Jackets answer challenge, win consolation
JAKE REAGAN’S double-double helped KHS defeat Chisholm Saturday to win the Buckle of the Wheatbelt consolation championship. [Photo by Chris Simon/www.simon- sports-photos.smugmug.com]
After a seemingly uninspired loss to Guymon in the opening round of the Buckle of the Wheatbelt Invitational, coach Colby Connel challenged his team to make something of the rest of the tournament.
The Jackets did just that.
KHS beat Harrah 44-25 the next day and then avenged its very first loss of the season by downing Chisholm 47-39 in Saturday’s consolation championship game. The victories gave the Jackets their first win streak of the season, which is what Connel and his staff were looking for after Thursday’s loss.
“We just competed those last two days,” he said. “We’re good enough when we compete, so we challenged them and I think they answered the challenge.”
Scoring was slow-going with Harrah through much of the first two quarters, but the Jackets found some momentum and led 17-6 at the half.
Coleman Gilles scored six in the second quarter and then seven more in the third as the Jackets extended their lead to 17 points.
Gilles scored 18 in the game while Jhett Birdwell added eight.
That earned the team a rematch with Chisholm, which made 11 3-pointers in a 68-56 victory against KHS on Dec. 1.
“I told them I wanted to see how much better we had truly gotten,” Connel said.
Kingfisher answered by holding the Longhorns to their lowest point total of the season.
The Longhorns did make seven 3-pointers, but it took 24 attempts.
Chisholm shot just 26 percent and wasn’t getting second-chance opportunities. The Longhorns had three offensive boards.
KHS dominated the rebounding battle 35-21.
Jake Reagan had 11 of those rebounds to go with 11 points.
The senior post player also had six assists on the afternoon.
He scored five points and Birdwell six as KHS got out to a 16-6 lead.
The Jackets carried a sixpoint lead into both halftime and the fourth quarter.
Once in the fourth, they only had one field goal, but took care of business at the charity stripe.
The Jackets were 15 of 20 in the fourth quarter.
Reagan made all four of his attempts.
Gilles was 6 of 10 and finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Birdwell scored 10 points.
Cooper Westfahl burned the Jackets with five 3-pointers and 27 points in their first meeting.
The Longhorn guard was 0 for 3 from long range on Saturday and scored five before fouling out.
“I think they wanted to play Chisholm again and it showed,” Connel said. “They also showed when you compete and are scoutsound, the margin for error isn’t razor thin like we make it sometimes.”