Spiro breaks down Keys to lock up area playoff bid
Spiro ensured its first trip to the area playoffs since 2016 by beating Keys 52-39 in its Class 3A Area I regional first-round playoff at home on Thursday.
“I’m proud of them. They’ve worked hard. The seniors have been through a lot and come out strong,” Spiro head coach Dennis Wright said, adding that young players have taken on roles.
Spiro (21-5, ranked 12th) grabbed a 7-3 lead early in the first quarter. Brynleigh Graham blocked a shot with 4:11 left in the quarter, and Kaylee Martin redirected a shot a minute later. Keys drained a trey from the left corner at the buzzer, cutting it to 7-6.
After Keys (ranked 18th) briefly went ahead, Spiro went on an 8-0 run, capped by a Lindsey Wortham fast-break layup, for a 15-8 lead. Spiro went to halftime leading 17-13.
Spiro scored the first 10 points of the third quarter, with Kaylee Martin making a putback layup at the 5:20 mark for a 27-13 advantage. Keys whittled its way back within single digits, but Spiro kept Keys from getting closer than eight, ending the third with a 37-27 lead.
Kambrie Rogers nailed a 3-pointer with 5:08 left for a 45-29 margin. Keys scored seven straight points, getting within 4536 on a technical foul free throw with 2:53 left.
However, Spiro stayed tight defensively, preventing Keys from getting closer than eight.
“We just communicated well, knew where their shooters were, had very few breakdowns and camoflaged what we did,” Wright said.
Brynleigh Graham led Spiro with 19 points, including nine in the third quarter. Rogers and Kiana Craig each had 10 while Wortham had six and Martin had five.
After winning its last home game, Spiro faces a big playoff test in the regional final at Roland against Roland (18-6, ranked sixth) on Saturday at 6 p.m.