Lady Tigers claim summer team camp title

Byron Beers, Tahlequah Daily Press, Okla.
·2 min read

Jun. 18—Tahlequah won a summer team camp championship Friday at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas.

The Lady Tigers went 7-1 over the three-day camp. They posted at 38-37 win over Blue Springs, a 37-25 victory over Carl Junction, a 22-17 win over Olathe Northwest, a 31-21 win over Olathe West Blue, a 34-10 victory over Rogers, a 42-18 win over Individuals, and a 36-25 victory over Tipton. The lone loss for Tahlequah, who claimed the Varsity B Championship, came in a 34-24 setback to Liberty North.

"Our team really had a productive camp, and we improved in several different areas," Tahlequah head coach David Qualls said. "We competed against quality programs from Missouri, Kansas and Arkansas. Our players also got the chance to bond off the court as well, which is always good."

The Lady Tigers, who just participated in the Northeastern State University Team Camp last week, went 22-4 overall last season, but must replace standout point guard Smalls Goudeau, who's now at University of Texas-Arlington, guards Lydia McAlvain, Tatum Havens and Lily Couch, and forward Faith Springwater. Goudeau and Springwater were All-State selections.

Junior forwards Kori Rainwater and Jadyn Buttery will be Tahlequah's most experienced players going into 2022. Rainwater has offers from Arkansas Tech, Newman, Drury and Emporia State, and Buttery is capable of playing all five positions.

Rainwater averaged nine points and six rebounds as a sophomore. She shot 45.4 percent overall from the floor and led the Lady Tigers with 25 blocked shots.

Buttery averaged 7.9 points and 5.2 rebounds last season. She also showed the ability to knock down 3-pointers where she shot 40 percent on 25 attempts. Buttery shot a team-high 53.9 percent overall and was third on the team in both assists (51) and steals (51).