Gentry teams win colors' day games

Photo by Randy Moll Wyatt Clark dribbles around a Haas Hall Academy player during play in Gentry on Friday.
Photo by Randy Moll Wyatt Clark dribbles around a Haas Hall Academy player during play in Gentry on Friday.

GENTRY -- Both the varsity boys' and girls' teams won in Friday night games against visiting Haas Hall Academy. The games followed colors' day ceremonies in Gentry.

The Gentry boys were ahead 15 to 7 at the end of the first quarter, but Haas Hall fought its way back to within one point by the halftime buzzer, 28-27. Gentry played a strong defensive third quarter, holding Haas Hall to only two baskets, and put 13 more points on the board with strong shooting by Jake Faulkenberry and C.J. Taylor. Wyatt Clark also added three with a shot from the outside.

In the final quarter, Ethan Hammond sunk two from behind the three-point line, Taylor and Faulkenberry picked up a pair of deuces, and Cole Cripps put in two baskets and two free throws to seal up the game for Gentry, 66-39. Daniel Thao also got his chance to shine with a three-pointer.

Taylor had 14 points, Faulkenberry had 12, Clark put in 11, Hammond had 9 (three behind the line), Cripps and Matt Juillerat each had 6.

GIRLS

The Lady Pioneers won, too, in the late game on Friday, 44-29. Gentry scored eight in the first, 12 in the second, 19 in the third and five points in the final quarter, steadily building a lead over the visiting girls from Haas Hall and capping off their colors' day ceremonies with the win.

Mallory Morris, crowned queen earlier in the evening, led in scoring with 11 points. Haley Borgeteien-James picked up 10 points for Gentry. Haley Hays had nine.

To add to the excitement of the game, when the Lady Pioneers scored their first basket of the night, students and fans threw stuffed animals and toys down onto the court, filling the air and covering the floor, and Santa Claus and numerous student and teacher helpers picked up numerous bags full of the toys. The toy donations were part of a student-led project to collect new stuffed animals for the Arkansas Children's Shelter in Highfill.

For more game photos, go to Gentry v. Haas Hall - 2015.

Sports on 12/16/2015