Lady Lions roar in opening state game

Gravette girls stun the Lady Redskins in first-round game in the Class 4A state tournament

The sign on the bus, "State Bound" tells the story for Gravette's Lady Lions as they prepared to make the bus trip to Heber Springs after earning their first trip to state in ten years. Front row, from the left, Amanda White, Samantha Vanotterloo; second row, Shayenne Nichols, Jacqueline Kappel, Whitney DeWitt, Monica White and Jessica Bayley; back row, Destaney Wishon, Jacquelynn Janes, Kendra Meeker, Takara Waldrip, Shelby Newell, Kaitlyn Britton, Kayla Harrelson, Vanessa Moore and Brenna Sullivan.

The sign on the bus, "State Bound" tells the story for Gravette's Lady Lions as they prepared to make the bus trip to Heber Springs after earning their first trip to state in ten years. Front row, from the left, Amanda White, Samantha Vanotterloo; second row, Shayenne Nichols, Jacqueline Kappel, Whitney DeWitt, Monica White and Jessica Bayley; back row, Destaney Wishon, Jacquelynn Janes, Kendra Meeker, Takara Waldrip, Shelby Newell, Kaitlyn Britton, Kayla Harrelson, Vanessa Moore and Brenna Sullivan.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

— Gravette’s Lady Lions basketball girls turned what was a so-so season into an exciting trip to state competition where a first round win propelled them into the quarter-final round.

It was the first trip to state for Gravette girls since the 1999-2000 season, a trip they earned as they proved the pundits wrong with their third place finish at regionals, where they had been seeded sixth.

Entering state with a 16-16 record, Coach Duane Thomas’ girls topped favored Pocahontas 24-7 last Wednesday to advance to the quarter-finals on Friday where the defense of number 1 seed Star City (30-1) forced turnovers and proved too much for the Lady Lions.

In the Pocahontas game at Heber Springs, writer Paul Nielsen, writing in the Daily Record, described the game this way: “Gravette answered several Pocahontas runs with key baskets and Samantha VanOtterloo made six free throws in the final minute to ice the victory as the Lady Lions stunned the Lady Redskins 52-42 in a first-round game in the Class 4A state tournament.”

In the fourth quarter, Gravette’s 40-26 lead was out to 3 but VanOtterloo tossed a missed Lady Redskins layup down court to Shelby Newell for a crucial lay-up. VanOtterloo followed with her 6 of 6 free throws.

“We like to make it interesting and keep everybody in,” coach Duane Thomas joked after the game. “Newell’s lay-up was a big bucket and the free throws down the stretch made the difference.”

A three pointer by Kyndra Meeker in the third quarter had given Gravette a 32-24 lead and Shayanne Nichols hit two 3-pointers, pushing the Lions to a 40-26 lead at the end of the thirdquarter.

“Nichols is an accomplished player. If they leave her open she will knock it down,” coach Thomas said.

Sophomore Monica White’s defense and board work netted 12 rebounds, 7blocked shots and 3 steals.

Arkansas Democrat-Gazette writer Tim Cooper wrote that Gravette never trailed after the game’s opening two minutes.

Hard Work

“We have really come from the ashes this season,” coach Thomas said. “They’ve worked extremely hard.”

In the Star City game, Cooper wrote that the Lady Dogs out-rebounded Gravette and their defense caused too many first-half turnovers as they held the Lady Lions to just 9 points in the first half. Gravette finished the game with 8 of 35 from the field. Star City won 55-25.

Meeker led the Lions with 10 points, Newell finished with 8, White 3 and VanOtterloo and Nichols each had 2.

“We had some opportunities but we missed some easy shots and free throws,” coach Thomas said. “They’re (Star City) just a little faster off the jump than we are.”

Of the 10 teams in the state playoffs, four are 4-1Aschools: Prairie Grove, Shiloh Christian, Gentry and Gravette, which is a strong showing for area teams.

Although Gravette and Gentry were both eliminated in their quarter-final games, state defendingchampion Prairie Grove and Shiloh Christian will battle for the state title in a game scheduled later this week.

Sports, Pages 9 on 03/09/2011