TALL ORDER
#1 Tuttle too much for KHS girls
KINGFISHER’S Ray Garner (35) attacks the basket against Tuttle’s Landry Allen. Garner was one of just three Lady Jackets to score in the Tuesday night loss. [Photo by Chris Simon/www.simon-sports-photos.smugmug.com]
There’s a reason Tuttle is ranked No. 1 in Class 4A girls basketball.
The Lady Tigers showed it in their season opener.
Kingfisher hung tough for much of the first half, but never could get it going offensively in a 48-22 loss.
The nine points KHS scored in the fourth quarter were the most in any frame as it managed just 13 points in the first 24 minutes.
The reasons?
Tuttle’s mix of man-to-man and zone defenses proved almost impenetrable.
If the Lady Jackets found a way to break the perimeter that featured Madi Surber and Rylee Kopf - both listed at 5-11 - they had Hadley Periman and Landry Allen waiting for them on the inside.
Periman is a 6-foot-2 senior headed to Tulsa University.
Allen is a 6-foot-3 junior committed to the University of Oklahoma.
They combined for nine blocks as KHS was limited to 7 of 34 (20.6 percent) shooting.
Still, KHS was in it early on.
Tuttle led 6-5 after a quarter and 12-8 about midway through the second before the Lady Tigers started to take control.
They slowly, but steadily, built on what was a 10-point halftime lead throughout the final two quarters.
Periman finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Allen added 12 points, eight rebounds and six blocks. She had recorded triple-doubles against KHS in each of the previous two seasons.
Kingfisher was led by Rayland Garner’s 10 points.
Allison Green scored nine.
The loss dropped Kingfisher, ranked 13th in 4A, to 1-1 on the season.