KHS rebounds from loss, claims 3rd

Kingfisher’s boys were locked in and ready for Dale.

The first half showed it. Then the third quarter happened.

The Pirates proved why they’re nearly unbeatable at home and Denton Forsythe showcased the skills that make him one of the best players in the state.

Behind an 18-1 run, the Pirates handed KHS its first loss of the season, 66-44, in the Boomarang Classic in Dale.

That came in Friday’s semifinal.

The Pirates went on to win the tournament Saturday with an 82-69 victory over Class 4A’s ninthranked Oklahoma Christian School.

Kingfisher rebounded Saturday to defeat Washington 54-40 for third place.

“It was definitely hard,” said coach Colby Connel of the Jackets’ defeat. “They felt a little deflated because we outscored Dale in three of the four quarters, but we were just brutal in the third.”

Forsythe gave Dale a 20-17 at the 3:24 mark of the third quarter before the Jackets embarked on an 8-0 run.

Collin Farrar started it with his second 3-pointer of the half, then Cash Laird scored two straight buckets, including a trey with 1:23 to play in the half for a 25-20 advantage.

Kingfisher even got a stop on defense and was attempting to hold for a final shot. However, a turnover led to an easy bucket for Forsythe on the other end to cap the half.

Despite KHS being up by 3, the Pirates were the ones taking the momentum into the locker room.

It carried over into the third quarter.

The Pirates held KHS to a single free throw until 2:39 was left in the quarter.

That’s when Hayes White scored to end a 14-0 run.

The Pirates continued the barrage and by the time the quarter was over, their three-point deficit was a 48-32 lead.

Forsythe had 15 of those points and ended his night with 35.

Connel said poor baseline rotations and keeping Dale off the offensive glass were among the things to plague the Jackets.

“These are things we talk about daily,” he said.

And so is growing from a loss.

The Jackets started and closed strong against the Warriors, who are ranked 12th in 3A.

All five starters scored in the first quarter as the Jackets got out to a 20-15 lead.

Although Kingfisher was able to stretch it to 10 and 11 points over the next two quarters, Washington would pull back within striking distance.

KHS held the Warriors without a point until the final seconds of the fourth to pull away.

“I was proud of our ability to handle Washington,” Connel said. “They threw multiple defenses at us and are a physical team. It was a balanced effort as well.”

Three different Jackets scored in double figures, led by Michael Easley’s 17.

Hayes White finished with 15 and Croston Martin 14.

White scored 17 in the loss to Dale while Laird had 13.

Laird poured in 25 points and had four assists in the team’s 71-55 win against Kingston in the opener.

White and Easley chipped in 17 apiece and White also handed out a team-high six assists.

Kingfisher ended the tournament with a 5-1 record.