Alva Review-Courier -

CASHION, Okla. – On Saturday, the No. 14 Alva Ladybugs brought home the third-place trophy as they finished the Cashion County Line Tournament with an outstanding 46-35 victory over No. 13 Riverside Indian School.

The Ladybugs fell into the third-place contest following a Friday night overtime loss to class 2A #3 Dale, 46-40.

In the final two games of the tournament, Payton Jones netted 30 points in each, after she went for 35 in the tournament opener. Jones was extremely aggressive in the three games, getting to the free-throw line 47 times, making 38 of her attempts, including a perfect 11-for-11 game on Saturday.

Against Riverside, it was evident Jones would have her way on the offensive end early in the game. She hit a three-pointer and hit a floating jumper from the left side to give the Ladybugs a 5-0 lead. Riverside answered with an 8-0 run, but Jones knocked down a three to tie the game, and followed that with a steal and layup.

Rianna Clark gave the Ladybugs a three-point advantage with a free-throw in the final minute, but Riverside's Keva New Holy tied the game at 11 with a three from the left side of the floor.

Jones started the scoring again in the second period as she went up and under for a scoop layup and was fouled, hitting the free-throw, before added two more from the charity stripe less than a minute later to make it 16-11.

Riverside tied the game at 16 with 5:16. However, the Ladybugs answered with a 10-0 run. Jones hit a three and a jumper, followed by a Clark steal and fastbreak layup. Hallie Durkee capped the run with a three from the right corner.

Clark and Durkee each finished with three points.

The Lady Braves attempted to chip away at the lead, but the Ladybugs would answer each time. Jones closed the first in spectacular fashion, driving baseline from the left corner, spinning and hitting an acrobatic layup to make it 32-22 at halftime.

While the first half was an up and down floor style of play for the two teams, the opponents slowed the game down in the final two periods. In the third, Jones hit two free-throws and Tatum Rouse-Murphy got into the scorebook with a three. New Holy drove in for a layup to make it 37-28 Ladybugs heading into the final quarter.

Alva came out of the huddle in the fourth and scored the first six points on a Jones layup and free-throws, and Stephanie Spellman midrange jumper. Rouse-Murphy added a late three to finish out the scoring for the Ladybugs.

Ladybugs Overtime Heartbreaker

In Friday's contest against Dale, the Ladybugs never were aggressive throughout the game, getting to the line 30 times, 23 of which were taken by Jones. The sophomore finished the game with 30 points, following her 35-point performance in the tournament opener against Oklahoma Christian School.

Alva started the game slow, not being able to hit a shot in the first quarter, as they trailed Dale 6-0 as the second quarter started.

Aggressive play helped the Ladybugs battle back with a 9-2 lead over the first four minutes of the second to take their first lead at 9-8. Alva trailed 15-11 with 1:31 remaining in the first half before Durkee drained a three from the left wing, followed by a Jones drive and layup to make it 16-15.

Dale hit a long range shot with :11 seconds remaining in the second quarter to take a 18-16 lead into halftime.

Rouse-Murphy gave Alva the lead on its first possession of the third with a three-pointer. Later on the in the period, trailing by a point, Jones but the Ladybugs back on top with a drive and basket. Dale, however, closed the quarter with back-to-back baskets heading to the fourth.

The Ladybugs had to battled back from a six-point deficit to start he fourth quarter. Jones led the charge with a baseline drive along the left side, followed by a three-pointer from the left corner, assisted by Rouse-Murphy to cut the Dale lead to one with 6:13 to go.

The Lady Pirates stretched their lead to four again with 4:20 remaining, but Jones answered quickly on the Ladybug offensive end with another three, before getting to the line a little over a minute later to give her squad a 37-36 lead with three minutes to go.

With the game tied at 37 with a minute to play, a Dale player went over the back of Jones on a defensive rebound, sending her to line. Jones hit a free throw to give the Ladybugs the lead. Dale standout Claire Chastain put her squad back up quickly with a drive and layup.

Eric Scott

Payton Jones (11) attacks the basket down the baseline during the Ladybugs' first half against Dale on Friday. Jones' aggressive play helped her to a 30-point performance. However, the Ladybugs fell short against the No. 3 team in 2A in overtime, 46-40.

Jones did what she had been doing all game on the ensuing possession and her team trailing by one as she went to the hole to draw the foul. We hit the first of two free-throws to the tie the game at 39 with :33 remaining. The Ladybug defense stepped up at the end of regulation, now allowing the Lady Pirates to get a good look as the game went into overtime.

However, in the overtime period, the energy and emotion of regulation caused sloppy play through the first two and a half minutes. With 1:18 to go, Dale's Jacie McClure hit the go-ahead three off the glass from the left wing. Jones made it a two-point game on the opposite end with a free-throw, but the Lady Pirates hit four straight from the charity stripe to seal 46-40 victory.

Hallie Durkee, who had an excellent game on the boards and on the defensive end of the floor, finished with five points, Rouse-Murphy hit a three in the third, and Acacia Charles hit a pair from free-throws in the second quarter.