Ty Harrell Special to The Sun

SAPULPA — The Deer Creek Lady Antlers gave it all they had, but in the end, it was momentum that ended up deciding the game.

Big Mo swung back and forth throughout the entire 32 minute contest but wound up on the Washington bench as the Lady Hornets sank nine of 12 free throws to secure a first round Class 5A State Tournament win and send the Lady Antlers home Thursday night.

“Basketball is a game of momentum and in the end, it was not with us,” said Deer Creek coach Totsy Manning. “These girls played hard and gave it everything they had but we just came up short in the end.”

The Lady Antlers came out strong in the first quarter, racing to a quick 8-2 lead, but Washington went on an 11-1 run in the final three minutes to take a 13-9 advantage at the end of the first stanza.

The Lady Hornets continued to roll in the second quarter as the Lady Antlers struggled, taking just five shots from the field and hitting only two while going three-of-14 from the charity stripe, the difference in the game, according to Manning.

“We really struggled from the line and that just killed us,” she said. “If we would have been able to hit a few more of those, it would have been a completely different game and we would be playing with a lead in the third instead of trying to play catchup.”

At the break, Washington held what appeared to be a comfortable 24-14 advantage.

The Lady Antlers did not seem to mind having to play from behind, however, as they came out and lit up Washington, scoring 10 unanswered points, capped by a big 3-pointer from Kelsey Glover to knot the score at 45 with 2:28 to play in the third period.

“These girls came out and played hard in the third quarter, they showed a lot of heart,” Manning said. “I was so proud of the way they were able to battle back and just keep fighting.”

At the end of the third, Deer Creek held a 29-28 advantage, but it would be an advantage they would not be able to hold onto as Washington played ball control and forced the Lady Antlers to foul. Washington capitalized on the opportunities as they nailed nine of 11 while the Lady Antlers could only get three shots off the entire final eight minutes, hitting just one, a 3-pointer by Courtney Weaver with 53 seconds left in the game.

Ashley Gibson paced the Lady Antler offense, scoring 10 points on the night, while Glover racked up six points. Jasey Jackson pitched in five points while A.J. Miller contributed four points and Weaver three.

The Lady Antlers close their season with a record of 20-5.