Times Staff

ELK CITY - Going into the fourth quarter of their game with Elk City on Tuesday night, the Altus High Bulldogs faced a lot of adversity.

It was during the fourth quarter that they had three starters with four fouls and one other had to come out of the game because of an injury. The Bulldogs fought through that adversity and found a way to defeat Elk City 61-59.

During the fourth quarter, both of Altus' post players Braden Cunningham and Raegan Vaughan had four fouls along with James Lewis. Cunningham fouled out with 4:41 left in the game and James Holt had to leave the game with 2:21 left because of an ankle injury.

The Elks (10-1) are ranked seventh in class 4A and has had some problems of their own. They played without the services of its leading scorer, Cade Davis. Davis, a 6-5 sophomore was held out of the game because of disciplinary reasons.

Altus played well early in the game and when Holt hit a follow shot midway into the quarter the Bulldogs led 14-8.

Elk City went on a 15-point scoring spree to lift the Elks to 23-14 lead.

Altus battled back and when Raegan Vaughan rebounded a missed shot and put it back in, the Bulldogs trailed only 30-28 with one minute left in the first half.

Chris Evans, who scored 14 points of his 21 total points in the first half, then made two free throws and the Elks carried a 32-28 lead into the intermission.

The Bulldogs worked themselves in a hole when they sputtered during the opening minutes of the third quarter. They found themselves with a 39-29 deficit.

The Bulldogs outscored Elk City 17-4 down the third quarter stretch and took a 46-43 lead into the fourth quarter.

The final period was a wild one. The score was tied six times and the lead exchanged hands on six occasions.

Altus trailed 59-56 with 1:18 remaining. A few seconds later Robert Manning sank a shot to make it 59-58. Moments after that Dan Goodson came up with a steal and a layup to give the Bulldogs a 60-59. After a missed shot by the Elks, Lewis made one of two free throws with 23 seconds left to put Altus ahead 61-59.

Elk City had one more opportunity but a last second shot rimmed off and the Bulldogs garnered their fifth victory of the season.

Four Bulldogs scored in double figures. Vaughan had 13 points, Evan Mustard, Holt, and Lewis all had 10 points.

Altus, 5-5 on the season, will play Ada in the first round of the Clester Harrington Basketball Tournament at 8 p.m. Thursday at Cletus B. Street Fieldhouse.

ALTUS 61, ELK CITY 59

Boys

Altus - Mustard 10, Holt 10, Lewis 10, Cunningham 8, Vaughan 13, Goodson 8, Manning 2.

Elk City Evans 21, Kilhoffer 2, Heimer 6, Yost 23, Perkins 2, Cupp 2, Ezell 3.

Altus 14 14 18 15 - 61

Elk City 19 13 11 16 59