GENTRY — The Gentry Pioneer basketball team has already equaled its number of wins from last season, and coach Conlan Efurd says maturity is a big reason why.

“I’ve got six of my top seven back,” Efurd said.

“We were really young last year, though.”

The Pioneers (9-4, 0-1 4A-1 Conference) bounced back from a three-game losing streak in mid-December to defeat Colcord, Okla., (70-38) and Lincoln (56-51).

Efurd has been blessed with a great deal of flexibility in his lineup, and team captain Robbie White is a good example. The 6-foot-1 senior played point guard last season, but has been shifted to power forward this season and is the team’s second-leading rebounder.

“He’s a thicker kid and we had to move him to point,” Efurd said. “He did a good job for us.”

Justin Bryant, a 5-foot-10 junior, starts at the point now for the Pioneers. Another junior, Joe Morris, starts at offguard and averages just a shade more than 12 points per game.

“Sometimes we have four guards and one post in the game,” Efurd said. “We can go as many as nine deep.”

Kevin Scherer, a 6-6 junior post, leads the Pioneers, while senior James Wiand rounds out the starting lineup. Senior Aaron Dallas Rosa and Dylan Adler, a 6-4 sophomore, provide good depth.

Senior Caleb Ramsey is coming back off a broken arm and has earned playing time in the Pioneers’ last two games.

The Pioneers were scheduled to visit PrairieGrove on Friday night, but the game was postponed due to the snow and cold.

Basketball schedule changes for Gentry are as follows: Jan. 13 - at Prairie Grove, four games, junior varsity boys and girls and senior varsity boys and girls games, with games beginning at 4 p.m.;

Jan. 26 - Pea Ridge at Gentry, four games with the first beginning at 4 p.m. ; Feb. 6 - at Pea Ridge, four games, with the first beginning at 2 p.m.

Decatur Uses Defense For Win

Decatur picked up a key conference victory before Christmas when the Lady Bulldogs defeated Mulberry by four points. Decatur (2-8, 1-3 2A-4 Conference) used a stifling defense to notch the win.

“We played a lot of pressure defense,” Decatur coach Donnie Smith said. “We did a lot of trapping and we pressed fullcourt. That really helped us get the win.”

Senior point guard Kimmy Nelson is averaging 18 points a game for Decatur.

“She is the team leader and she plays hard,” Smith said. “She is also pretty decent from 3-point range.” Updated Decatur Schedule Updated January Decatur Bulldog Basketball Schedule Jan. 14 Union Canceled Jan. 15 Magazine Home 4 p.m. Jr/Sr High Jan. 18 Mulberry Home 6 p.m. Jr High Jan. 19 Mulberry Away 6 p.m. Sr High Jan. 21 JC Westside Home 5 p.m. Sr High Jan. 22 Eureka Springs Home/Colors Day 5 p.m. Jr/Sr High Jan. 23 Harford Away 5 p.m. Sr High Jan. 28 Westside Away 4 p.m. Jr/Sr High Jan. 29 Union Canceled

Sports, Pages 7 on 01/13/2010