Though only a week into the season, Tahlequah girls basketball has already been tested.
The Lady Tigers had their first back-to-back challenges in their second and third games. Despite losses, the Lady Tigers played Collinsville and Coweta well, falling just short.
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“Back-to-backs are inevitable in basketball, especially in tournaments and the postseason,” THS coach David Qualls said. “It’s quicker to you can get accustomed to that, the better off you’re going to be. It can be a challenge from a physical and mental standpoint.”
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Tahlequah’s Alayna Stopp drives against a Stilwell defender.
In the opening game of the festival, the Lady Tigers lost by 7 points. Then they turned around and forced over time with Coweta before falling due to the free-throw game.
Even though the games ended in a loss, the Lady Tigers have a chance to improve.
“We had chances to win the game and we didn’t play our best basketball,” Qualls said. “I think in those one- to two-possession games, you can look like and find different ways in which your team can capitalize. It’s good to play games like that early on; obviously you’d like different outcomes.”
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Through the first three games, the Lady Tigers are 1-2 with just one district opponent in Coweta. THS will play three non-district games against vs. Glenpool and Fairview before returning to district play against Durant, Thursday, Dec. 11.
Over those two games, the Lady Tigers are looking to get their shooting into form.
“We haven’t shot the basketball well yet; hopefully we can improve in that area,” Qualls said. “Also we need to rebound much better as a team. We’re giving our opponents way too many opportunities to score.”
Coweta takes OT with free throws
The Tahlequah Lady Tigers made a quick turnaround after falling to Collinsville, Thursday, Dec. 4, in the Coweta Girls Basketball Festival, returning to Coweta Friday to take on the hometown Lady Tigers.
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Tahlequah’s Lauren Stephens (23) receivers a pass from Lakyn Adams.
When four quarters of regulation had been played, the two teams were knotted at 42-42, forcing an overtime period.
The extra four minutes weren’t kind to the Lady Tigers, as they only managed 4 points while Coweta scored 10, all from the free-throw line, to claim a 52-46 victory over the visiting Tahlequah girls.
The game was back-and-forth throughout, with both teams scoring 11 points in the first quarter.
In the second stanza, the Lady Tigers managed to hold Coweta to 8 points while scoring 10 themselves to carry a 21-19 lead into the dressing room at halftime.
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To that point, Lauren Stephens was the Lady Tigers’ big gun, scoring 8 points inside the paint, and adding a free throw.
Lakyn Adams had 7 at halftime, while the explosive Carsyn Gilbert was double and triple teamed through the first half, and was held to a basket and a pair of free throws.
Coweta stepped it up in the third period, outscoring the Lady Tigers 14-11 to take a 1-point lead, 33-32 into the final eight minutes of regulation.
Unwilling to pack it in, the Lady Tigers continued to battle through the fourth quarter, and when the buzzer sounded, they had managed to tie it up at 42-42.
In the overtime period, Gilbert collected a free throw and a hard-earned basket, and Adams added a free throw for the Lady Tigers’ 4 points.
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On the other end, as Coweta pulled ahead, the Lady Tigers were forced to foul, hoping the Coweta girls missed the charity tosses, and the Lady Tigers could rebound, drive down the court and score.
Sometimes that works; sometimes it doesn’t. This time, it didn’t.
In the final four minutes of play, Coweta made 10-of-12 free throws to seal the victory.
