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Madie Cooper -
Angel Scott -
Jenna Marshall -
Jaiden Coffey shoots from under the rim
Angel Scott tipped the pass away and sprinted down the floor with nothing but the hardwood in front of her.
The senior’s steal and score helped seal the Deer Creek girls’ basketball team’s 56-54 win against Casady at Deer Creek Tuesday night.
Deer Creek (8-6) scored first and led the rest of the way, but the Cyclones did not make it easy on the Lady Antlers.
DC coach Alex Moorehead said the Lady Antlers’ defense got the job done.
“We talked about just winning every quarter,” Moorehead said. “We probably didn’t win the fourth quarter, but we did enough in the first three to win.”
Scott’s late score put DC up 54-49. DC later drew an intentional foul in transition. The two free throws did not go down, but DC kept the ball. Senior Jenna Marshall drew a foul and hit both free throws to put the game out of reach.
Casady’s Modesti McConnell hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make the final score closer, but Marshall’s free throws ensured it wasn’t enough.
Senior Maddie Cooper said the Lady Antlers had to play as a team to keep the lead intact.
“We listened to the strategies that our coaches gave us, and we followed through,” Cooper said.
Scott and Cooper led the Lady Antlers with 13 points apiece, followed by freshman Jaiden Coffey with 10.
In addition to her late steal and score, Scott gave the Lady Antlers a spark in the second quarter with three-straight layups in transition.
“She’s our leader on offense and defense,” Moorehead said. “She got a slow start tonight, but as long as she gets going at some point, we have a chance to win.”
Late in the first half, there was a moment of high emotion as Coffey ripped a rebound away from Casady’s Jordyn Turner. Coffey was called for a foul on the play, but the referees saw or heard a reaction from Turner that earned her a technical foul.
Turner and Coffey each made a trip to the free throw line. Turner missed the front end of a 1-and-1 while Coffey made two shots. Deer Creek added 2 points to its lead from this interaction in a game it won by 2.
DC was originally scheduled to face Edmond Memorial, but the game was postponed to Saturday due quarantines within the Memorial program. Moorehead said facing a team on short notice is different but potentially helpful for the postseason.
“Just like the playoffs, you don’t know which team is going to win, so you gotta scout for both,” Moorehead said. “That’s what we’re prepping for. Ready for the playoffs, and that’s what that was about.”