Quinton earns historic first win at state tournament

Feb. 29—OKLAHOMA CITY — Green-clad fans erupted in ear-splitting cheers as coaches and players celebrated the historic moment on the court.

No. 3 Quinton faced off against No. 13 Empire Thursday at the Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association Class A State Basketball Tournament inside Jim Norick Arena in Oklahoma City, where the green and white used a fourth-quarter push on the way to a 53-38 win — earning the first program victory at the state tournament.

"It's pretty cool, that's about what I have to say...it was neat," coach Brad Davis said after the win. "I was just really happy for the girls that they did that. I still don't even know if they realize quite what they did, how big of a deal it is. So just proud of them."

And he admitted that the chance to make history was an unspoken elephant in the room.

"We've been trying to not talk about it so much, that we were coming to make school history, just to get that off of our minds and play like it was another game," Davis said. "But I mean, it's evident. It's hard to not talk about it when you make school history and do something that nobody's ever done before.

"So it's really good," he added with a smile. "I'm just really happy for the girls, to be honest."

Alexis and Bailey Purdom combined for 31 of Quinton's points, but were quick to credit the effort of the entire squad.

"Trusting our teammates, giving help, working together as a team," Bailey said.

"We'll have each other's back," Alexis added, nodding her head.

Davis lauded his team's efforts, noting how they never got rattled in the face of pressure and adversity.

"I just think my girls are really tough, really, really tough. I thought (Empire's) girls did a really good job and their coach did a really good job," he said. "I think in the end, our toughness and ability to just overcome adversity is what pulled us through."

Davis also thanked the Quinton community for rallying behind his girls, and said they also made a huge difference in the game.

"It means everything. We were a little bit concerned because, you know, 10:30 in the morning, we didn't know (about) people getting off work and everything — but I should've known these fans, they show up and they show out every time," he said. "We're lucky to have a community that supports so much."

Bailey Purdom struck first for Quinton with a swishing corner three on a possession that saw the green and white earn multiple offensive rebounds and shot attempts. Alexis Purdom followed with a steal-and score on an inbound attempt, putting Quinton up 5-0 early.

Empire rebounded from its slow start to roar back out in front, but Quinton struck right back with points from Alexis Purdom, Bailey Purdom, and Paislee Powell on the way to a slim 15-14 Empire lead after the opening quarter.

In the second period, Alexis Purdom got a score, and a Haddie Lindley backdoor three-point play pushed Quinton onto the high side. Aliviah Daniels added in a runner, followed by a Lila Gragg triple to keep pace — but Empire ended on a 4-0 run to lead 26-24 at the halftime break.

Gragg and Bailey Purdom earned five quick points out of the locker room, with Lindley later earning a cleanup bucket to keep in the lead.

Foul trouble began to creep into the flow of the game, but Quinton locked down on the defensive side of the floor.

"(It) just means next man up," Davis said. "We have a lot of stuff we can run with a lot of different lineups."

Empire rattled off a 6-3 run in response, but Lindley crashed a rebound and was fouled, making both free throws to put Quinton up 36-35 heading into the fourth.

With a head of steam, Quinton exploded offensively to start the final quarter — with points from Bailey Purdom and Lindley pushing their team out to a 10-point lead halfway through the period. That spark proved to be the difference, as the green and white paired its offense with steely defense to seal the historic win.

Bailey Purdom led the way with 17 points, followed by Alexis Purdom with 14 points, Lindley with 11 points, Gragg with five points, Daniels with four points, and Powell with two points.

Next up, Quinton will face No. 1 Seiling in its first-ever semifinal appearance 9 a.m. Friday. Davis knows it's a tough task ahead, but his team will be ready to face the challenge head on.

"I think we know the pressure will be a lot. They do a lot of things really well, and their coach is really, really good," he said. "So we're going to go in and scout them, try to take away some things that they do well — and we'll roll it out and see if we can't take care of business tomorrow."

Here is the complete Class A girls state tournament bracket:

CLASS A

THURSDAY

G1: Seiling 85, Allen 37

G2: Quinton 53, Empire 38

G3: Oklahoma Bible Academy 54, Cyril 36

G4: Caddo 44, Red Oak 40 (OT)

FRIDAY

G5: Seiling vs. Quinton, 9 a.m.

G6: Caddo vs. Oklahoma Bible Academy, 10:30 a.m.

SATURDAY

G7: Winner G5 vs. Winner G6, 11:30 a.m. (Winner named state champion)