Jackets grab comeback win
![CASH LAIRD drives down the lane during the first half of last week’s game against Casady. Laird scored 18 points to help lead the Jackets to a 55-48 win. [Photo by Chris Simon/www. simon-sports-photos.smugmug.com]](https://www.kingfisherpress.net/sites/kingfisherpress.etypegoogle10.com/files/styles/article400/public/d4d6d0900d_Ar00201005.jpg?itok=R7iffOp4 "CASH LAIRD drives down the lane during the first half of last week’s game against Casady. Laird scored 18 points to help lead the Jackets to a 55-48 win. [Photo by Chris Simon/www. simon-sports-photos.smugmug.com]")
CASH LAIRD drives down the lane during the first half of last week’s game against Casady. Laird scored 18 points to help lead the Jackets to a 55-48 win. [Photo by Chris Simon/www. simon-sports-photos.smugmug.com]
For much of the third quarter, prospects of a Kingfi sher win against Casady appeared bleak.
The visiting Cyclones twice during the frame built up a 10-point lead, the second on a putback by Collin Stanton with 3:36 to go in the quarter.
Down 38-28, the Jacket offense had continued the struggles that showed up during the second quarter.
But then Cash Laird nailed a 3-pointer with 2:11 left in the quarter and the Jackets’ fortunes seemingly turned.
They did enough of an about-face, in fact, that Kingfisher eventually pulled out a 55-48 victory.
The win, which was the boys’ first game since Dec. 16, improved the 12thranked Jackets to 7-1.
Laird’s trey sparked a 10-3 run by KHS to close out the quarter.
With the game very much still in doubt, it completely went in the home team’s favor midway through the second period.
Croston Martin was fouled on a fast break at the 4:07 mark, just seconds after Casady coach Cade Davis felt a foul should have been called on the other end with his team on offense.
Davis stepped out onto the floor to protest and was administered a technical.
Martin made his free throws, then Laird followed with two more to turn a two-point KHS deficit into a 45-43 lead.
Less than a minute later, Michael Easley completed a three-point play to push Kingfisher’s lead to five.
Casady did cut its deficit to two points with 3:00 to play, but Kingfisher was good enough from the foul line to secure the victory.
The Jackets went 10 of 13 from the charity stripe in the quarter.
Kingfisher outscored Casady 17-7 in the frame.
Easley scored 10 of his 11 points in those final eight minutes.
Laird led the way with 18.
He had 6 early as Kingfi sher bolted to a quick 8-0 lead.
After a timeout, Casady went on an 11-3 run to tie it up after a quarter.
Kingfisher’s offense began to sputter at different times in the second, but Laird went coast-to-coast in the final seconds to pull his team within a point at the break.
It took the Jackets nearly four minutes to score in the third quarter as Casady built its lead.
After Laird made his third-quarter trey, Hayes White followed with one of his own. He scored 6 of his 8 points in the second half.
The Jackets also got 7 points from Arik Luke and Martin scored 6.
Casady was led by Stanton’s 16 while James Elder added 13.