GRAVETTE — Gravette finished with a bang last Tuesday night.
The Lady Lions erased a 15-point fourth-quarter Berryville lead and Taylor Detring hit four free throws in the final minute, 23 seconds as Gravette defeated the Lady Bobcats 45-43 in the 4A-1 Conference opener for both teams.
Detring’s game-winning free throws came with 10.3 seconds remaining and capped a closing 19-2 run by the Lady Lions.
Julia Himsl scored eight of her 10 points during the fourth quarter run. Morgan Bayley and Shelby Newell also finished with 10 points each for Gravette.
“Give the credit to our kids, they fought back,” Gravette coach Duane Thomas said. “We made a few baskets and got the momentum and then we turned up the defensive intensity. We were able to pressure them a little bit and (Berryville) got jittery.
“We made a few shots and we got there.”
Elise Holman, who had 21 points for the Lady Bobcats, gave Berryville (1-3, 0-1 4A-1) a 41-26 lead with 7:18 left in the game but Gravette (4-1, 1-0) answered with a 11-0 run that cut the lead to 41-37.
Sophomore Shyanne Nichols came off the bench and hit a 3-pointer during the run that Thomas said provided a huge lift.
“(Nichols) is capable of doing that,” Thomas said. “We expect a lot out of her.”
Detring tied the game at 43 and the senior then provided the game-wining free throws for a 45-43 lead with about 10 seconds left. A desperation shot by Berryville with 2 seconds to go was way off the mark. Berryville had 10 turnovers in the final 7 minutes of the game.
“We have never really been put in that situation with a lead in the fourth quarter,” Berryville coach Kristin Whetham said. “We usually have to work hard for everything we get.
“Defensively, we slacked off and gave Gravette everything they wanted.”
Berryville 60, Lions 44
In Boys’ action the Lions played the Berryville Bobcats close through the first half but dropped a 60-44 heartbreaker.
Cody Montee was top scorer for the Lions with 10, Strzelecki and McGarrah each had 8, Hendren 6, Bilderback 5, Gaudian 3 and Davis and Daniels 2 apiece.
Pea Ridge was to travel to Gravette this Tuesday night and Prairie Grove invades Lion Fieldhouse Friday night. Next Monday teams from Greenland are in Gravette.
News, Pages 11 on 12/09/2009