Lady Wildcats top Antlers 48-34 in season opener

Make it one of one for Madill’s young guns as the Lady Wildcats topped Antlers 48-34 in their first game of the season Dec. 2 at the Wildcat Field House. The starting five for the Lady Wildcats featured three sophomores in guards Abbie Lambertsen and Jayden Weiberg and forward Joslyn Stumblingbear along with a pair of juniors forwards in Ximena Gomez and Mariana Mendez. Weiberg led the way with 13 points. Stumblingbear was the other Lady Wildcat in double figures with 11 points. Sophomore guard Destiny Adams provided some punch off the bench with nine points. Gomez added four points while Lambertsen scored three. Madill girls head basketball coach Shawn Runyan said the game was ugly at times. “We’re fortunate,” he said. “We got a win. A win is a win and I’ll take a win. Definitely had a lot of jitters but that happends when you’re playing a lot of sophomores that haven’t played a lot. I’m glad we got it out of the way and got a win with it.” The initial possessions placed two teams of similar size in a battle of wits. The teams traded a pair of scores in the first three minutes of the game to leave things tied at two points each. A fast break from Antlers led to an and-1 for junior guard Legend Bell making the score 4-2. Bell’s missed free throw led to a Madill fast break. Sophomore Destiny Adams took the shot on the fast break but missed after taking a foul. Adams sunk both free throws to make the score at four apiece. Later on Adams hit a three pointer to give the Lady Wildcats a seven to four lead. An over the back on a missed Madill shot returned the ball to the Lady Wildcats who gave away possession. However, a miss by Antlers’ Bell was rebounded by the Lady Wildcats. On the ensuing possession, Stumblingbear was fouled on a missed shot before draining a pair of free throws to push Madill’s lead to 9-4. Madill led Antlers by the same margin at the end of the first quarter. The score stayed the same after both teams had a possession to start the second quarter. Adams stole the ball on an errant Antlers pass and then drove to the basket for two more points. The score increased the Lady Wildcats’ lead to 11-4. The Lady Wildcats were able to get on the board again when sophomore forward Braylee Schneider scored an up and under close to the basket. Schneider’s bucket made it 13-4 in favor of Madill. Antlers went on a 5-0 run to cut Madill’s lead to 13-9. Lambertsen scored a basket to make 15-9. Then, Weiberg made two free throws to increase Madill’s lead to 17-9. A few moments later, Weiberg made a three pointer from the top right side of the arc to make the score 20-9. Antlers junior forward Gracie Shoemake scored a bucket on the right side of the basket to make it 20-11. Weiberg hit another three; this time from the right side of the arc to push Madill’s lead to 23-11. Mendez took a charge to bring the home crowd to its feet moments after a controversial no-call against an Antlers player on the other end. The teams would trade possessions without scoring until the half ended with the score still Madill 23, Antlers 11.

Second half action

The Lady Wildcats continued their march by outscoring Antlers 13 to 8 in the third quarter. At the end of three quarters, it was Madill 36, Antlers 19. As the fourth quarter started, Antlers senior post Elly Clayton scored to make it 36-21. A few moments later Antlers 33 stroked a three from the top of the arc to make it 36-24. Early in the fourth quarter, a Madill foul moved Antlers into the bonus. However, Antlers junior forward Macy Porter missed her team’s, resulting free throw attempt. On the next Madill possession, the Lady Wildcats made multiple passes before Weiberg’s fake and drove inside for a missed. However, she was fouled on the play and sunk both free throws. Then on the next possession Weiberg intercepted and sent it inside to Stumblingbear who took a foul on her shot. Stumblingbear converted both free throws. After an off the ball foul, Bell, converted a pair of free throws to cut Madill’s lead to 43-26. Antlers joined Madill in the penalty. Stumblingbear took and missed the Madill free throw. Then, Madill’s Ximena Gomez found Lambertsen for a short score to push the Lady Wildcat lead to 45-26. Stumblingbear returned to the line after an Antlers foul. She made one shot to increase Madill’s lead to 46-26. Then, Porter and sophomore guard Kendall Cogburn both hit three pointers to cut the Madill lead to 46-32. Then, Bell hit a short basket to make it 46-34. Madill sophomore Alyssa Cantrell hit a close basket to make the final score Madill 48, Antlers 34.