Lady Lions win over Lady Saints in homecoming matchup

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Lady Lions Mallory Smith (1) tries to fight off a Lady Saint defender in an attempt to shoot a layup during the Gravette-Shiloh Christian girls' basketball game at the competition gym in Gravette Jan. 12.
Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Lady Lions Mallory Smith (1) tries to fight off a Lady Saint defender in an attempt to shoot a layup during the Gravette-Shiloh Christian girls' basketball game at the competition gym in Gravette Jan. 12.

GRAVETTE -- After earning the title of the 2018 Basketball Homecoming queen, Tori Foster and several members of her court took their places on the bench, eager for the start of the Lady Lions-Lady Saints conference basketball match in the competition gym in Gravette Jan. 12.

Because of the homecoming event, the boys played the first game of the night, allowing their female counterparts a chance to change from gowns and high heels to jerseys and basketball sneakers.

As the first eleven seconds of the first quarter ticked away, Shiloh made its first two points of the night on a layup by Anna McCredy. Two minutes later a three-pointer from the left wing gave the Lady Lions a single point lead. On the very next Gravette possession, a Lady Lions player hit another three-pointer from the right wing, extending their margin to four. The Lady Lions finished the first quarter with a nine-point lead.

Gravette continued its dominance into the second quarter, holding Shiloh scoreless for the first three minutes while extending its lead to 15. By the end of the first half, Gravette had amassed 24 points, taking a 39-15 lead going into the halftime break.

The Lady Saints tried to close the point gap on the Lady Lions in the second half. But Gravette continued its pressure game plan, overwhelming Shiloh to the end. When the final buzzer sounded, the Gravette Lions handily defeated the Shiloh Christian Lady Saints by 30, 64-34.

Two Lady Lions were in double figures, Mallory Smith with 12 and Jessica Bookout with 10. Other Gravette players contributing to this win included Kyrstin Branscum and Tori Foster, each with eight, followed by Maggin McKenzie with seven, Gabbie Curtis, Berenice Garcia and Madison Spencer, each with three, and finally Shylee Morrison with two.

In an earlier game Jan. 9, the Lady Lions traveled to Fayetteville to take on the Haas Hall Mastiffs at Fayetteville Christian School Gym. The Lady Lions took a victory in that contest, 81-36.

Sports on 01/17/2018