PRAIRIE GROVE -- The Lady Tigers clinched a share of the 4A-1 Conference regular-season title with a 53-36 win against the Lady Pioneers on Friday.
The victory guarantees Prairie Grove a spot in the regional tournament that it's hosting here next week because the top two finishers from the regular season receive a bye into the semifinals of the district tourney, where the top four teams will advance to regionals.
"It's just another check mark," said Prairie Grove coach Kevin Froud. "Now, we just have to take the next step and that's to win [district] outright, not share it with anybody and finish out strong with two conference games left."
After Taylor Doss' 3-pointer gave the Lady Tigers a 38-29 lead early in the fourth quarter, they began playing keep away from Gentry by running a high-weave offense. After successfully milking more than 90 seconds of game clock, Gentry coach Toby Tevebaugh did the equivalent of a full-body eye roll before signaling for a timeout.
The exhausted, exasperated look on his face mirrored that of his players, who were playing their third game in four days. The Lady Pioneers defeated Shiloh Christian 62-33 at home on Tuesday before losing 37-36 at Huntsville on Wednesday.
"I think that the biggest factor in the game was we just kind of got worn down," Tevebaugh said. "They're really, really physical. They lean on you. They push on you and everything you do is contested. And I just think it took its toll on us over the course of the whole week."
Trying to play from behind late was not what Tevebaugh had in mind after Gentry used a 7-0 run to close out the first quarter with a 15-13 lead. The Lady Pioneers scored just seven points in each of the next three quarters, and the deficit was too much to overcome once Prairie Grove began running its stall ball offense down the stretch.
"Once they get the lead, they're going to make free throws and not turn the ball over," Tevebaugh said. "You may be only three or four points down, but they'll turn it into 15 in a hurry."
That recipe has helped Froud build a powerhouse during his 12 years as Prairie Grove's head coach. It's the second year in a row the Lady Tigers have earned at least a share of the conference title.
"Try to get the lead late and make them come get us," Froud said. "Then, just rely on your defense and make free throws, and the girls have done a good job with it."
Boys
Prairie Grove 65, Gentry 57
Prairie Grove's boys placed four players in double figures to help complete the sweep and wrap up an ideal night for Tigers fans. Dylan Soehner led the way with 15 points and Zeke Laird provided a spark off the bench with 11 points, including three, 3-pointers.
Coaches and players from both teams sported pink apparel as part of a "Pink Out for Tracy Tice" fundraiser. Tice, who was in attendance and all smiles after watching both varsity teams win, is a popular second-grade teacher at Prairie Grove who was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer.
Girls
Prairie Grove 53, Gentry 36
Gentry^15^7^7^7^--^36
Home Team^13^15^7^18^--^53
Gentry (15-7, 7-5): James 14, Morris 11, Lawrence 5, Ward 3, Boss 3.
Prairie Grove (19-3, 12-0): M. Hartin 20, Lopez 11, T. Hartin 10, Doss 5, Cox 4, Bartholomew 2, Vinson 1.
Boys
Prairie Grove 65, Gentry 57
Gentry^13^9^15^20^--^57
Prairie Grove^14^18^9^24^--^65
Gentry (12-10, 5-7): Cripps 19, Clark 12, Taylor 11, Juillerat 7, Faulkenberry 6, Folker 2.
Prairie Grove (4-18, 3-9): Soehner 15, Laird 11, Disney 11, Ellis 10, Heltemes 7, Strong 7, Simmons 4.
Sports on 02/10/2016