Willson gets her senior moment
Lady Jacket elates APB crowd with bucket in runaway win
KHS SENIOR Brittany Willson jumps into coach Taylor Young’s arms seconds after draining a 3-pointer in the team’s 61-23 victory against Clinton. [Photo by Chris Simon/ www.simon-sports-photos.smugmug.com]
The game had long been decided, but the shot still had meaning.
Kingfisher senior Brittany Willson just missed on her first three 3-point attempts of the night.
Then the fourth found its mark.
Willson’s hands shot in the air. The KHS bench leapt in the air.
Even the usually stoic Taylor Young, Kingfisher’s head coach, thrust her hands skyward.
Everyone at the APB, it seemed, pulled joy from Kingfisher’s final basket in a 61-23 victory over Clinton on Tuesday.
Willson was one of four senior players honored prior to the game, which served as both “Senior Night” and homecoming.
She also got the start along with fellow seniors Makina Frost, Allison Green and Rayland Garner.
However, quickly after the tip, Willson took a spot on Kingfisher’s bench.
The Lady Jackets’ usual starters got the hot hand early.
The Lady Reds were coming off an upset win over Anadarko, but Kingfisher put to rest the thought of back-to-back shockers in the first quarter.
KHS hit its first three 3-pointers of the game and four total in the first quarter as it got out to a 21-6 lead.
Peyton Walker hit two of those and Emily Myers and Addy Matthews one each.
Meanwhile, Garner took care of business inside.
She scored at least four points in every quarter and finished with 22 points and nine rebounds.
Myers scored 11.
Walker and Allison Green scored eight points apiece.
Green was crowned homecoming queen prior to the game. Frost, part of the homecoming court as well, knocked down a 3-pointer in the second quarter.
Willson got her moment in the fourth.
After a trio of near misses, the guard dropped a 3-pointer with 50 seconds to play.
She sprinted back to play defense and, with 19.9 seconds left, got to make her senior exit.
As she did, she excitedly jumped into Young’s arms. Neither could contain their smiles.
“Brittany comes to practice everyday with a positive attitude. She works hard and does everything we ask of her,” Young said.
“It’s an awesome feeling as a coach when you have kids that continue to work hard each and every day and then they finally get to see it pay off.”
All told, Kingfisher made nine 3-pointers on the night.
Defensively, KHS forced 16 turnovers and held Clinton to 23 percent shooting.
KHS also out-rebounded Clinton 35-26.
Freshman Raegan Snider had six rebounds while Matthews added four to go with a team-high four assists. Matthews scored six points.
On Thursday, Kingfisher’s zone put the clamps on Blanchard in a 45-22 road win.
The Lady Jackets surrendered 11 points in the first quarter, but then only 11 more the rest of the way.
On offense, different Lady Jackets took turns gaining the hot hand.
Emily Myers knocked down a pair of treys and scored eight points as KHS finished strong in the first and led 14-11.
Addy Matthews duplicated that feat in the second quarter as KHS pushed its lead to 22-13.
In the third, it was Allison Green’s turn as she made two of her three 3-pointers.
Myers took back the reins in the fourth with five more points, including her third trey of the game.
The junior was joined by Matthews in scoring 13 points.
Green scored nine while Rayland Garner scored all eight of her points in the second half.
KHS was 16-4 after the win. The Lady Jackets are 7-2 in Western Athletic Conference games.