The OKC Storm served its purpose by providing Kingfisher a stiff test before the playoffs, but also by not ruining Senior Night.

The Jackets capped their third straight spectacular regular season Monday night with a hard-fought 52-43 win over the home-school program in front of an appreciative APB crowd.

The Jackets led by a single point at halftime before growing their lead to 19 points in the fourth quarter. The Storm made some late treys to trim the final margin.

“That was what we wanted,” said KHS boys coach Jared Reese. “We knew they were good and athletic and big and that they would push us.

“We didn’t expect them to slow things down the way they did. We didn’t see that on film anywhere.”

The teams were tied at 6-all after a quarter, one in which Kingfisher didn’t have a single field goal.

The Jackets started to warm up in the second as Trey Green made two 3-pointers and Jett Stern-berger another to help open up a five-point lead.

Still, the Storm cut it to 20-19 by halftime.

The Kingfisher defense remained solid in the third quarter and allowed the Jackets to push their lead to four.

Then Bijan Cortes and Matt Stone began to come alive offensively.

The two combined for 25 points, 21 of them in the second half.

They allowed the Jackets to push their lead to nearly 20 points with 4:00 to play.

Cortes scored 12 of his game-high 15 points in the fourth quarter. Stone finished with 10.

Sternberger scored 14 and Trey Green another

13.

That quartet provided all of Kingfisher’s points as Reese rarely went to the bench after allowing seniors Declan Haub and Colton York to start the game.

Reece Lafferty was also among those honored in a pregame ceremony.

Zeph Smith led the Storm with 13 points.

KHS, ranked No. 1 in Class 4A much of the year, finishes its regular season 21-1.

The Jackets are now 63-3 in their last three regular seasons.

They host Harding Charter Prep at 8 p.m. Saturday in a district championship as they begin their quest to reach the 4A state title game a third straight year.

Seniors big on Senior Night

Brooklyn Whipple and Katelyn Stolz stepped aside so some of their senior classmates could get the start Monday against the OKC Storm.

Then the duo led KHS to victory.

Stolz scored a game-high 19 points and Whipple 17 more as KHS knocked off the Storm 55-49 on Senior Night at the APB.

The win leveled the Lady Jackets’ record at 11-11 as they enter the playoffs. They host Harding Charter Prep at 6:30 p.m. Saturday in a 4A district championship.

Stolz and Whipple, both longtime starters, made way for the likes of Maddie St. Cyr, Rilee Barton and Brennen Davis to start the game along with Bree Taylor and Emma Wood.

No matter the lineup, KHS struggled to slow down the Storm early.

Daisy Lapat scored eight first-quarter points as the Storm built up a five-point lead.

But Kingfisher raced back in the second quarter to take a two-point halftime lead.

St. Cyr, Stolz, Barton, Whipple and Hanna Matthews - another regular starter - all scored points in the quarter.

The lead was five after the third quarter before Stolz and Whipple took command of the fourth.

Stolz scored nine points in the frame, including a dagger of a 3-pointer to push KHS to a seven-point lead.

Whipple added eight more as she went 6 of 8 from the free throw line to help preserve the lead.

Stolz ended her night with 19 points and Whipple scored 17.

St. Cyr scored all nine of her points in the first half before sitting out the second half. She injured an ankle making a three-point play toward the end of the first half.

She’s expected to be able to return in time for the Lady Jackets’ regional tournament next week.