Quick start, strong finish lead Elk City past Lady Jackets

Kingfisher almost pulled off an improbable comeback.

Elk City didn’t let it happen.

The Elkettes upset KHS last Friday night with a 4440 victory inside their own Pioneer Center in Elk City.

The loss gave Kingfisher an 18-5 regular season record as it gets set to head to Clinton this Saturday for a Class 4A district.

Kingfisher trailed early and for much of the game.

That included a ninepoint deficit in the second quarter, before it was trimmed to three at halftime.

The Lady Jackets’ managed to tie it up entering the fourth-quarter as Raegan Snider ended the third with a bucket.

And they even took a 34-33 lead with 6:04 to play on Maya Haney’s bucket in the paint after an offensive rebound and assist from Abbie Myers.

But KHS went cold and Elk City went on a 7-0 run to lead by six.

It stayed there until Reese Roof’s free throws with 1:56 to play made it a four-point game, then Snider’s bucket 26 seconds later pulled Kingfisher within two.

Myers struck again, this time on the defensive end, as she picked off a pass. The junior handed off to Mattie Slezickey, whose layup with 1:08 to go made it 40-all.

Elk City answered Kingfi sher’s 6-0 run with Luci O’Hara’s bucket with 45 seconds to play.

It proved to be the game winner.

Myers couldn’t connect on the other end and a jump ball with 23 seconds left went Elk City’s direction. The Elkettes ran 13 seconds off the clock before Kaz Ulrich iced the game with a pair of free throws.

O’Hara and Ulrich made big shots down the stretch, but it was Abby Brown who was Kingfisher’s biggest headache through three quarters.

The guard scored eight points in the first quarter as Elk City got off to its quick start.

She had all 17 of her points by the end of the third.

While no other Elkette scored in double figures, three of them had seven or more points.

Myers matched her as Kingfisher’s forward had 18 points, but like Brown, didn’t score in the fourth.

Snider scored six of her eight points in the second half while no other Lady Jacket scored more than four points.

No. 15 Elk City improved its season mark to 16-6 with the win.

KHS enters the playoff ranked fifth in 4A.