Girls high school roundup: Second-half defense lifts Norman North in Crosstown Clash

“We meant to trap them in the first half, but we didn't quite get it done,” Blough said.

The Class 6A No. 8 Timberwolves figured it out in the second half, pulling out a 56-43 win in their final game before beginning the playoffs against Lawton on Thursday.

Several times, Norman North looked like it was about to put the game away.

The Timberwolves led by nine in the first quarter before Norman clawed back to tie it by halftime, then took several one-point leads in the third.

Norman North once again built a nine-point lead early in the fourth before the Tigers quickly cut it to three.

But every time Norman got back into the game, the Timberwolves had a spurt to extend the lead.

Most of the time Friday, those stretches were keyed by outside shooting from Bri Kuestersteffen and Tia Williams.

Kuestersteffen hit three 3-pointers in the third quarter, including back-to-back shots midway through the quarter that put the Timberwolves ahead for good.

Kuestersteffen finished with 20 points to lead Norman North. Williams added 11 and Haley Woodard 10.

Blough said his team entered wanting to work on its ball movement.

“We played team basketball,” Williams said. “We shared the ball really good.”

Williams was shaken up in the final minute, taking a blow to the head and leaving the game but said she was fine afterward.

IVEN SETS STILLWATER RECORD

Stillwater's Austyn Iven set a school record with 38 points in a 68-61 win at Lawton Eisenhower.

Iven got off to a quick start, hitting her first seven shots — including six 3-pointers — by early in the second quarter.

She finished 8 of 10 from behind the 3-point line and hit all eight of her free throws.

Iven was 11 of 15 from the field overall.

Stillwater opens the playoffs Thursday against Tulsa Union at Bixby.