Feb 25th: Playoff Senior Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Seniors often elevate their game during the playoffs and this past weekend was a great example of that.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>For Class A and B, the glory of a state tournament appearance was on the line this weekend. Leading to a dramatic OT battle between Mountain View-Gotebo and Lookeba-Sickles on Friday night at Bridge Creek High School.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>While Saturday brought elimination games at the Regionals stage for Kingfisher vs Broken Bow in 4A and Yukon vs Moore in 6A. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["249279"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The senior lead guard would not be denied in an intense match up.  Willard started out on fire from three, hitting deep set shots. But her game is not limited to just shooting, she's a true two-way impact player. Who also lived at the rim on offense as the game progressed. On defense she has quick hands that allows her to record steals and also grab rebounds against a taller Tigers' front line.  When she got those boards, she was often pushing the tempo, either going coast to coast herself or setting up teammates.rnrnWillard also has the clutch gene. In the closing moments, she drilled a tough three pointer to make it an one point game. Then a moment later she was fouled and hit both free throws to force overtime. Then who else to win it in OT? It was Willard with another slippery drive to the rim, where she would not be denied.  This clutch performance punched the Lady Panthers' ticket to this week's Class B State Tournament.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["249277"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"It was a team effort as Yukon pulled away in the second half, but the sharpshooter still left her mark throughout the game.  She has DEEP range from three, including a very nice off the dribble make coming off a ball screen when she made the defense pay for going under. Tilley has solid quickness and looks to be a confident secondary playmaker or can score when attacking after defenses run her off the line. An example of this playmaking ability came in another ball screen situation, she fired a great bounce pass that perfectly led her rolling teammate for an easy two points.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["461121"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"After Kingfisher's slow start, it was the senior who got the offensive juice rolling with big threes. She hit one nice corner three, that put them up four points and Kingfisher would not look back as they ran away with the game.  Matthews must be accounted for along the perimeter because of her shooting ability, which surely have to play a role in the Lady Yellowjackets' second half success of stretching out the athletic Broken Bow defense and running away with the game with scoring at the rim.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"Caid Jefferson","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"5'2u0022","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"12123","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"Yukon","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_3_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_3_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"For a smaller guard, Jefferson racked up an insane amount of deflections and steals.  She has quick hands and great instincts that allowed her to often be in passing lanes and made her seem to be everywhere on the defensive end.  Her selflessness style of play carries over onto the offensive end, with exceptional passing.  The senior's quickness allowed her to often get downhill, where she looked to feed cutting teammates or teammates spotted along the perimeter. One of her better floor general feeds came when she was near halfcourt, and fired an on the money pass to a teammate cutting to the rim.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":"","_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"Barger provided valuable size and energy for the Lady Panthers against taller opponents.  She was active when contested shots, using her plus wingspan.  Along with her high energy level, the senior popped up with some key buckets. Hitting a couple times in the mid-range, then had a nice second half take that started with a pumpfake, a good first step and left handed finish at the rim.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["318174"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Cottrell left it all on the court in the elimination game. She stepped outside and knocked down multiple threes, with a good floor game to match her shooting. When Moore hung with Yukon in the first half, it was often because of the versatile scoring she brought to the table.  The senior has good a modern basketball skillset for a forward, with smart off the ball moments, a solid handle and of course floor stretching capabilities.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_6_player":["639692"],"_player_evaluations_6_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_6_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_6_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"The straw that stirred the drink for Kingfisher, Walker was quieter as a scorer but her fingerpints were all over their success with her smart passing.  From ideal passing in ball screens, to pitching it ahead in transition, she was a key component in their balanced attack.  She has good quickness, which keeps her impactful on the defensive end.  Walker appears to have a quality handle. At one point after scooping up a loose ball in traffic, she kept her dribble alive and her head up. Which allowed her to quickly get it ahead to a teammate running the floor, leading to a trip to the charity stripe for her squad.","_player_evaluations_6_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":7,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65db84ec8b9e5"} /-->