SET IN STONE

Kingfisher’s stranglehold on the Buckle of the Wheatbelt championship got a bit tighter last weekend.

The Jackets won their fourth straight title and ninth overall Saturday with an 85-42 dismantling of Class 5A’s 16th-ranked Guthrie in the championship game.

Kingfisher attempted a season-low 10 3-pointers, scored 52 points in the paint and gave up just 15 rebounds to Guthrie all night.

“That’s honestly the type of stats we prefer,” said KHS coach Jared Reese after his team moved to 16-0 on the season with its 38th straight win overall.

“If you’re allowing us to get to the basket, we’ll take it.”

And take it is exactly what Matthew Stone and Bijan Cortes did.

The KHS junior duo combined for 58 points in the title game.

Stone was relentless as he scored a career high 32 points in just three quarters.

KHS went up 9-2 before Cortes picked up his second foul midway through the first quarter.

With him on the bench, the Jackets turned it over on three straight possessions and Guthrie cut it to 9-8.

Stone ended the run with a pair of free throws, then had a steal and layup at the buzzer to end the first quarter. Stone had 11 of Kingfisher’s 13 points.

Those were the first four points in a 16-0 Kingfisher run to dash the Bluejays’ upset hopes.

Kingfisher’s defense was as stingy as its been all season. The Bluejays were a combination of patient and stymied on the offensive end.

No shot went uncontested and they managed just one field goal in the second quarter.

Meanwhile, Jarret Birdwell scored all eight of his points in the second and Cortes returned to add six in the frame. By halftime, Stone had 17 points and the Jackets boasted a 35-13 lead.

Guthrie loosed up in the third quarter as Kade Whorton scored nine and T.J. Kelly seven more.

The bad news for Guthrie, however, was that Kelly fouled out before the quarter was over…and the Bluejays had no way of stopping Cortes and Stone.

KHS outscored the Bluejays 30-18 in the quarter. Stone and Cortes scored 15 apiece during that stretch.

Cortes hit two treys, but showed his ability to get to the rim as well as Guthrie tried to guard him straight up.

Stone added four field goals, but also showed his improvement at the foul line. He was 7 of 10 in the quarter and 14 of 18 for the game.

Stone was 9 of 11 from the field overall.

Cortes, who scored 26, was 10 of 14.

Stone and Birdwell led the team with six rebounds each.

Stone also had a team-high five assists.

Kelly led Guthrie with 11 points.

It was the third time this year that Guthrie has reached a tournament final. The Bluejays also had to settle for runner-up finishes in Woodward and Weatherford.

Guthrie was 10-5 after the loss. The Bluejays have already won two more games this season than all of last season.

Cortes led three Jackets in double figures in Friday’s 67-37 semifinal win over Christian Heritage Academy.

He scored 20 while Maverick Ridenour added 18 and Stone 16 to go along with 16 rebounds.

Ridenour made three of his four 3-pointers during a 23-5 run by KHS in the first quarter.

In other boys finals on Saturday:

Oklahoma Christian Academy defeated Christian Heritage Academy 52-50 in double-overtime to earn third place. It was OCA’s second win against CHA this season. The first time they met, it was a 52-51 game that went OT.

Chisholm won its final two games to win the consolation championship. The Longhorns defeated Guymon 44-40 Saturday for fifth.

In the seventh place game, Weatherford thumped Harrah 68-49.