GENTRY -- The Lady Pioneers couldn't quite seal a win early in the Siloam Springs Holiday Classic but finished the tournament with a strong win on Saturday.
The Gentry varsity girls opened their play at the tournament on Thursday with a morning game against Tahlequah (Okla). Though the girls led by 9 points at the end of the first half, up 20-11, Tahlequah played strong in the second half and added 18 points in the final quarter to take the lead and the victory, 36-31.
Haley Borgeteien-James, a sophomore, led the Lady Pioneers in scoring with 14 points. Mallory Morris, another sophomore, added 9. Kristen Flesner and Karoline Page, both seniors, added 6 and 2, respectively.
In consolation play on Friday against Western Grove, the Lady Pioneers trailed throughout the game but played strong in the fourth quarter and came within a basket of tying things up in the final seconds. But Gentry wasn't able to recover from the deficit, and another bucket for Western Grove sealed their victory, with time running out for Gentry. The final was 40-37, Western Grove.
Borgeteien-James again put 14 points on the board for Gentry, followed by 6 each from Page, Flesner and Jordan Olds. Morris and Sofiya Stasiv each added two.
On Saturday, in a contest for seventh-place in the tournament, things were different. The Lady Pioneers grabbed an early lead and held on to their advantage to win, 56-42, over Charleston.
Gentry was up 29-13 at the half and, even though Charleston added 21 points in the final quarter, it wasn't enough.
"The girls just went out and played," said Tim Fulks, girls' coach for Gentry, adding that he hoped the momentum would carry over into this week's league games.
Borgeteien-James again led in scoring, with 21. Olds added 14; Page, 9; Morris, 7; and Flesner, 4.
The Gentry girls were scheduled to play at Pea Ridge on Tuesday (after press time) and at Prairie Grove on Friday.
Sports on 01/08/2014