SAPULPA – Led by a smothering interior defense, the Bishop Kelley Lady Comets made just enough plays down the stretch to end the Grove Lady Ridgerunners’ season with a 35-33 win in a Class 5A East area consolation game on Thursday.
The two teams traded the lead back and forth throughout the game with neither squad gaining more than a five-point advantage, but a driving layup by Kelley’s Madi Schulz with 45 seconds left proved to be the game winner.
“They just played better than us,” Grove head coach Richard Bassett said. “Give them all the credit. Their matchup defense was tough. They made shots at the end when we couldn’t.”
Grove (17-9) took what would be their last lead of the night when Emilee Iverson stole the ball and scored on a layup to make it 33-32 with 1:20 left. After Schulz’s basket put the Lady Comets (14-11) back into the lead, the Lady Ridgerunners had two shots near the basket in the final 10 seconds to take the lead but missed both. Schulz then hit the first of two free throws for the final margin.
With Kelley clogging the lane the Lady Ridgerunners were forced to score from the outside for most of the contest, knocking down seven 3’s in the game. Libby Morris and Emilee Iverson knocked down one each in the early going for a 6-4 lead, but four Lady Comets combined to give Kelley an 11-8 lead after the first quarter.
“I felt like we played well defensively,” Bishop Kelley head coach Jade Allison said. “Our whole goal was to limit the offensive boards for Grove. I think that was huge. Their outside game was a lot better than what I was expecting. I expected them to score inside more.”
The two teams would trade the lead twice in the second quarter before Kelley took a 20-18 lead into the break with Grove missing several shots around the basket in the first half.
“We missed a lot of point-blank baskets, especially in the first half,” Bassett said. “They fall some nights and they don’t. You can’t change it. Their posts were more physical than I gave them credit for, because they shoved us around. We never really got anybody posted up inside where we could get them the ball.”
Grove got another three from Morris to take a 23-21 lead midway through the third quarter then got two more from senior point guard Emily Cook – one near the end of the third and one in the first minute of the fourth – to take a 29-27 lead. The lead would change hands four more times in the final seven minutes before the Lady Comets found the final answer, moving on to the area consolation championship for the third straight season.
“It was a big game for our seniors,” Allison said. “They want that opportunity to get back to the state tournament.”
The Lady Comets featured six seniors, including Schulz, who had all 8 of her points in the fourth quarter.
Morris led Grove with 12 points, while Cook had 9 points and 5 assists and Iverson finished with 8.
“Libby’s going to be one of our stars,” Bassett said. “She’s going to be one of those that carries us the next couple of years. We’re fortunate to have her. I’ve got great kids. They work hard; they do what I ask. I feel like we’re fortunate to win the games we do and get this far in the playoffs. Bishop Kelley earned the win tonight. They just played better than us.”
