Lady Bison season ends with loss in regional tourney

Carlisle coach Jonathan Buffalo talks to his team during the regional tournament at Mount Ida (Photos by Mark Buffalo)

By Mark Buffalo

Staff Writer

lonokecountysports@gmail.com

MOUNT IDA — It was not a good ending for the Carlisle Lady Bison basketball team.

Carlisle lost to Magnet Cove 52-41 in the first round of the Class 2A East Region tournament Friday at Jeanne Smith Arena. With the loss, the Lady Bison finish the season at 19-9.

The Lady Bison led 23-22 at after trailing 12-4 in the first quarter. Carlisle's leading scorer, Kylie Warren, did not score until the first quarter as the Lady Panthers played a tough man defense on her. She scored the final seven points of the first half.

The game went back and forth in the third quarter with Magnet Cove taking a 32-29 lead with 3:31 left. Warren then scored four in a  row to give the Lady Bison a 33-32 lead. 

With the score tied at 33-33, Carlisle was called for a foul with 2 seconds left in the third quarter. At the same time, Magnet Cove's Faith Linman was called for a technical foul.

Magnet Cove's Emily Fagan hit two free throws while Carlisle missed both foul shots on the technical, leaving the Lady Panthers ahead at 35-33.

Magnet Cove increased its lead to 42-33 with 4:41 left in the game. Carlisle cut the deficit to 45-39 following two foul shots by Warren with 2:25 left. 

Carlisle did not score again until Nicquira Burnett hit a short jumper with 20 seconds left.

"There is only team that is going to be happy at the end of the year in 2A girls basketball," Carlisle coach Jonathan Buffalo said. "We competed. We had our chances. It's what I stressed to them. If you compete and play hard, you will be there at the end."

Despite the loss, the Lady Bison won their third consecutive 2A-6 conference title. 

"I'm extremely proud of what they accomplished this year," Buffalo said. "Winning 19 games for such a young group of ladies."

Warren led Carlisle with 19 points. Ashby Terry had 6. Peyton Hitchins scored 5. Elex McClain had 4. Kayla Golleher had 3. Scoring 2 each were Nikita Harper and Burnett. 

Faith Woodfield led Magnet Cove with 17 points. 

Kimberly Lott runs up the floor in the regional. She was the lone senior on this year's team. 

The loss was the final game for one Lady Bison senior — Kimberly Lott. She is the only player to finish all six years playing for Buffalo, staring in seventh grade when Buffalo was promoted from assistant coach to junior girls and seventh grade girls coach.

"She's a great kid … always worked hard," Buffalo said of Lott. "She did everything that I asked her to do. 

"We talked about how we were a family. We lost a member of our family tonight. She will be missed in the locker room. But we learn from this and move on to next season."

Ashby Terry (22) goes up for a shot against Magnet Cove.