The first quarter didn’t foreshadow the end result, but the Newcastle Racer girls basketball team eventually beat Chickasha, 46-42, last week.
Assistant Coach Austin Copeland said Chickasha got within three points towards the end of the game, but “clutch shot making by Natalie Orr and Reagan Greenroyd kept them at bay.”
Copeland said Orr was five of six shooting free throws, and hit one of two with 10 seconds to play to put the game out of reach.
The Racers had a slow start offensively, as the Fightin’ Chicks led first-period scoring, 10-7. Copeland said fatigue may have been a factor for the Racers as they were coming off four games in five days.
“They dug deep defensively and that got us going offensively in the second half, turning a one-point halftime deficit into a nine-point lead going into the fourth,” Copeland said.
The girls hit 13 secondquarter points to Chickasha’s 11, making the halftime score, 21-20 in Chickasha’s favor.
Newcastle rallied for 17 third-period points, while holding Chickasha to only seven. That effort was enough in the fourth period when Chickasha out shot the Racers, 14-9.
Copeland said that junior Leah Bradley, who was the Racers’ leading scorer going into the game, was held scoreless but still made a huge impact with five assists to only one turnover.
Bradley also had two steals and three rebounds.
Senior Natalie Orr had 20 points, going five of nine from 3-point range. She also had two charges taken. Freshman Reagan Greenroyd had 16 points, going seven of 14 from the field, two of two from 3-point range, and nabbing two rebounds.
Senior Emerson Abel had six points, going three of five from the field. She had eight rebounds, one assist, two steals, and one block.
Senior Kyla Martinez had five assists, and one charge taken.
Racers lose to Anadarko
Anadarko took the win Friday night, 31-21, against the Racer girls. The win placed Class 4A number 7-ranked Anadarko at 11-2 on the season.
The loss has Newcastle at 5-8 on the year, and 1-4 in the District. The Racers are unranked in Class 4A.
Senior Leah Bradley led Newcastle scoring with nine points. She was followed by Emerson Abel with four, Bella Allen with three, Jayden Lassen and Emma Allen with two each, and Reagan Greenroyd with one.
Anadarko was led in scoring by Chloe Cantrell with eight points.
Natalie Orr had eight rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Racers, while Bradley and Abel each had six rebounds. Emma Allen also had five rebounds.
The Racers were scheduled to play Tuttle on Tuesday, but because of Newcastle Pacer print deadlines, we are unable to report on it for this issue.
