The start of the season has been a gauntlet for Tahlequah girls basketball, and the team is fresh off its first district win of the season.
The Lady Tigers have played a smattering of teams with 8-2 or 9-3 records, including against Claremore, Tuesday, Jan. 13. THS put four strong quarters together to secure a 45-35 district win over the Lady Zebras.
Advertisement
Offensively, the Lady Tigers were sharing the ball well, and when they didn’t have the ball in their hands, they were moving off-ball to create opportunities.
8S4A8575.JPG
Tahlequah’s Lauren Stephens battles a Claremore defender in the paint. Stephens led THS with 15 points, Tuesday, Jan. 13.
“It was a focus, making sure everybody’s involved in making sure everyone gets touches, everybody touches and stays balanced,” THS head coach David Qualls said. “I thought at Verdigris, we shot too many 3-pointers, and you know, we were more balanced attacking the basket. The thing about this is we beat a good team and we’re still capable of playing better. We left some points on the board and some layup opportunities, and we can still continue to grow and get better.”
Advertisement
The focus on spreading the scoring throughout the three levels resulted in three Lady Tigers scoring over 10 points. Lauren Stephens led the way with 15 points and was an important part of the rebounding unit. Lakyn Adams heated up, with 9 of her 14 points coming from 3-point range. Carsyn Gilbert’s fast break and paint scoring resulted in 10 points for THS.
“When we have three in double digits, we can win a lot of games,” Qualls said. “That is a key for us: being balanced. Lauren had a great game tonight and she will be the first to tell you she left some points out there.”
Along with the offense having a strong game, the defense stepped up when it needed to. With 2:05 left in the game, the Lady Zebras hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to 9 points on three possessions.
With ample time to come back, the Lady Tigers made sure the Lady Zebras wouldn’t have a chance to claw back into the game.
Advertisement
“Really, we were just trying to deny their two better scorers and keep them from getting good looks,” Qualls said. “We also possessed the ball for about 1:40 at one point late in the game to keep the ball out of their hands.”
8S4A8557.JPG
Tahlequah’s Carsyn Gilbert looks for an open teammate while being guarded by a Claremore defender. Gilbert posted 10 points, Tuesday, Jan. 13.
Third quarter puts
game away
Af halftime, the Lady Tigers were already leading, but they wanted to come out of the locker room and put the Claremore Lady Zebras away.
Heading into the third quarter, the Lady Tigers held a 21-17 lead and ensured the second half wasn’t going to be close. With a 16-point third quarter, THS put the Lady Zebras away for a 45-35 win.
Advertisement
“They came out pressing us, which we knew they would do since they were trailing, but we broke that pressure,” THS head coach David Qualls said.
Four starters picked up a point in the third quarter, with a Stephens block leading to a Raylee McCarter fast break to open the half.
After that, Stephens snared two more buckets in the paint.
With 3:15 on the clock, Adams hit the Lady Tigers’ first 3-pointer of the game. Adams added another deep ball while McCarter and Gilbert contributed makes in the paint.
“In the second half, Lakyn heated up from outside, and that got us going,” Qualls said. “It started with our defense; we handled some pressure and beat the press to score some baskets.”
Advertisement
Already leading by 13, the Lady Tigers didn’t slow down in the final period. Adams hit her third 3-pointer of the day while McCarter picked up a paint basket and Stephens nabbed 3 points from free throws.
“This was another team that came in [with a good record] and played really well,” Qualls said. “I thought we were ready to go tonight and played really good defense. We controlled the game, for the most part. We got out to a good cushion there in the second half and we went and finished the game.”
In the first quarter, neither team took control, leading to a 10-10 tie. In the second quarter, THS found a slight 21-17 edge, thanks to a handful of fast breaks from Gilbert.
Three Lady Tigers finished with over 10 points. Stephens led with 15 points, Adams added 14, and Gilbert put up 10.
THS is back in action at home, Thursday, Jan. 15 vs. East Central at 6 p.m.
