SKIATOOK — Muldrow nearly clawed all the way back Friday night in the Class 4A, Area II consolation semifinal game against Locust Grove.
SKIATOOK — Muldrow nearly clawed all the way back Friday night in the Class 4A, Area II consolation semifinal game against Locust Grove.
The Lady Pirates (18-6) held on for a 41-39 victory. Muldrow ended the season with an 18-6 record. Grove beat Locust Grove in the Area II consolation championship game to advance to state.
The Lady Bulldogs trailed by as much as 11 points in the fourth, but pulled within one point at 40-39 when Mariah Jenkins made two free throws with 53 seconds left. Locust Grove tried to run out the clock, forcing Muldrow to foul Madison Smith with about five seconds left. Smith made the first free throw to put Locust Grove up 41-39.
The Lady Pirates fouled Cailey Grinstead with 3.3 seconds left. Muldrow had a chance to tie the game and head into overtime. Grinstead missed the first shot. Muldrow coach Jana Armer called a time out. After the time out, Grinstead missed the second free throw. Muldrow’s Mariah Jenkins grabbed the rebound and was surrounded by Locust Grove players. Jenkins tried to get a shot off, but couldn’t do it before the final buzzer sounded. “We gave ourselves a
“We gave ourselves a chance,” Armer said after the game. “We had shots there at the end. We just couldn’t get one to fall. I’m super proud of my kids — very resilient. We kept playing hard all year long. We got better and better. I feel like we were playing our best basketball right now.”
Some people may have been surprised that the Lady Bulldogs reached the area tournament, Armer said. Muldrow had six seniors on the squad. Many of the seniors didn’t have a ton of game experience during their junior season. The Lady Bulldogs were 5-3 after a 45-39 loss to Stilwell on Jan. 15. Armer revamped the Muldrow offense to better suit the players. The Lady Bulldogs won nine of their last 10 games in the regular season. They won the district crown by beating Checotah 62-29 on Feb. 23 á¹uldrow lost in the
á¹uldrow lost in the opening round of regionals in OT to Cleveland. The Lady Bulldogs won three straight to reach the Class 3A, Area II consolation semifinals against Locust Grove.
“I know everybody might have been surprised that we got this far, but my kids never wavered. This is what they expected,” Armer said.
Muldrow faced a mirror image of itself when it played Locust Grove.
The Lady Bulldogs and Lady Pirates feature pressure defenses, strong shooting and good rebounding. Muldrow led 13-9 after
Muldrow led 13-9 after the first and 17-16 at the half.
Locust Grove went on a 10-1 run to start the third period and take a 28-18 lead with 2:17 left in the quarter.
The Lady Pirates defense forced turnovers in the third. Madison Hunt started the period with a layup. Then Smith and Kaitlyn Spradlen went three-for-four from the free-throw line to put Locust Grove up 21-17 with 5:17 left in the third.
Jenkins scored Muldrow’s only point in the first six minutes of the third period when she hit a free throw with 4:25 left. Then, Locust Grove’s Smith made a layup. Peytin Gilmart made a 3-pointer and Sloan Smith made a basket to put Locust Grove up 28-18 with 2:17 left.
Muldrow’s Chanlee McCrary responded with a 3-pointer as the Lady Bulldogs cut the Locust Grove lead to 28-21 with 2:02 left.
Locust Grove outscored Muldrow 4-2 in the final two minutes to take a 32-23 lead into the final period.
Muldrow freshman Kennedi Wight led the Lady Bulldogs fourthquarter charge. She made two free throws to start the fourth and knocked down a trey after Locust Grove had taken a 37-25 lead with 6:37 left.
A Spradlen layup put Locust Grove up 39-28. Wight was fouled with 5:44 left. It was the seventh foul of the second half and put Muldrow into the bonus the rest of the game.
Wight went four-of-five from the charity strip in the next 31 seconds as Muldrow cut the lead to 39-32 with 5:11 left.
Five of Muldrow’s next seven points came from the charity stripe. Katie Grace Floyd, CaTia Gladney and Jenkins made free throws. Wight connected on a layup in the middle of the foul-shot spree.
Jenkins made two free throws with 53 seconds left to pull Muldrow within one at 40-39 with 53 seconds left.
Muldrow couldn’t push past Locust Grove.
Kennedi Wight led the Muldrow scoring with 22 points. Jenkins finished with nine points. McCrary scored three points. Grinstead and Kasea Wight finished with two points. Floyd finished with one point.
Two Locust Grove players scored in double figures. Spradlen led the Lady Pirates with 17 points. Gilmart chipped in 12 points.
Adrianna Fine had three points. Four players — Sloan Sweeney, Thilger, Hunt and Smith — finished with two points. Tiena Williams scored one point.
Muldrow will miss its six seniors next season, but the cupboard isn’t bear.
Kennedi Wight improved all season, and should be a force to be reckoned with next season.
“She’s played really well all year. She definitely stepped up today,” Armer said. “Being a freshman, that’s a tough spot to be in, but she’s definitely solidified her spot as being a high school player and scorer. She also played great defense today.”
Wight grew throughout the season, Armer said.
“We had to move her to point guard this year. About halfway through the year, we brought her out and let her handle the ball,” Armer said. “She’s definitely improved her ballhandling. Her allaround game improved. Game-by-game-by-game she just kept getting more confidence and getting better.”
Muldrow has a tradition of winning. Armer said she expects the tradition to continue next season.
The players got a lot of on-court experience this season.
“I’ve got a good freshmen group that I’m really excited about and the kids coming back I’m really excited about,” she said.
