For the fourth straight year, teams from around the area hit the floor at the Comanche County Fairgrounds to take part in the Great Plains Invitational. Of the eight teams competing, all three of the Lawton Public Schools varsity boys basketball teams were in action, including the defending champions Lawton High School. While the Wolverines didn’t take home the top prize this year, there was a lot of exciting play on the court as the teams ramped up their play to prepare for their upcoming district schedules.
Entering a new era of Wolverine basketball but coming off a state runner-up finish, LHS had a lot to prove entering the 2025-26 season. One of their first tests for new head coach John Reese and his squad was if they could repeat as Great Plains Invitational champions. Their first draw in the tournament was a familiar foe in MacArthur High School. Head coach Marco Gagliardi brought a young team into the season and played the Wolverines just two days prior, falling 85-36. The Highlanders learned from their previous loss and responded from an early deficit to keep the game tied at halftime 16-16. The game would be deadlocked until the final minutes of the third, when the pressure and experience of the Wolverines started to show, ending the quarter with a 35-26 lead. They carried that into the fourth and won 49-37 to advance in the winners bracket. Lawton High earned a semifinals date with Classes SAS, one of the more intriguing teams in the tournament as they have a good mix of size and skill they attack teams with. LHS hung tough with the Comets and trailed 27-17 at the break. They then started to attack with their own size in the second half, going to senior Tavon Washington in the post. A pass from Washington to senior TK Taylor to knock down a three got LHS to within two points at 36-34 with five minutes to play. The Wolverines kept attacking, but the Comets hit clutch free throws down the stretch to secure the 44-41 win. After the loss, LHS faced Moore in the third place contest, and the offense found their groove with a 35-25 lead at halftime. The Lions made a final push in the last minutes, tying the game at 50. LHS senior DeAuvyahn Young hit clutch free throws, but the Lions continued to answer and got a layup with seconds left to tie the game at 54. The Wolverines had a chance at the win but Young's drive hit the front of the rim and sent the game to overtime. In the final seconds of extra time, Taylor went 1-and-1 to make it a 62-58 game, but Moore drove down the court and got back to within two. Another Taylor missed free throw gave the Lions a chance to tie or win the game with 6.8 seconds left, but their heroic effort came up short and LHS secured the third place game victory, 62-60.
The young Eisenhower High School Eagles under first year head coach Craig Foster kicked things off for the LPS schools, taking on Moore High School in their first round contest. EHS got off to a strong start against the Lions, taking a 9-2 lead into the second period. Moore made a run in the second, but the Eagles were able to stay in the game with an 18-all score at the break. After a back and forth third quarter, EHS sophomore DeArion Hamilton missed a three in the final minutes of the fourth, but followed his own shot and got the put-back to go to make it a 34-33 contest. From there, Moore went on an 11-1 run to put the game on ice as they won 45-39 to send EHS to the consolation bracket. Eisenhower’s second game pitted them against the lone Texas school in the bracket, Ferris High School. The Eagles came out on fire with a 17-0 lead before the Yellowjackets could get on the board. After carrying a 50-21 lead into the half, EHS cruised to a 73-40 win, their first of the young season. In the consolation championship, the Eagles faced Northwest Classen, and again was hot to start the contest, leading 23-12 after the first quarter. They continued to pour it on and outscored the Knights 18-5 in the second to lead 41-17 at the break. Eisenhower never looked back and blew out Northwest Classen 72-43 to win the consolation side of the bracket.
After their loss to the Wolverines, the Highlanders faced Northwest Classen in the opening round of the consolation bracket. After battling with the Knights through the first half, the Highlanders led 31-29 at the break. Northwest Classen went on a run toward the end of the third quarter and never looked back, beating MHS 73-60; senior Kenyon Gabriel led MHS with 19 points while junior Dequon Alston added 13 points and junior Isaiah Lopez had 10. MAC faced Ferris in their final game of the Great Plains Invitational. It was a close game throughout with the Highlanders leading 27-26 at halftime. The Yellowjackets pulled out ahead just enough midway through the fourth quarter and the Highlanders were unable to get back in it, falling 54-46. Gabriel had a team-high 16 points while Alston added 12 points for the Highlanders in the loss.
Newcastle came away with the tournament win, beating Classen SAS in the finals. Now, with the fourth annual Great Plains Invitational out of the way, the teams will switch their focus to district play as they try and make a run to the 2026 postseason.