EDMOND — Janiyah Williams and Avery Hjelmstad have navigated several close games this season.

In early December, their Edmond Memorial girls basketball team claimed an overtime win against Owasso. A few weeks later, the Bulldogs won back-to-back matchups by two-point margins to take the Tournament of Champions title.

So, when Edmond Memorial found itself in another tight situation against Tulsa Union, the star juniors knew what to do.

“Even though our shots weren’t falling as much in the first half – it was a low-scoring first half – I think we still were able to maintain that lead with defensive stops and rebounding,” Williams said. “And that only elevated in the second half.”

The Bulldogs defeated the Redhawks, 58-51, on Friday night at Edmond Memorial, extending their win streak to 10 games. Hjelmstad led the Bulldogs with 15 points, while Williams and fellow junior Brooklyn Aska each added 14.

Edmond Memorial (10-1) was clinging to a 26-22 lead at halftime, but Hjelmstad and Williams refused to have a quiet second half. Williams drove inside the 3-point line and created open looks, while Hjelmstad boosted the Bulldogs with free throws, making five in the fourth quarter.

“It was a close game going into the second half,” Hjelmstad said. “And obviously, I just needed to be more aggressive and get to the line and take the shots that I needed to take.”

Although Williams and Hjelmstad have gained prominence in ESPN’s national recruiting rankings, Edmond Memorial’s offense doesn’t revolve entirely around them. The Bulldogs distributed the ball to keep Union (6-5) from zeroing in on one or two players. Aska poured in 10 of her points before halftime, and senior Addy Johnson finished with 12 points.

When the Bulldogs’ offense awakened, Union didn’t disappear. Sophomore guard Whitney Smith knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to narrow Edmond Memorial’s lead to 54-49 with 1:39 left.

But the Bulldogs responded as Williams secured a rebound and drew a foul, extending the lead with a free throw. Then Hjelmstad iced the victory at the stripe.

“I feel like we are battle-tested,” said Edmond Memorial coach Rachel Crabaugh. “... We are learning how to finish, which is a good thing to see, and definitely, that comes from being able to hold on on the defensive end. We still were turning the ball over on offense and not capitalizing when we should sometimes, but the defense carried us through.”

More: Oklahoma high school sports: 2024 McDonald's All American nominees announced

Boys basketball: Tulsa Union 59, Edmond Memorial 50

Erik Madrid creates a mismatch for nearly every opponent, and Edmond Memorial couldn’t compensate for his height.

The 7-foot-2 center led Tulsa Union with 18 points in a 59-50 victory Friday night. The Bulldogs (10-4) held Madrid to only four points before halftime, trying to keep him at the perimeter, but he was able to drive into the paint in the second half.

Miles Flemons, Union’s second-tallest player, boosted the effort with 14 points.

Edmond Memorial coach Shane Cowherd said his team sometimes succeeded in their defensive strategy of sandwiching Madrid, but the Bulldogs squandered opportunities by rushing offensive possessions.

“The biggest thing for us is the understanding of how important possessional awareness is for us,” Cowherd said. “When you’re playing a team like that, that has some physical weapons that maybe you don’t have, you’ve got to be really, really good in the areas that you can dictate.”

Drelen Nero and Hudson Franz each led the Bulldogs with 12 points each, but Union (10-2) stayed in control with a productive fourth quarter.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: How 'battle-tested' Edmond Memorial has built 10-game win streak