Blackhawk teams get by Pioneers

Photo by Randy Moll Gentry junior, Brent Barker, attempts a shot over Pea Ridge junior, Tristan Trundle, in play between the two teams at Gentry on Jan. 28.
Photo by Randy Moll Gentry junior, Brent Barker, attempts a shot over Pea Ridge junior, Tristan Trundle, in play between the two teams at Gentry on Jan. 28.

GENTRY -- The Lady Blackhawks played a strong final period against the Lady Pioneers to take back the lead and win the Jan. 28 game in Gentry, 43-34.

Pea Ridge jumped ahead in the opening minutes, with a 2-pointer by junior Ashley Thilemier. Savannah Cypert, a senior, added two from the free-throw line. Carley Sanders, another senior, put in yet another 2; and senior Cassi Caton hit one as well -- and all this before the Gentry girls put any points on the board.

But Gentry's Karoline Page, senior guard, finally got the Lady Pioneers on the scoreboard when she sank one from behind the 3-point line. Haley Borgeteien-James, sophomore, drew a foul and made both free throws to help cut Gentry's deficit in half. Aspen Cripps, a senior, added two to bring Gentry within a point, 8-7.

Cypert made a 2-pointer and drew a foul to add a point behind the free-throw line, putting Pea Ridge back up by 4. Borgeteien-James put in another 2 before the buzzer to finish the period down 11-9.

Gentry took the lead in the opening seconds of the second period when the Lady Pioneers got the rebound off a missed shot and Page sank another 3-pointer. Page added another basket in the period, and Borgeteien-James put in two buckets.

The Lady Blackhawks grabbed back the lead and widened the gap with a basket by Cypert and treys by junior Mikheala Cochran, Thilemier and Kealy Skaggs.

Coming out of the locker room down, 22-18, Gentry senior, Kristen Flesner, sank a 3-pointer, to narrow the gap. Treys by Cochran and Gentry's Mallory Morris offset each other, making it possible for Gentry to reclaim the lead with a bucket by Flesner. When Cochran drew a foul, she evened the score at 26 by making one of two free-throws. Morris put Gentry back on top with a 2-pointer, to make it a 28-26 ball game going into the final period of play.

A trey by Caton, followed by two free throws each by Sanders, Cochran and Thilemier, gave Pea Ridge the advantage. Page dropped another 3-pointer to get Gentry on the board in the period, but Cochran answered with two more shots from under the basket.

Pea Ridge widened its lead in the final minutes with another four free throws by Cochran, making it 43-31 in favor of Pea Ridge. With just seconds left, Morris hit another shot from behind the 3-point line for the Lady Pioneers to make the final, 43-34, Pea Ridge.

Cochran led the Lady Blackhawks in scoring with 17 points. Cypert and Thilemier each had 7. Caton had 5.

For Gentry, Page led in scoring with 11 for the night. She was followed by Morris and Borgeteien-James with 8 apiece. Flesner had 5.

BOYS

Pea Ridge 34

Genty 25

In a slow and deliberate game, the Blackhawks adjusted their playing style to defeat the Pioneers, who took their time and passed the ball from player to player and set up screens until a shot could be taken from close in and underneath the basket.

"We are just trying to be very patient and get the best shot possible," said Gentry coach Sean Price. "By doing that, we are trying to force the defense to make a mistake and give us an opportunity to get an easy basket. By controlling the tempo, it slows down the other team's offense."

And the strategy appeared to work well, but adjustments allowed the Blackhawks to hold the Pioneers outside and minimize their scoring opportunities.

Pea Ridge was up by one, 5-4, at the end of the first period, and by three at the half, 15-12. In the third period, the Blackhawks held the Pioneers to 2 points and widened the gap by posting 12 points of their own. Though Gentry put 11 points on the board in the final period, the late comeback was not enough for the Pioneers.

The final was 34-25, Pea Ridge.

Leading the scoring for Gentry was Brent Barker with 10, Matt Juillerat with 6, Ryan Hockenberry with 3, and Wally Dane and Dusty Haag held to 2 apiece.

Gentry 4 8 2 11 25

Pea Ridge 5 10 12 7 34

Sports on 02/05/2014