Late Steal Sends Putnam City to Title Game

Originally Published: Mar 12, 2010 11:53 AM CDT

Bobby Lewis
Oklahoma Sports Mobile Journalist

TULSA, Oklahoma -- The stat sheet says Putnam City guard Tre Payne scored seven points, but his game-changing steal in overtime was the play that sealed the win for the Pirates.

“I didn’t think I was going to get it,” he smiled after the game.

Payne’s heist helped Putnam City survive a late push from Edmond Santa Fe. The Pirates’ 48-42 win in overtime Friday morning sends them to their second 6A state championship game in two years.

Trailing by four points with less than three minutes to play, the Wolves battled back to tie the game on a Josh Richardson layup. Dominique Raney’s last-second prayer wouldn’t fall. Regulation ended with a 40-40 tie.

Payne was the hero of overtime. Leading by two points inside 30 seconds to play, the Pirates needed a stop on defense. Richardson’s pass sailed by A.J. Anderson, and Payne snatched it to send the Pirates to within one game of back-to-back titles.

“I’m looking forward to getting a ring again, repeating it and getting a gold ball,” said Payne. “It doesn’t matter who we play. We’re going to go all in.”
Mahlon Jones led the Wolves with 18 points. Richardson added 16.

RonQuis Lewis led all Putnam City scorers with 12 points.

Putnam City led 20-19 at halftime. Both teams scored 13 points in the third quarter. The Wolves scored just two points in overtime.

The Pirates will face the winner of Friday’s Putnam City West and Midwest City game. That game tips from ORU’s Mabee Center at noon.