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Big second half, Kite’s three-point shooting push North girls past Jenks
OKLAHOMA CITY — Norman North’s Kayton Kite has been a good shooter just about all season, but that doesn’t mean she’s been getting her chances the whole season.
Also, the Timberwolves have been a post-intermission force just about the whole season, too.
They remained so Friday night in Class 6A regional tournament play at Westmoore and Kite even got her looks, too.
That was a strong enough combination to add up to a 56-39 victory over Jenks, which adds up to a 5p.m. Monday showdown against Westmoore, the winner of which will have two chances to win one game in next weekend’s area brackets to reach the Class 6A state tournament.
“The way they were playing defense, with the threequarter court trap, she was open on the backside two or three times,” North coach Rory Hamilton said, “It’s as open a look as she’s had in a long time because teams often don’t help off of her because they know she’s such a great shooter.”
On a night she finished 5 of 6 from three-point land to lead North with 16 points, Kite let fly with two attempts in the game’s first 11 minutes and hit them both, the second one an early second-quarter offering that put North on top 22-10.
Yet, that was also the moment North lost its way, allowing that 12-point edge to become a 23-20 advantage by the half and, after Jenks converted its first two trips down the court of the second half, what had been a big North lead was suddenly a 25-25 deadlock.
No sweat, according to North coach Rory Hamilton.
“We’ve been a secondhalf team all season, and so we feel comfortable in the second half, knowing that we’ve been battle tested, been in close games,” he said. “It was a normal game, to be honest.”
Though Kite didn’t score at all in the third quarter, five other T-Wolves — Lindsey Waters (5 points), Jacie Evans (3), Jessica Evans (2), Emma Base (3), Kennedy Cummings (2) — did and while North held the Trojans to eight points in the frame, the lead was again 10 points entering the final frame.
Kite made sure it stayed that way or better, hitting all three of her fourthquarter trifecta tries.
“We got some loose balls, we got some rebounds, we got some transition buckets,” Hamilton said, “and Kayton Kite hit a couple of 3s that really gave us a boost.”
Kite, a sophomore, knocked down seven 3s the second game of the season, a 53-41 victory over Mustang, but getting the chances since has been more challenging. Friday was a slight reprieve.
“My teammates were moving the ball really well, which made me able to get open and, I guess, get some more open looks than I’ve been getting,” she said.
Jacie Evans finished with 11 points for North (17-7). Waters, Jessika Evans and Base each added seven.
Sydney Ellis and Emma Wasson led Jenks (11-13) with eight points each.
If Jenks didn’t know Kite well enough not to allow the looks, Westmoore (20-4) is unlikely to be in the dark.
The Jaguars topped North 65-54 on Jan. 9.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Norman North’s Kayton Kite has been a good shooter just about all season, but that doesn’t mean she’s been getting her chances the whole season.
Also, the Timberwolves have been a post-intermission force just about the whole season, too.
They remained so Friday night in Class 6A regional tournament play at Westmoore and Kite even got her looks, too.
That was a strong enough combination to add up to a 56-39 victory over Jenks, which adds up to a 5p.m. Monday showdown against Westmoore, the winner of which will have two chances to win one game in next weekend’s area brackets to reach the Class 6A state tournament.
“The way they were playing defense, with the threequarter court trap, she was open on the backside two or three times,” North coach Rory Hamilton said, “It’s as open a look as she’s had in a long time because teams often don’t help off of her because they know she’s such a great shooter.”
On a night she finished 5 of 6 from three-point land to lead North with 16 points, Kite let fly with two attempts in the game’s first 11 minutes and hit them both, the second one an early second-quarter offering that put North on top 22-10.
Yet, that was also the moment North lost its way, allowing that 12-point edge to become a 23-20 advantage by the half and, after Jenks converted its first two trips down the court of the second half, what had been a big North lead was suddenly a 25-25 deadlock.
No sweat, according to North coach Rory Hamilton.
“We’ve been a secondhalf team all season, and so we feel comfortable in the second half, knowing that we’ve been battle tested, been in close games,” he said. “It was a normal game, to be honest.”
Though Kite didn’t score at all in the third quarter, five other T-Wolves — Lindsey Waters (5 points), Jacie Evans (3), Jessica Evans (2), Emma Base (3), Kennedy Cummings (2) — did and while North held the Trojans to eight points in the frame, the lead was again 10 points entering the final frame.
Kite made sure it stayed that way or better, hitting all three of her fourthquarter trifecta tries.
“We got some loose balls, we got some rebounds, we got some transition buckets,” Hamilton said, “and Kayton Kite hit a couple of 3s that really gave us a boost.”
Kite, a sophomore, knocked down seven 3s the second game of the season, a 53-41 victory over Mustang, but getting the chances since has been more challenging. Friday was a slight reprieve.
“My teammates were moving the ball really well, which made me able to get open and, I guess, get some more open looks than I’ve been getting,” she said.
Jacie Evans finished with 11 points for North (17-7). Waters, Jessika Evans and Base each added seven.
Sydney Ellis and Emma Wasson led Jenks (11-13) with eight points each.
If Jenks didn’t know Kite well enough not to allow the looks, Westmoore (20-4) is unlikely to be in the dark.
The Jaguars topped North 65-54 on Jan. 9.
