GENTRY — It was a close game all the way for the Pioneers when they faced the visiting Berryville Bobcats on Thursday night, but Wyatt Clark hit a three pointer in the fourth quarter to give the Pioneers the victory, 58-56.
Berryville had the lead in the first quarter, 9-8, but Gentry came back behind the shooting of Matt Juillerat and Cole Cripps to have the edge at the half, 30-28. By the end of the third, Gentry was still up by two, but that lead was challenged in the fourth and it looked like Berryville might steal the win.
It was then that Clark saved the day with two free throws, a two pointer and a three. Cripps also hit a pair of deuces and a free throw and Juilleratt put in a two pointer, giving Gentry a two-point advantage at the final buzzer.
"We had a great opportunity to start conference, 2-0," said Sean Price, Gentry's head basketball coach. "Every game we play is going to be a big game. I'm proud of our team for overcoming some difficult situations tonight. We didn't shoot the ball well, but Wyatt Clark hit a big three for us in the fourth quarter."
Cripps led the Pioneers in shooting with 17 points in the game, most breaking through the defense to put one in under the basket. Clark had 13 for the night and Juillerat had 12. Austin Thompson had eight, C.J. Taylor had six and Jake Faulkenberry had two.
GIRLS
Gentry 35, Berryville 27
On the girls' side, the Lady Pioneers had trouble hitting the basket until about midway through the third quarter when Haley Borgeteien-James started hitting basket after basket. She scored 12 of Gentry's 13 points in the quarter, including swishing two three pointers, to give the Lady Pioneers the boost and momentum they needed to take the game.
Things started off slow, with the Lady Pioneers hitting only one two pointer and two free throws in the opening quarter. The second quarter wasn't much better. Borgeteien-James sunk a two-pointer and two free throws and Mallory Morris put one in for two.
The Lady Pioneers were down by two at the end of the first quarter and by three at the half, but that all changed in the third quarter, when the Lady Pioneers added 13 points to the board and held the Lady Bobcats to five.
And the Lady Pioneers, though they gave up the ball a few times, continued to build their lead in the fourth. Haley Hays dropped in two three pointers and Borgeteien-James hit three deuces and a pair of free throws to give Gentry the win.
Borgeteien-James put 26 points on the board for the Gentry girls. Hays had six.
The wins for both teams continue their winning streaks and put them at 2-0 in conference play. The boys are 6-1 for the season, having lost to Ozark. The girls remain undefeated for the season, 9-0.