Lady Jackets lengthen win streak, injury list

The wins keep coming for the Kingfisher girls basketball team.

Unfortunately, so do the hits.

KHS extended its win streak to 12 games Friday by holding off visiting Elk City 60-44.

The game served as “Senior Night” for the Lady Jackets and while all four seniors - Peyton Walker, Addy Matthews, Chloe Blair and Kamia Hamilton - started the game, only two were able to physically complete it.

One of those was already known. The tipoff was ceremonial as the offi cials blew the whistle as soon as it was over.

Matthews - a regular starter along with Walker went to the bench as she’s recovering from a sprained ankle suffered three days earlier in a home win over Bishop McGuinness.

It was also in that win that Walker also apparently injured her foot.

The starting point guard tried to play through the injury, but couldn’t make it out of the first quarter and watched the rest of the game with ice on her injured foot.

X-rays on Saturday revealed no broken bones for Walker, though she’s in a walking boot - as is Matthews.

The earliest either is expected to return is this Saturday night when KHS hosts Blanchard in a Class 4A district championship.

With and without Walker on the floor, Kingfisher got off to a great offensive start.

Walker, Talor Mecklenburg and Mattie Slezickey each made a 3-pointer while Abbie Myers and Raegan Snider took care of business from 12 feet and in.

The latter two combined for 11 points in the first as KHS led 20-8.

Slezickey made two more treys and Snider scored eight in the second as the lead grew to 36-17.

It was as many as 23 points in the third quarter before Elk City tried to creep back into it.

The Elkettes cut it to 50-37 before Slezickey’s fourth 3-pointer of the game pushed it back to a 16-point lead with 5:00 to go.

Elk City still wouldn’t go away. A steal and layup by Abby Brown cut Kingfi sher’s advantage to 55-42 with 3:18 left.

It remained there until Myers scored in the post with 2:05 to go.

Freshman Maya Haney added a three-point play as KHS broke Elk City’s press with 1:24 remaining, extending the lead back to 16 points.

Snider assisted on each of the final two buckets.

The junior post player continued her dominant play.

She scored 24 points 22 of them through three quarters - and had eight rebounds and three steals.

Myers had six rebounds and three steals to go with her 12 points.

Slezickey, another freshman, also scored 12.

Afterward, it was learned KHS wouldn’t just be without the services of Matthews and Walker entering Tuesday’s final regular season game at Woodward (after press time).

KHS also was going to be without starter Talor Mecklenburg, who is dealing with a hip injury.

Friday’s win pushed Kingfisher’s record to 18-4. The loss snapped a threegame win streak for Elk City, whose only other loss in its last six games was to No. 1 Bethany.