The game slipped away in a blink.
What had been a manageable deficit turned into a steep climb Tuesday night when Tahlequah ripped open the third quarter with a decisive burst, using a pair of Lakyn Adams’ 3-pointers and second-chance points to seize control and hand Claremore a 45-35 District 5A-4 loss at the Tahlequah Multipurpose Activity Center.
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After trailing just 21-17 at halftime, the Lady Zebras [9-4, 3-2 District 5A-4] watched the Lady Tigers turn a 4-point edge into a 15-point cushion late in the third.
Tahlequah [4-8, 1-4] outscored Claremore 16-7 in the period, with Adams knocking down 2 3-pointers and Lauren Stephens controlling the paint on both ends as momentum swung sharply in the home team’s favor.
The Lady Zebras stayed within striking distance early.
Autumn Roper hit 2 first-quarter 3-pointers, and Asia Roper added a basket inside and a pair of free throws as Claremore matched the Lady Tigers point for point in a 10-all opening frame.
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Tahlequah began to create separation late in the second quarter, leaning on Stephens’ physical presence.
Stephens scored 6 points in the period and helped the Lady Tigers carry a 21-17 lead into the break.
The decisive stretch came after halftime.
Raylee McCarter opened the third quarter with a bucket, and Stephens followed with consecutive scores before Adams buried a pair of 3-pointers to push the margin to 35-21.
The Lady Zebras didn’t attempt a free throw until the final minute of the quarter, underscoring the difficulty they had generating clean looks against Tahlequah’s defense.
Despite the hole, Claremore kept competing.
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Claire Pilkington battled on the glass all night, finishing with 11 rebounds, and the Lady Zebras chipped away late. Pilkington completed a 3-point play early in the fourth quarter, and the Ropers combined to trim the deficit to 11 with just over two minutes remaining.
The Lady Tigers, however, closed the door at the free-throw line and on the offensive boards, converting 10 of 12 attempts and grabbing 14 offensive rebounds to protect the lead.
Stephens paced Tahlequah with 15 points and 12 rebounds, while Adams added 14 points, including three 3-pointers, and 3 boards. Carsyn Gilbert finished with 10 points and 2 rebounds, and McCarter contributed 6 points and 8 rebounds.
For Claremore, Autumn Roper led the way with 11 points and 2 rebounds, while Asia Roper scored 8 points and pulled down 5 rebounds. Pilkington added 6 points to go with her 11 boards, Alayna Eberley chipped in 6 points and a board, and Grace Waters grabbed 6 rebounds.
The Lady Zebras return to action at 1 p.m. Saturday at East Central.
