Alva Review-Courier -

ALVA, Okla. – Tuesday night, the No. 14 Alva Ladybugs looked to get back on track after losing back-to-back games to No. 15 Newkirk and Blackwell, respectively. However, it was a tall order as Newkirk was on tap for the second time in five days.

Despite playing better basketball overall in the second showdown, the Tigers proved to be just to tough as the Ladybugs fell victim yet again, 41-33. Alva's record dropped to 8-5 heading in to the Cashion County Line Tournament.

The three-game losing streak is the first time the Ladybugs have lost three games in a row since the 2015-16 season when they lost to Preston and Washington at the Bertha Teague Tournament, followed by an overtime heartbreaker against Pond Creek-Hunter.

The Ladybugs traded punches with the Lady Tigers in the first few minutes of the ballgame. Trailing 2-0, Hallie Durkee got the Ladybugs on the board with a jumper from the right side to the tie the game. A little more than a minute game play later, Tatum Rouse-Murphy turned a pass from Rianna Clark into three points.

After the Lady Tigers took a brief lead with five straight points, Payton Jones hit her first three of the game from the right side, while Rouse-Murphy added another long range shot a minute later to give the Ladybugs an 11-7 advantage.

With 1:05 to go in the first, Jones drove the baseline and hit a scoop layup to bring the score 13-9 heading into the second quarter.

Newkirk came out quickly and cut the lead to one with a three-pointer, before Durkee answered on the next Ladybug possession with a three of her own from the right wing. Following a pair of Newkirk free-throws, Stephanie Spellman drained a wide open three to make it 19-14.

Alva added to Spellman's three to make it a 6-0 run as Jones pulled down a defensive board, pushing the ball up court to Julie Owen for a layup. Jones also added a free-throw to cap the small run.

Leading 22-17 coming out of the locker room at the break, Jones gave the Ladybugs a seven-point lead nearly two minutes into the third with a fast break layup off a steal. Newkirk's Kori Watters followed with consecutive trips to the charity stripe, converting all four attempts to cut the Ladybug lead to one.

Lynn L. Martin

Ladybug Payton Jones (22) faces heavy traffic from Newkirk as she attempts to grab the ball in a tangle with Newkirk's LeeAnn Cooper (45).

The Ladybugs were able to continue to hold off the Lady Tigers as Durkee nailed her second three of the game, followed by a baseline drive from the left side and layup by Clark to set up a four-point lead heading to the final eight minutes of the game.

Just before time ran out in the third, Newkirk's Emily Elliott hit a baseline jumper. Her squad ultimately grabbed the momentum in the fourth as Katelyn Schieber and Watters each came up with steals and fast break layups in a 15-second span to tie the game at 29.

Newkirk outscored the Ladybugs in the fourth quarter, 16-4. Jones hit one-of-two at the line midway through the quarter, as well as drained a deep three from the top of the key with :37 remaining.

Jones finished well below her season average with a team high 12 points. Durkee had eight points, Rouse-Murphy had six points with a pair of first quarter threes, Spellman added her three, and Owen and Clark inked two points.