MCLOUD — For nearly three quarters, the Ada Lady Cougars looked every bit like a team in complete control.
After junior Izzy Justus grabbed a rebound, pushed the ball up the floor and floated in a tough runner from near the free-throw line, Ada owned a commanding 39-13 lead late in the third quarter against Tecumseh.
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Then things got, well, interesting.
The Lady Savages mounted a furious fourth-quarter rally, trimming a 26-point deficit to single digits before Ada settled in and held on for a 42-32 victory in a Class 4A Regional Tournament winner’s bracket game.
Ada improved to 16-10 and will face No. 16 Bridge Creek at 6 p.m. tonight back at McLoud High School. Tecumseh’s season ended at 7-19.
Ada 42, Tecumseh 32
It was all Ada for most of the evening. The Lady Cougars raced to a 19-6 lead after one quarter and stretched the advantage to 27-9 by halftime.
Justus’ nifty basket at the 1:11 mark of the third quarter pushed the margin to 26, and with Ada’s starters already resting on the bench, the game appeared well in hand.
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That’s when Tecumseh made a move. The Lady Savages ripped off a stunning 17-0 run. Livia FourHorns capped the surge with a 3-pointer off an assist from Cadence Leba, slicing Ada’s lead to 39-30 with 2:37 remaining.
Ada finally halted the run when Amyah Howell found Jadyce Burns for a layup in the paint.
Genesis Fixico answered with a basket inside at the 1:48 mark to make it 41-32, but that was the last score of the night for Tecumseh.
Burns added 1 of 2 free throws with 1:26 left to account for the final margin. After a missed 3-pointer by the Lady Savages, Ada controlled the rebound and milked away the remaining time off the clock.
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Howell paced the Lady Cougars with 12 points, connecting on four 3-pointers. Ava Campos recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Jordan Turner added eight points and four rebounds off the bench.
Burns finished with seven points and five assists.
Leba and Fixico scored eight points apiece to lead Tecumseh, with Fixico also grabbing a team-high seven rebounds. FourHorns chipped in seven points.
