Johnny McMahan
Woodward News
Woodward, Okla. — MIDWEST CITY - Woodward's return to the state basketball tournament was delayed at least one day by Bishop McGuinness at Sutton Fieldhouse Friday night.
The Irish outscored the Boomers 9-3 in overtime for a 57-51 victory in the Class 4A Area 1 championship game.
Woodward, 22-4 and ranked fifth, lost for the first time since Jan. 21 and will try again tonight to qualify for its first state tournament since 2004. The Boomers take on Western Conference rival Anadarko at 8 p.m. in Sutton Fieldhouse.
Kevin Caruthers scored 21 points and hit two clutch three-pointers in overtime to pace the second-ranked Irish, who also defeated the Boomers in the 2008 area championship.
Seth Heckart had a huge game for the Boomers with 30 points before fouling out with 16 seconds left in overtime.
Heckart's three-pointer with 48 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 48-48. After Caruthers hit a three to give McGuinness the lead in overtime, Heckart answered to make it 51-51, but the Boomers didn't score again.
A three-pointer by Caruthers with 1:29 left broke the tie, then Joel Edmonds scored with 30 seconds left and added a free throw with 16 seconds remaining for the final margin.
The Boomers started strong and took a 15-8 lead after one quarter. Heckart scored 11 of those points.
Chaunce Carrico scored all 7 of his points in the first half as the Boomers turned back the Irish to lead 28-23 at intermission.
In the third period, Woodward again went up by 7 at 40-33 after 5 straight points by sophomore Daniel Nelson.
But Patrick Murphy sparked a McGuinness comeback with 5 consecutive points and Daniel Christiansen scored in close to tie the game at 40-40.
The Boomers went back up 43-40 on a free throw and bucket by Heckart, but 5 straight points by Murphy gave the Irish their first lead since the early part of the game, 45-43.
Caruthers made it 48-44, but a free throw by Heckart cut the lead to 48-45 then he hit the 3 to tie.
McGuinness tried to play for the shot in overtime, but the Boomers forced a turnover with 2.1 seconds left. Woodward, though, was unable to get a good look on the final shot.
Casey Covalt finished with 5 points for the Boomers and Austin Hickman scored 4.
The Boomers will play a team they beat twice this year, by 20 at Boomer Fieldhouse and by 3 in Anadarko during the regular season.
Anadarko has won four straight since dropping the regional opener last week.
