'We're ready for anybody': Edmond Memorial tops Choctaw to win Bishop McGuinness Classic
Shane Cowherd had a feel for the Bishop McGuinness Classic like no other.
The Bulldogs' 18-year head coach was familiar with the rowdy environment that presented itself in McCarthy Gymnasium due to his successful tournament appearances in the past.
"I challenged the boys all weekend to lean into the environment here and feed off the energy in the gym," Cowherd said.
"I've had an opportunity to be a part of this tournament more than a few times in my tenure here, and the energy is always contagious. This is one of the best basketball tournaments that our state has to offer, so when we get in battles with other great teams in our community, it just makes us so much better in the long run."
In Cowherd's eyes, his Bulldogs passed his test with flying colors.
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Edmond Memorial defeated Choctaw 51-39 Saturday evening to secure the program's fourth-ever McGuinness Classic Championship in the last nine years. Senior guard Ciaran Pedulla led all scorers with 15 points and played a pivotal role for the Bulldogs defensively at the point of attack, where he recorded a handful of steals.
"Heading into the game, we knew Choctaw played with a lot of energy," Pedulla said. "So we wanted to match theirs while locking up defensively and getting good shots down the floor on offense every time."
"These are the kind of games we look forward to playing in, and when the energy is like that, I always feel like I'll play better on the biggest stage."
The Bulldogs emerged from the pregame huddle on a 20-7 run in the first quarter, where Pedulla began to make his presence known. His eight first-half points came in transition primarily due to his active hands making deflections in passing lanes, which forced multiple Yellowjackets turnovers.
After heading into the halftime break with a nine-point lead, Edmond Memorial appeared to take their foot off the gas momentarily.
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Choctaw guard Ja'Mon Valentine drove through the lane on continuous possessions to get to the free-throw line. Valentine then hit a stepback three-pointer to bring the Yellowjackets' lead to just four points midway through the third quarter.
Yet, the Bulldogs remained poised during Choctaw's rally. They'd been in similar adverse situations throughout the McGuinness Tournament in matchups against Norman and Deer Creek.
"Our constant and effective responses to runs show that we're trending in the right direction," Cowherd said. "As a coach, it's what you love to see. The guys have continued to buy into one another, but what I really love is the maturity they continue to show in those situations. You can't ask for more than that."
Edmond Memorial ended the game on a 15-5 run to help the Bulldogs finish 3-0 in the McGuinness Classic and improve to 9-3 on the season. Forward Drelen Nero added to Pedulla's scoring effort with 11 points, joining Pedulla and sophomore guard Hudson Franz on the McGuinness Classic All-Tournament Team.
The Bulldogs look to keep their momentum rolling as they head into a District 6A-3 matchup with 8-2 Tulsa Union on Friday evening.
"This is one of the best tournaments in the state," Pedulla said. "So to be able to come here and win the championship while beating three really good teams gives us a lot of momentum going forward. We can beat anybody — and we're ready for anybody."
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Deer Creek 64, Edmond Santa Fe 51
Hudson Linsenmeyer desired to make amends.
The Deer Creek guard was still unhappy about Edmond Memorial's fourth quarter comeback win over his team from the night prior. So, as Deer Creek headed into halftime trailing by three points, he knew the Antlers would have to step up their effort on both ends of the floor.
"We just tried to focus more on playing our game and Deer Creek basketball," Linsenmeyer said. "We rushed a few bad shots early on, so we had to make sure we played with more urgency, patience, and togetherness in the second half."
Deer Creek outscored Edmond Santa Fe 41-25 in the second half en route to a 64-51 victory over the Wolves in a comeback effort.
The Antlers bounced back from their three-point loss to Edmond Memorial on Friday and finished the McGuinness Classic 2-1 while winning third-place honors in the tournament. Deer Creek's defense showed up grandly in the second half, where countless forced turnovers led to an onslaught of looks for the Antlers beyond the arc.
Deer Creek drained a tournament-high nine three-pointers on Saturday to improve to 8-3 through the season's first month. On Tuesday, the Antlers will host District 6A-1 rival Piedmont (9-1) to commence district play.
Eighth-year head coach Mike Donnelly believes the McGuinness Classic prepared his Antlers for the rigorous competition of district play in the coming weeks.
"This was a great tournament, but the road doesn't get any easier," Donnelly said.
"We've got a tough district that we're in, but the performance we put out in these three days showed a lot of good basketball by the whole team. It gave us a sense of urgency, so we should feel good about our outlook heading into Tuesday and beyond.
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64th Annual McGuinness Classic All-Tournament Team
G Bryson Buckingham, Sr., Casady
G Camden Hyman, Sr., Choctaw
F Tayvann Johnson, Jr. Del City
F Drelen Nero, Jr., Edmond Memorial
G Ciaran Pedulla, Sr., Edmond Memorial
F BJ Randle, Jr., Norman
G Nik Rhodes, Sr., Edmond Santa Fe
G Jeff Schafer, Jr. Bishop McGuinness
F Mason Smith, Jr., Deer Creek
G Ja'Mon Valentine, Sr., Choctaw
Tournament MVP: Hudson Franz, So., Edmond Memorial
Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jdavis34_. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Edmond Memorial wins 64th annual Bishop McGuinness Classic
