Kenny Howell
CHOUTEAU - Sometimes when two teamsbattle, and it is a shame that someone has to lose.
That was the case Saturday, as the Chouteau Ladycats gave the 3A No. 2 Adair Lady Warriors all they could handle in a 64-60 overtime loss.
Adair had beaten Chouteau by 24 points earlier in the season, but a different Ladycat team showed up Saturday.
Chouteau was red hot from the outside and stayed on the Lady Warriors from beginning to end.
A Reanna Keys’ three-pointer gave Chouteau an early 7-6 lead, and the two teams went back and forth until the end of the quarter with the Ladycats coming out on top, 15-14.
Chouteau actually built the lead in the second, outscoring Adair 15-8 to take a 30-22 lead into the half.
The Ladycats led by as many as 10 points in the third quarter, but the Lady Warriors battled back. After widdling down the lead, Katey Hatzenbuehler got fouled on a made layup and added the free throw to tie the game at 39-39. Going into the fourth, the game was tied at 41-41.
The Lady Warriors led by as many as six in the fourth quarter, 53-47, but Chouteau didn’t have any quit in them. Catterina Browning erased the deficit by herself, going
4-for-4 from the line and getting an offensive putback to tie the game back up at 53-53.
Chelsie Root hit a jumper to put Adair back on top, but Cheyenne Helms showed the ice water in her veins and hit two free throws with less than 10 seconds on the clock. Adair had a chance to win it, but a last second shot clanged off and the game went into overtime.
After Adair took the lead, Helms tied it back up again with two free throws to make it 59-59. That would be the last time the game was tied as Adair hit 5-of-6 free throws down the stretch, 4-of-4 for Chelsey Stricklen, and Chouteau was not able to connect on the other end.
Stricklen had a huge game for the Lady Warriors, scoring 32 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. Tamara Harris had several big buckets in the second half to get 13 points. Hatzenbuehler had 10 rebounds. On Chouteau’s side, L.J. Hochstetler led the way with 20 points. Helms had 14, while Browning had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Adair 64 Chouteau 60, OT
A - 14 8 19 14 9 - 64
C - 15 15 11 14 5 - 60
A - Chelsey Stricklen 32, Tamara Harris 13, Chelsie Root 6, Katey Hatzenbuehler 6, Shanna Harrison 5, Sarah Costas 2. C - L.J. Hochstetler 20, Cheyenne Helms 14, Catterina Browning 12, Reanna Keys 6, Adrienne Richards 6, Kacie Oberg 2.
Strong 4th quarter propels Wildcats past Warriors
In the boys game, it was a battle in the first half, but Chouteau turned it on in the second half and came away with a 66-51 win.
Chouteau started strong and a Josh Anderson shot at the buzzer put the Wildcats up 21-14 at the end of the first.
Adair battled back in the second, outscoring Chouteau 19-8 in the second and taking the 4-point halftime lead 33-29.
The lead swung back to Chouteau in the third, and then the Wildcats dominated the fourth quarter to put the game away.
Chouteau had four players in double figures, led by Josh Shive off the bench. Shive had one of his best games of the year with 15 points and five rebounds. Josh Anderson had 14. Dwight McElroy had 11, while Josh Mahan had 10.
Seth Stricklen had 11 for Adair while Logan Crawford had 10 and six rebounds.
Chouteau was scheduled to play at Hilldale tonight if the weather cooperates. They will host Inola Thursday. Adair was supposed to travel to Foyil tonight as well. They host Colcord Friday. All tipoff times are 6:30 p.m.
Chouteau 66 Adair 51
A - 14 19 10 8 - 51
C - 21 8 18 19 - 66
A - Seth Stricklen 11, Logan Crawford 10, Brady Bradbury 8, Kip Whiteley 7, Travis Brachtenbach 5, Heath Peper 4, Michael Fraley 4, Mason Hudson 2. C - Josh Shive 15, Josh Anderson 14, Dwight McElroy 11, Josh Mahan 10, Zac Duck 6, Jason Couch 5, Daniel
Johnson 2.
