TULSA — In today’s basketball, 3-point shooting percentage often makes the difference in a game.
The Tulsa Edison Lady Eagles hit 9 3-pointers compared to the Lady Tigers’ 2. The 3-point disparity was the difference in the 60-44 los in the Class 5A East Regional 1 semifinals, Thursday, Feb. 26.
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“It’s hard to trade 2s for 3s; you will usually lose that battle,” THS coach David Qualls said. “We didn’t shoot it well from 3 down the stretch, and it came back to bite us tonight.”
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Tahlequah’s Raylee McCarter throws a ball back in bounds vs. Tulsa Edison, Thursday, Feb. 26.
Early, the Lady Tigers were struggling on offense and entered a first quarter slump. After taking a 4-3 lead, Tulsa Edison dropped 13-straight points and was only broken by a Carsyn Gilbert paint score right before the buzzer.
Enduring problems with turnovers and struggling to finish scoring plays, THS was down 16-6 after the opening period.
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During the opening quarter, 2 of the Lady Eagles’ first 3 buckets were 3-pointers.
“Defensively, we had a few lapses,” Qualls said. “It’s a game of runs, and they made larger runs than we did.”
The second quarter started looking up within the first three minutes for THS.
Lakyn Adams hit a paint score, and Gilbert scored in the paint and from deep to cut the lead down to 5 points.
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Tahlequah’s Lakyn Adams, left, celebrates with Lilly Garcia after Garcia hit a mid-range jumper in the second quarter.
Freshman Lilly Garcia came in during the second quarter and provided an instant spark as a part of the press defense.
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Garcia produced a quick turnover and then followed it up with a midrange jumper.
The second quarter was better, with the Lady Tigers getting a spark from freshman Lilly Garcia.
Once in the game, Garcia produced a quick steal and a mid-ange jumper, giving THS some momentum.
“She’s a good athlete; she’s quick and anticipates really well,” Qualls said. “She’s young and inexperienced, and it was good for her to come in and help us in the playoffs.”
The improved second quarter saw the Lady Tigers head into halftime down 29-22.
Things changed coming out of the locker room.
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Whatever momentum the Lady Tigers built to close the first half was gone as they picked up just 7 points and saw their hole stretch out to 43-29.
Although the Lady Tigers were struggling to pull it together, Gilbert finished the quarter trying to will her team to a comeback. In the fourth quarter, the senior notched 11 of her 22 points.
Gilbert’s 22 points led the Lady Tigers in the loss.
“That was fitting with her, but I wish we could have won the game for her,” Qualls said. “She played really solid scoring for us. She is a great leader for this team, and I’m proud of her win or lose.”
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When the final buzzer sounded, the Lady Tigers fell 60-44 to end the season, ending the year with a 12-13 record.
“It’s a tough one to lose in the playoffs because that senior class has been a solid force,” Qualls said. “You have to give Tulsa Edison credit, they shot better than us and took care of the ball better than us.”
The regional tournament marks the final game for seniors Gilbert, Stephens, Moe Wilson and Alayna Stopp.
