Lady Jackets take big step closer to state
Regional championship domination lands KHS in area title game
![TAITYM WALKER surveys the court during Kingfisher’s regional championship win over Mannford. Walker’s defense helped stifle Mannford’s best scoring threat much of the night. [Photo by Russell Stitt/www.stitt.smugmug.com]](https://www.kingfisherpress.net/sites/kingfisherpress.etypegoogle10.com/files/styles/article400/public/d9127b2c07_Ar01202017.jpg?itok=YsHcKlDN "TAITYM WALKER surveys the court during Kingfisher’s regional championship win over Mannford. Walker’s defense helped stifle Mannford’s best scoring threat much of the night. [Photo by Russell Stitt/www.stitt.smugmug.com]")
TAITYM WALKER surveys the court during Kingfisher’s regional championship win over Mannford. Walker’s defense helped stifle Mannford’s best scoring threat much of the night. [Photo by Russell Stitt/www.stitt.smugmug.com]
Another fast playoff start has the Kingfisher girls basketball team one win away from another trip to the state tournament.
The sixth-ranked Lady Jackets jumped on Mannford early and were never threatened Saturday in a 51-31 victory in a Class 4A regional championship in Cushing.
The victory moves the Lady Jackets into Friday night’s area championship game against No. 3 Locust Grove. They’ll play for a spot in the state tournament at 6 p.m.
The loser gets another shot in the area consolation game Saturday night.
Early KHS makes and full-court pressure forced Mannford into an early timeout. When Reese Roof made a 3-pointer with 2:08 to go in the first quarter, it made the score 14-2 and prompted a second Lady Pirate timeout.
KHS didn’t let up for much of the half.
The Lady Jackets were up 14-4, then used a 13-0 run in the second quarter to make it 27-6 on an Abbie Myers bucket midway through the frame.
The lead was 40-19 after three quarters.
Defense was key. Kingfisher forced 19 turnovers and turned those into 22 points while holding Mannford to 33 percent shooting.
Only Addison Pehrson, who scored 20, reached double figures for Mannford.
She got half of those in the fourth quarter when the game was decided.
She was hassled by Taitym Walker and constant double teams when she had the ball much of the game and was forced into five turnovers.
Only two other Lady Pirates had field goals in the game.
Roof scored 17 to pace KHS.
Mattie Slezickey poured in 12 points while Myers scored 10.
Ela Hartman chipped in 8.
The Lady Jackets were 18 of 21 from the foul line in winning their 17th straight game.
They’ll enter area with a 24-3 record.
Locust Grove is 22-4 and beat No. 11 Berryhill 71-33 in their regional final.
The Lady Pirates ended Kingfisher’s season a year ago by downing the Lady Jackets 52-39 in the state quarterfinals.
If Kingfisher reaches state this season, it will be the second straight year and fourth time in coach Taylor Young’s five-year tenure.