GRAVETTE — It wasn't what most expected and it took the boys five quarters to do it, but both the Pioneers and Lady Pioneers came out on top in play against the Gravette Lions and Lady Lions on Friday night. The girls won, 53-46, in regulation play; and the boys won, 49-45, in overtime.
Consistency and persistence was the name of the game for Gentry. Both teams played hard and never let up.
Hannah Boss led the Gentry girls with 18 points in the game. Kya DeZurik had 10.
On the Gravette side, Tori Foster had 15, and Cally Kildow 13.
The Lady Pioneers controlled the lane and forced the Lady Lions to shoot from outside and then grabbed up the rebounds to keep an edge in the game.
Gentry was up, 21-19, at the half, but Gravette had the edge after three quarters, 34-31. DeZurik picked up 8 points in the final quarter to help the Lady Pioneers pick up another 22 points and the victory.
The Lady Lions fell to 6-1 in conference play. The Lady Pioneers are now 7-1.
Gentry 49
Gravette 45
On the boys' side, seniors Jon Faulkenberry had 18 points and Ethan Hammond had 17, including a three-pointer in the fourth quarter which kept Gentry in the game.
Dayten Wishon had 23 points for the Lions and was the top scorer in the game.
The lead went back and forth, with Gravette up, 5-4, after the first quarter and Gentry up, 15-14 at the half. Gentry was up by two at the end of three, and Gravette took back the lead in the fourth quarter but couldn't keep it. A Gravette basket just before the buzzer tied things up at 38.
In the four-minute overtime, it looked like Lions might get the win but the Pioneers fought back and took the lead, forcing the Lions to foul and intentionally miss a free throw for a chance to stay in the game. In the end, free throws by Faulkenberry, Hammond and Wilkinson put the game out of the Lions' reach.
The Lions are 5-2 in conference play. The Pioneers are 3-6.
