KHS girls basketball grabs big invitation

Before there was the Tournament of Champions for girls, there was the Bertha Frank Teague Mid-America Classic.

Kingfisher High School will get the opportunity to take part in “Oklahoma’s premier girls basketball tournament” in December as part of the 2023-24 season.

The all-girls tournament held each year in Ada put out the invite to KHS on Thursday.

It was quickly accepted. “We’re honored to be invited and have a chance to play in such a tradition-rich girls basketball tournament,” said KHS coach Taylor Young, who played in the tournament twice during her career.

The tournament is played between Christmas and New Year’s at the Kerr Activities Center on the campus of East Central University.

It annually features a bracket filled mostly with teams expected to be in contention in their respective classifications.

The tournament began in 1976 and is named for the longtime Byng coach who has more coaching wins (1,157) than anyone - man or woman - in Oklahoma high school basketball history.

Her Byng teams won eight state championships during her career, which spanned from 1927 to 1969.

She was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

“Bertha Teague was a trendsetter and impacted the entire game of basketball in Oklahoma,” Young said.

As of press time, KHS is 13-3 on the season and is ranked No. 4 in Class 4A and is coming off last season’s run to the Class 4A state tournament.

All five current Lady Jacket starters are underclassmen, making them a prime target for the holiday tournament selection committee.

“It will be a great opportunity for our kids to not only compete against great competition, but also be surrounded by a great history of girls basketball,” Young said.