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November 27, 2007 09:40 am
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Photos
Jerry Laizure/The Norman Transcript
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Sister acts share court
The Kings and Ramons have been sharing the same basketball court for a long time.
By Jeff Johncox
CNHI News Service
NORMAN, Okla. — Sasha King grabbed her little sister, Kamra, hugging her as she explained how excited she was to be playing with little sis this season at Norman High.
“Get off,” Kamra yelled, laughing.
There’s a special bond between siblings, and the Tigers will get to see their fare share of it this season with the Kings and Mustang transfers Lacy and Jeannie Ramon. The elder sisters are seniors. The younger, both freshmen.
“I think things are really neat this season, because I got to play with my big sister, and now I get to play with my freshman sister,” Lacy Ramon said.
And the Ramons have quite a basketball tradition.
Lucy Ramon was the 2006 Class 6A state tournament most valuable player after she led the Broncos to the state championship. Lacy was on that team, too, scoring 7 points in the championship game against Edmond Santa Fe, which, coincidentally, knocked out a sophomore Sasha King and the NHS girls in the semifinals.
“We’ve all known each other for a long time,” Jeannie Ramon said. “We’ve been talking about playing together forever.”
Sasha King and Lacy Ramon have played AAU ball together for years, and Jeannie and Kamra also play AAU ball together.
“We’ve grown up playing on the same teams,” Sasha said. “It’s going to be so much fun now that we’re here together.”
Jeannie Ramon has a lot of family history to live up to. Lacy was the Metro Conference defensive player of the year last season, and helped lead Mustang back to the championship game. Lucy is playing for Southwest Oklahoma State University in Weatherford.
“I feel like it’s a challenge,” Jeannie said. “I want to be better.”
Kamra King has a big sister with credentials, too.
Sasha was one of the better guards in Class 6A last season, scoring 11.7 points, dishing out 5.5 assists and nabbing 2.7 steals a game.
“I want to score more than her,” Kamra said, eliciting another laugh from her older sister.
“I want her to learn point guard skills,” Sasha said. “I want her, throughout the season, to learn how to handle the ball. I want her to be the point guard.”
Both older sisters want to see their younger siblings call for the ball.
“I don’t want her to be scared,” Lacy Ramon said. “I want her to be ready to play.”
They’ve already got an edge.
The Kings and Ramons have played together a good part of their lives, and like Blake and Taylor Griffin, not to mention Courtney and Ashley Paris, have shown at OU, siblings who know each other’s tendencies can enjoy magnified success on the basketball court.
“You know where the other one is,” Jeannie Ramon said. “You know what they’re going to do.”
“You know what they’re capable of,” Lacy chimed in. “You expect a lot from them, because you know how good they can be.”
And if they’re all good, well, that’s four players coach Matlida Mossman doesn’t have to worry about.
Jeff Johncox writes for The Norman (Okla.) Transcript.
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