GENTRY — The Gentry girls didn’t need their rhythm to record a 61-43 win against rival Gravette last Tuesday.
The Lady Lions hung around most of the game, using a zone defense to throw off Gentry. The Lady Pioneers (14-3, 4-1 4A-1 Conference) capitalized on turnovers, though, to pull away for the win.
A second-quarter run gave Gentry a doubledigit lead at half-time but the Lady Lions cut the lead to seven early in the fourth quarter before turnovers sunk their comeback chances.
Gravette’s Morgan Bayley hit a 3-pointer as part of a 9-3 run to cut the lead to 38-31 but Gravette didn’t score again until the final minute of the third quarter.
The Lady Lions (7-10,2-4) had five turnovers before Taylor Detring’s late 3-pointer but Gentry’s Kelsea Whitten answered with a 3-pointer for another 11-point lead. Whitten finished with a game-high 14 points.
Gravette’s Shyanne Nichols hit consecutive 3-pointers early in the fourth and Samantha Vanotterloo’s single free throw cut the lead to 47-41, but Gentry finished the game on a 14-2 burst, including a bucket off a turnover.
We let them get away from us on missed layups and turnovers,” Gravette coach Duane Thomas said. “They’re pretty good and they took advantage of it.”
Alsup led Gravette scoring with 13 points; Nichols had 10, Himsl and Bayley 6 each, Vanotterloo 5 and Detring 3.
Gravette 58 - Gentry 31
Gravette turned up theheat against their arch rivals when they visited the Gentry Pioneer gym last Tuesday. They brought home a 58-36 win, their first conference victory.
Gravette senior Cody Montee and sophomore Jeremy McGarrah each had 14 points.
McGarrah scored six quick points inside to start the second quarter to open a 20-13 lead for Gravette (4-13, 1-5).
He added eight points in the third, including a layup to beat the buzzer for a 40-29 lead.
Montee scored five of his points on technical-foul free throws as the Pioneers (9-8, 0-5) were called for four technicals and one flagrant foul.
Adding to Montee’s and McGarrah’s scoring were Hendren with 11 points, Daniels 6, Alexander 5, O’Brien and Bilderback 3 each and Davis 2.
Sports, Pages 10 on 01/27/2010