Alva Review-Courier -

ALVA, Okla. – Much like their meeting during the opening game of the Wheat Capital Tournament on Jan. 2, the Alva Ladybugs and Chisholm Lady Longhorns went to the wire. Unfortunately, it didn't end in the Ladybugs' favor as Tatum Long put in a layup under the basket at the buzzer to knock off the Ladybugs 44-42 in double-overtime in the district championship game.

The loss means the Ladybugs will move into the losers bracket for the remainder of their playoff run. They will look to make a playoff push next week as they start regionals by taking on Hennessey at 1:30 on Thursday at Chisholm High School.

Alva made it a 7-0 run as the fourth quarter got started when Rianna Clark quickly made a strong move to the basket for a layup. After a pair of free-throws on the Lady Horn end of the floor, Hallie Durkee continued to help the Ladybugs stretch its lead as she drained a three-pointer from the left side.

Payton Jones followed with a layup, and answered a Chisholm jumper with a pair of made free-throws. Unfortunately, the Lady Horns answered with a 6-0 run to retake the lead at 37-35 with 3:03 remaining in the game.

Chisholm's Long on the line made the second of two free-throws to give her squad a three-point advantage. With 1:00 to go, Jones tied the game as she took the ball to the hole for a layup and drew a foul. Jones knocked down the free opportunity to knot the game at 38.

With just three seconds to go, Yunker went to the line for the Lady Horns, but came up short in both chances to allow the game to go in the overtime.

Chisholm took the first lead of the overtime period with a free-throw by Regi Pasby. But with 1:17 left, Jones pulled down a missed layup on the Chisholm end of the floor and hit Durkee underneath the basket for a layup on the fast break to go up 40-39.

Briley Yunker tied the game at 40 for the Lady Horns on their next possessions with a basket from the charity stripe. The Ladybugs had one final chance in the first OT to get the win, but the shots weren't falling, forcing the game to go into a second extra period.

Jones led all scorers with 21 points in the game. Durkee finished with seven points, Julie Owen had six points, Clark added four points and Tatum Rouse-Murphy earned three points.

The Lady Horns got on the board first when a defensive breakdown allowed Long to get an easy look underneath the basket. Following back-to-back turnover by both teams, Owen found herself at the line with 1:35 to go. The senior, playing in her final home game at AHS, hit both chances to tie the game at 42.

First Half

The Ladybugs came out in the first quarter and were getting the looks they needed, even though not all the shots were falling. With Chisholm leading the game 2-0 early, Rouse-Murphy got the Ladybugs on the board with a three-pointer from the right corner.

Just over a minute later, Jones put her name in the scorebook for the first time on the night as she went the distance for a layup after coming down with a defensive board. With 1:20 to go in the first, Jones had a second chance opportunity and made it count, putting the ball back up for a layup and a foul. She hit the free-throw to make it 8-4 Ladybugs.

Chisholm cut the lead to 8-7, but Jones answered just before the buzzer sounded to end the first with a drive and acrobatic scoop layup from the left side of the floor to make it 10-7 after one.

In the second quarter, the Ladybugs found themselves trailing by four after the Lady Longhorns went on a 9-2 run before Owen was able to get to the rim for a layup to make it 16-14 Lady Horns. Danae Stidham dropped her second three of the quarter for the Lady Horns, however, to make it 19-12.

The Ladybugs were able to cut back into the Lady Horn lead in the final two minutes. Hallie Durkee dropped in a jumper from the right elbow, and Owen hit a couple of free-throws to bring the score to 19-18 in the favor of the Lady Horns at halftime.

Second Half

After Chisholm hit a couple of free-throws to start the third quarter, Rianna Clark sprinted toward the bucket and was hit in stride from Jones on the left wing. Clark put in the easy layup to make it 21-20.

The Lady Horns stretched their lead to 20-25 before Jones went off for six straight points. The sophomore hit a pair of free-throws, hit a fast break layup after picking Yunker's pocket at midcourt, then hit a layup after a drive from the right side of the floor to give the Ladybugs a 26-25 lead after three.