NORMAN — Putnam City North’s signature pressure defense led to points as the Panthers advanced in the 6A state tournament with a 48-39 win over Edmond North Wednesday (March 11) at Lloyd Noble Center.
North scored 23 points off of 20 Edmond North turnovers in the win.
The Huskies opened the game with a 4-0 lead. North began to press and Edmond North started turning the ball over and North took the lead.
The Huskies stormed back to tie the game at 10 just before the end of the first quarter. After senior Da’Nae Jefferson wrestled away a rebound, senior Makiya Moore scored to retake the lead.
After that bucket, Edmond North couldn’t get the ball to midcourt. Panther senior Kiana Gray stole the ball from Edmond North’s Kinzie Hazzard and scored. North had scored four points in 25 seconds for a 14-10 lead at the end of the quarter.
North had added only a point midway through the second quarter when two straight steals led to buckets from seniors Tehli Kutsoati and Paige Williams for a 9-point lead, 19-10.
By halftime, North had a 24-13 lead.
The Panthers added to the lead in the third quarter and led by as many as 15 points at the 3:04 mark in the quarter. Edmond North cut the lead to nine points (33-24) but North’s Kutsoati and Gray forced a jump ball giving the Panthers the ball with 18 seconds left in the quarter.
That led to Gray hitting her only 3-pointer, a buzzer-beater, and North had a double-digit lead again, 36-24.
Edmond North stayed within 9-11 points most of the fourth quarter but was unable to get closer.
The Panthers’ only blemish was at the free throw line where they sank 7 of 15 shots.
Kutsoati scored 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Kutsoati had a rebound and three steals. Jefferson added 11 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals. Jefferson shot 4-of-9 from the field.
Williams followed with nine points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals. Williams was 3-of-5 from the field.
Gray didn’t have a great day shooting from beyond the arc (1-of-5) but she had six steals and three rebounds to go with five points.
TIP-INS
- North won the battle in the paint, 24-14.
- The Panthers had an 8-2 advantage on second chance points, despite being outrebounded 26-22.
- Helped by the turnovers, North had a 21-5 advantage on fast breaks.
- The Panthers turned the ball over nine times,
- North shot nearly 43 percent from the field but struggled from the 3-point line at 29 percent (5-of-17).
- Moore finished with four points (on 2-of-5 shooting). She had three rebounds.
- Junior Demy Howard scored a point and had two rebounds. Howard also had an assist and a steal.
UP NEXT
The Panthers (28-1) will face Bixby (25-5) in the 6A semifinals Thursday (March 12) at 2:30 p.m. at Carl Albert.
The Spartans won District 6A-4 with a 13-1 district mark. Bixby had a 14-game winning streak snapped last Thursday in the area playoffs by Muskogee in a 52-44.
On Saturday, the Spartans beat Union, 50-39, to advance to state. Bixby downed Choctaw in the first round at state on Wednesday, 50-43.
Photographs courtesy of Richard T. Clifton.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edmond North (25-5) | 10 | 3 | 11 | 15 | 39 |
| Putnam City North (28-1) | 14 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 48 |
PUTNAM CITY NORTH – Kutsoati 18, Jefferson 11, Williams 9, Gray 5, Moore 4, Howard 1.
CLASS 6A GIRLS OKLAHOMA STATE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
WEDNESDAY, March 11, 2026 (At Lloyd Noble Center)
Putnam City North 48, Edmond North 39
Bixby 50, Choctaw 43
Mustang 62, Bartlesville 55
Muskogee 65, Westmoore 50
THURSDAY, March 12, 2026 (At Carl Albert High School)
Mustang vs. Muskogee, 1 p.m.
Putnam City North vs. Bixby, 2:30 p.m.
FRIDAY, March 13, 2026 (At OG&E Coliseum)
Championship game, 1 p.m.
West Metro Sports 