It was easy to see why the Deer Creek Lady Antlers are the No. 1 team in Oklahoma's largest classification. They put together an impressive performance in a 71-35 win Friday night against Eureka, showing off a polished offense, an athletic and fundamentally sound core and a deep bench.
Less obvious: why would a team from Edmond, Okla., make the six-hour drive to Jefferson City to make its first appearance in the Jefferson Bank Holiday Hoops Classic and play three basketball games?
"The hospitality," Deer Creek head coach Alex Moorehead said after his team's win at Rackers Fieldhouse. "I mean, when we've had communication with the admin and everyone else working here, they've been really, really respectful, they've told us about the whole thing. It's really transparency. Our girls love it, though. It's good to sometimes get out of our local scene, so it's been good so far."
The Lady Antlers (6-1) swarmed Eureka from the opening tip using full-court pressure, speed and length to force nine first-quarter turnovers while jumping out to a 20-8 lead. The team kicked it up a notch in the second quarter, opening on an 18-0 run in the first four minutes and led 47-13 at halftime.
"This year we're averaging about 75 points a game," Moorehead said. "The key thing is just getting downhill and hitting that open option. We did that really well today, and the past three games we've been doing really well."
Bri Scott, a 5-foot-10 guard/forward, was dominant in the first half, scoring 16 points. She and the other four starters sat for the end of the half and most of the third quarter before the Eureka made a run to cut into Deer Creek's lead. She finished with a game-high 20 points on 21 shots and also had a team-high five rebounds. The Lady Antlers nearly reached their season average despite shooting 6-of-20 from 3-point range and just 3-of-8 at the foul line.
The win sets up an exciting matchup at 5:30 p.m. today between Jefferson City, 8-0 and the No. 1 team in Missouri's largest classification, and Deer Creek. And if the Lady Antlers have their way, it'll be a fast-paced game. Deer Creek scored plenty of fast-break points, and even in the half-court, no one player stands still for more than a few seconds as screens, dribble-handoffs and crisp passes open up driving lanes and open 3-pointers.
Deer Creek also flew around on defense against Eureka and looks very capable of playing defense to match the Lady Jays' excellent defense. The Lady Wildcats seldom created open shots, and the Lady Antlers' length, which extends to its guards, was apparent in multiple blocked shots by perimeter defenders and by the fact Eureka finished the game shooting 1-of-14 on 3s. Their deep bench allowed starters to rest, though they returned once Eureka went on a run and stopped the running clock, and the Lady Wildcats scored in double figures in only the third quarter.
"Deer Creek has tradition, but we know Jeff City has tradition, too," Moorehead said. "We know last year's team had a bunch of studs and this year's team is not any slouch, so we're excited. We're just going to enjoy the moment and see how it goes."