. Mosier Athletic Complex] is a lot more open and a little more scary, but this is more [intimate].”
The more intimate and traditional feel of Frank Mobra — a sharp contrast to the modern arena-style DKM — only seemed to sharpen her edge. By night’s end, it felt less like a temporary home and more like her stage.
Her twin sister, Autumn Roper, added 12 points and 4 rebounds, while 6-foot-0 freshman Claire Pilkington delivered a breakout performance with 8 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Grace Waters chipped in 7 points and 2 boards, including several critical free throws that steadied Claremore late.
The Lady Zebras [2-0 overall, 2-0 district] forced 23 turnovers as the Lady Cardinals went just 4-of-11 at the free-throw line, a combination enough to survive a frantic, high-possession game in which the teams combined for 11 turnovers and 14 free throws in the opening quarter alone.
Those numbers rose to 42 and 30, respectively, by the end of the game.
“We made an emphasis on just flying around and speeding them up and turning them over,” Claremore coach Lynn Roper said. “That worked in our first game, and we have to continue to do that. That’s just the way high school basketball is most of the time now. You can either do it or learn how to beat it, so we’re doing it. We’re trying to keep the pressure, and that also helps when you’re practicing against it, so you can take the pressure.”
Claremore jumped ahead 8-3 early behind Asia Roper’s 3-point play and deep 3 and a Pilkington finish, but East Central — powered by Cam'Reigh Hammon’s 16 points and 5 rebounds and Aaliyah Simone’s 14 and 8 — hung around, trimming the deficit to 23-18 by halftime.
The third quarter belonged to the Lady Zebras, though.
After the Lady Cardinals [0-4, 0-3] briefly grabbed a 26-23 lead thanks to a quarter-opening 8-0 run, Autumn Roper drilled back-to-back 3-pointers, Asia Roper converted another 3-point play and Pilkington and Waters combined to push the margin to 41-31, Claremore’s largest lead of the night.
“My teammates passing me the ball [got me going],” Autumn Roper said. “I think they did a really good job. We’re setting each other up now, and we’re doing a really good job of just moving around, passing the ball and just talking, giving high-fives and little things like that. It’s really just giving us that energy.
“It was a relief,” she added about the momentum gained by seeing her shots fall. “I’m thankful, and I’m so glad it happened. My teammates set me up with great passes, so I’m just grateful.”
East Central responded again behind two quick 3s to open the fourth, but Asia Roper answered with a trio of inside scores, Autumn Roper knocked down her fourth triple and Claremore’s defense tightened just enough to hold off the late charge.
Hammon’s deep 3 late brought the Lady Cardinals within 8 points, but Pilkington’s consecutive buckets in the paint sealed the win.
“She had four different layups at different times, and they all came at the right time,” coach Roper said. “She finished, and I tell her all the time, ‘You’re tall.’ Sometimes I think she forgets, and she’s like, ‘Oh yeah.’ I tell her to just turn and put it up in there, just catch and put it in there. Don’t overthink it. In this team dynamic, that’s what we need from here — just to be able to finish. There’s going to be a lot of focus on other players, so she just has to finish when she gets it. As far as the rebounds, we’ve been talking about not just jumping in the air, but pushing people out of the way. You gotta push and get position. It’s not just about jumping or being tall, you actually gotta get position.”
In a gym that predates the players by decades, the Lady Zebras showed they can win anywhere, and Asia Roper showed that when the lights flip on, old or new, she is ready to take over.
“I just stayed positive,” Asia Roper said. “We’ve been working as a team of sticking together no matter what.”
Claremore returns to action at 4 p.m. Thursday against Grove in the Big Dawg Shoot-Out at Vinita High School.
Win or lose, the Lady Zebras will be up against either Kiefer or Miami come Day 2. The consolation semifinal would be at 10 a.m. Friday, whereas the winner’s bracket semifinal would be at 4 p.m.
“It’s one thing when you have a loss and learn from it, but it’s great to have a win and learn from it,” coach Roper said. “We learned a lot today about ourselves and what we have to do when it gets tough and there’s pressure. Looking forward to that first matchup against Grove. We played them last year, and they have a great player over there, and I love watching her play, so it’ll be fun to go against them.
“Going into it 2-0 is a great feeling.”
Continue reading...
The Claremore senior knows every echo and every bounce of the old building from daily practices, yet Tuesday marked the first time she ever felt it alive in a true game atmosphere.
And under the glow of its nostalgic balcony and tightly packed bleachers, she delivered a performance worthy of the moment.
Roper poured in 26 points and 10 rebounds, powering the Lady Zebras to a 55-46 District 5A-4 victory over East Central in a rare home game played away from the Doug K. Mosier Athletic Complex, which is undergoing updates.
“I liked it; it’s like a throwback,” Roper said of playing in the Frank Mobra. “A lot of people in the crowd played here, so they really enjoyed it. It was nice, it was great. The [Doug K. Mosier Athletic Complex] is a lot more open and a little more scary, but this is more [intimate].”
The more intimate and traditional feel of Frank Mobra — a sharp contrast to the modern arena-style DKM — only seemed to sharpen her edge. By night’s end, it felt less like a temporary home and more like her stage.
Her twin sister, Autumn Roper, added 12 points and 4 rebounds, while 6-foot-0 freshman Claire Pilkington delivered a breakout performance with 8 points and 10 rebounds. Senior Grace Waters chipped in 7 points and 2 boards, including several critical free throws that steadied Claremore late.
The Lady Zebras [2-0 overall, 2-0 district] forced 23 turnovers as the Lady Cardinals went just 4-of-11 at the free-throw line, a combination enough to survive a frantic, high-possession game in which the teams combined for 11 turnovers and 14 free throws in the opening quarter alone.
Those numbers rose to 42 and 30, respectively, by the end of the game.
“We made an emphasis on just flying around and speeding them up and turning them over,” Claremore coach Lynn Roper said. “That worked in our first game, and we have to continue to do that. That’s just the way high school basketball is most of the time now. You can either do it or learn how to beat it, so we’re doing it. We’re trying to keep the pressure, and that also helps when you’re practicing against it, so you can take the pressure.”
Claremore jumped ahead 8-3 early behind Asia Roper’s 3-point play and deep 3 and a Pilkington finish, but East Central — powered by Cam'Reigh Hammon’s 16 points and 5 rebounds and Aaliyah Simone’s 14 and 8 — hung around, trimming the deficit to 23-18 by halftime.
The third quarter belonged to the Lady Zebras, though.
After the Lady Cardinals [0-4, 0-3] briefly grabbed a 26-23 lead thanks to a quarter-opening 8-0 run, Autumn Roper drilled back-to-back 3-pointers, Asia Roper converted another 3-point play and Pilkington and Waters combined to push the margin to 41-31, Claremore’s largest lead of the night.
“My teammates passing me the ball [got me going],” Autumn Roper said. “I think they did a really good job. We’re setting each other up now, and we’re doing a really good job of just moving around, passing the ball and just talking, giving high-fives and little things like that. It’s really just giving us that energy.
“It was a relief,” she added about the momentum gained by seeing her shots fall. “I’m thankful, and I’m so glad it happened. My teammates set me up with great passes, so I’m just grateful.”
East Central responded again behind two quick 3s to open the fourth, but Asia Roper answered with a trio of inside scores, Autumn Roper knocked down her fourth triple and Claremore’s defense tightened just enough to hold off the late charge.
Hammon’s deep 3 late brought the Lady Cardinals within 8 points, but Pilkington’s consecutive buckets in the paint sealed the win.
“She had four different layups at different times, and they all came at the right time,” coach Roper said. “She finished, and I tell her all the time, ‘You’re tall.’ Sometimes I think she forgets, and she’s like, ‘Oh yeah.’ I tell her to just turn and put it up in there, just catch and put it in there. Don’t overthink it. In this team dynamic, that’s what we need from here — just to be able to finish. There’s going to be a lot of focus on other players, so she just has to finish when she gets it. As far as the rebounds, we’ve been talking about not just jumping in the air, but pushing people out of the way. You gotta push and get position. It’s not just about jumping or being tall, you actually gotta get position.”
In a gym that predates the players by decades, the Lady Zebras showed they can win anywhere, and Asia Roper showed that when the lights flip on, old or new, she is ready to take over.
“I just stayed positive,” Asia Roper said. “We’ve been working as a team of sticking together no matter what.”
Claremore returns to action at 4 p.m. Thursday against Grove in the Big Dawg Shoot-Out at Vinita High School.
Win or lose, the Lady Zebras will be up against either Kiefer or Miami come Day 2. The consolation semifinal would be at 10 a.m. Friday, whereas the winner’s bracket semifinal would be at 4 p.m.
“It’s one thing when you have a loss and learn from it, but it’s great to have a win and learn from it,” coach Roper said. “We learned a lot today about ourselves and what we have to do when it gets tough and there’s pressure. Looking forward to that first matchup against Grove. We played them last year, and they have a great player over there, and I love watching her play, so it’ll be fun to go against them.
“Going into it 2-0 is a great feeling.”
Continue reading...
