Bronchos Upset Top Ranked Kingfisher to Qualify for the State Tournament
Stillwater, OK - Bethany (4A-#8) had what many basketball fans would have said was a a game that couldn't be won on Friday night when they took on top-ranked Kingfisher (4A-#1), but the Bronchos had other plans. This game was the upset of the year so far in Oklahoma high school basketball as Bethany knocked off the defending state champions 54-42 and qualified for their first state tournament appearance since 2009.
The Bronchos held a defensive clinic from the start against the Yellowjackets, holding Kingfisher to their lowest scoring output of the season with just 42 points. That was due to excellent execution from the Bronchos which caused Kingfisher to have an abysmal night shooting the ball. The Bronchos held OU signee Bijan Cortes to 18 points on the night, but 10 of those points came from the free throw line. Fellow Kingfisher standout Matthew Stone was held to just four points in the game.
On the offensive end seniors Cameron and Brennan Burns led the Bronchos with 18 and 17 points, respectively. The game was a tight battle with the score knotted at 31 heading into the fourth quarter, but the Bronchos exploded, scoring 23 in the final stanza. Cameron Burns led the late surge scoring 11 of his points in the 4th quarter to help seal the victory.
The Area Championship win advances the Bronchos to the state quarterfinals where they will take on Broken Bow (4A-#6) in the first round of the state tournament on Thursday, March 12 at Deer Creek High School. The winner of that quarterfinal matchup will advance to the State Semi-Finals on Friday at 12:00 PM. That game will be played inside "The Big House", Jim Norick Arena at the Oklahoma State Fairgrounds. The likely opponent in that semi-final matchup will be Holland Hall (4A-#3) who the Bronchos defeated earlier in the year 43-38 in the championship game of the Bethany Basketball Classic.