The Chandler and Prague girls basketball teams played what amounted to a barnstorming tour of Central Oklahoma this season, meeting four times in four locations in less than a month.
Prague, ranked No. 11 in the state, won all four of the games by an average score of 34-27 while rolling up a record of 23-4.
But the Lincoln County rivals weren’t done. They played themselves into the semifinals of the area consolation playoff bracket and met Friday afternoon at Western Heights.
The fifth time was the charm for the Lady Lions, who jumped out to a 9-2 lead in the first quarter and led throughout to claim an intense and physical 46-35 victory.
The difference in this game and the previous four?
“This one, we made some shots,” said Chandler coach Rodney Treat. “The previous four games, we played great defense, but when it came down to it, we couldn’t score.
“They never scored more than 40 points on us, and I told our girls that if we scored, we’d be in the ballgame and be able to take care of business.”
The Lady Lions got a couple of first-half threes from Jaelynn Robertson, a three from Morgan Fowble and a couple of one-handed jumpers in the lane from Hannah Vandenbrand and moved to a 20-15 lead at the half.
Leah Brannon, who sat much of the first half due to foul problems, came back in the second half and added eight points.
Taylor Hodges had seven of the Lady Devils’ 15 first-half points, but ran into foul trouble but drew her fifth foul in the fourth quarter.
Fellow senior Diana Manning got her fifth foul moments later.
The final period became a free-throw shooting contest, with Chandler putting up 20 and Prague 7. The Lady Lions canned 12 of them, which was enough to keep Prague at bay and advance to the consolation finals, where a win would put them in the state tournament.
Such was not to happen, though, as Alva won 52-32.