Tigers rout No. 1 Calumet to capture Class B state basketball championship
The Wilson Tiger varsity basketball team closed out their 2023-2024 season on a winning note this past Saturday afternoon in Oklahoma City.
The Tigers (30-2) earned a 69-45 victory over the top-ranked Calumet Tigers in the championship game of the Class B state basketball tournament at the Jim Norick State Fairgrounds Arena to capture their first-ever state basketball championship and end Calumet’s bid for an undefeated season.
The Wilson cage squad, who is coached by former Wilson basketball standout Grant Proctor, secured their first-ever state championship game in school history with a 59-38 thrashing of the second-ranked Duke Tigers in last Friday’s semifinal round.
In Friday’s semifinal battle with Duke, the Wilson squad found themselves in an early 3-0 deficit. After a timeout by Coach Proctor, the WHS Tigers closed out the opening quarter with a 14-3 run to lead by eight, 14-6, after the first eight minutes of action.
The Wilson gentlemen took the high-scoring, back-and-forth, second period by a narrow 18-16 margin to go into halftime with a 10-point lead, 32-22.
After a 10-9 margin in the third quarter made it a 42-31 contest, the Tigers closed out the semifinal win by outscoring the second-ranked Duke squad 17-7 in the final stanza for the 59-38 decision.
The victorious Tigers were led offensively by Keshon Shelburn with 15 points, followed by Zabrien Shelburn with 14 and Zion Shelburn and Charles Shelburn with 12 apiece.
Rounding out the Wilson scoring in the semifinal win were Tepoyv Williams with three, Esiah King two, and Aiden Barnard one.
In Saturday’s championship game against Calumet, the Tigers trailed 10-5 midway through the opening period and used a 9-2 run to close out the frame for a 14-12 advantage.
The Wilson cage squad came out of the second quarter with a 16-13 mar- gin, which included a 9-0 run to close out the stanza, for a 5-point halftime lead, 30-25.
After both teams tallied nine points in the third period for a 39-34 contest, the Tigers torched the nets for 30 points in the final eight minutes of regulation, while Calumet was only able to manage 11 points in the frame to turn the narrow 5-point advantage to a 24-point blowout win, 69-45, and the Wilson cage squad’s first-ever Gold Ball.
The Tigers were led offensively by the duo of Keshon Shelburn and Zabrien Shelburn, who finished 25 points apiece to share the championship MVP honors. Zion Shelburn was next in the scoring column for Wilson with nine points, followed by Esiah King and Charles Shelburn with five points each.
— Class B State Tournament Semifinals
Wilson 59, Duke 38
Duke: 6 – 16 – 9 – 7 (38) Wilson: 14 – 18 – 10 – 17 (59) Wilson Scoring: Keshon Shelburn 15, Zabrien Shelburn 14, Zion Shelburn 12, Charles Shelburn 12, Tepoyv Williams 3, Esiah King 2, Aiden Barnard 1.
— Championship
Wilson 69, Calumet 45
Wilson: 14 – 16 – 9 – 30 (69) Calumet: 12 – 13 – 9 – 11 (45) Wilson Scoring: Keshon Shelburn 25, Zabrien Shelburn 25, Zion Shelburn 9, Esiah King 5, Charles Shelburn 5.
