GRAVETTE -- It's been a long time since Prairie Grove's girls basketball team had to rebound from a conference loss. About four years to be exact.
But that is what the Lady Tigers faced Friday night on the road after seeing its 36-game 4A-1 Conference winning streak snapped on Tuesday to Ozark.
Prairie Grove shook off the rare loss as three players scored in double-figures in the Lady Tigers' 68-45 win against Gravette to start a new streak.
"I thought we competed a lot harder than we did the other night," Lady Tigers coach Kevin Froud said. "We rebounded the ball better and we shot the ball better."
The Lady Tigers (5-2, 1-1 4A-1) built a big lead in the first quarter as senior Lacey Beeks scored seven of her team-high 15 points to help Prairie Grove to a 20-12 lead at the end of the quarter.
The Lady Lions (1-5, 0-2) scrapped back in the second quarter as senior Sam Pruitt took over the game for a brief stretch. Pruitt scored 9 straight points to open the quarter, and Gravette took a brief 21-20 lead with 4 minutes, 47 seconds left in the first half.
But Prairie Grove went on a big run of its own, closing the quarter on a 14-1 run to take a 34-22 lead into half time.
"We talked about that in the locker room," Gravette coach Will Pittman said. "I asked them where they thought it got away from us, and they said after 21-20. We had about three turnovers in a row, and they hit the shots and it kind of got away from us."
Macie Kultgen helped Prairie Grove slowly pull away in the third quarter, scoring 8 of her 14 points, and the Lady Tigers also got quality play off its bench from Jessica Coffman, who scored 8 points, including a pair of 3-pointers.
Froud was pleased with the way his team rebounded from the Tuesday loss.
"We had a good practice on Wednesday and a good practice on Thursday," he said. "We talked a lot about tradition and what other teams have done and how you've got to go out and make your own. Nobody's going to give it to you. It's going to be a big game every time they play, so we've got to make sure we bring that same intensity every time."
Taylor Hartin scored 15 points for Prairie Grove, including three 3-pointers.
Gravette's got solid play inside from 5-foot-11 Sydney Hicks and 5-10 junior Maddie Foster, who combined for 19 points in the paint.
"Hicks is a sophomore and Foster didn't play last year, so it's like having two sophomores," Pittman said. "I've been pleased with them. They are improving. They've got a long way to go, but I've been proud of what they've done.
Prairie Grove was scheduled to travel to Branson, Mo., to compete in the Winter Weather Shootout that was to feature a host of top-quality teams, Froud said. The Lady Tigers will also compete in the upcoming Siloam Springs tournament the first week of January.
The Lady Tigers have just five seniors on their roster, making this one of the most inexperienced teams Froud has had in a while.
"Any experience we can get and come out with a win is good at this stage," Froud said. "We're paying a lot of young people, too, that haven't played a lot of senior high ball. I think we're just going to gradually get better."
BOYS
GRAVETTE 66
PRAIRIE GROVE 58
Terence Pierce scored 13 of his game-high 23 points in the fourth quarter as Gravette improved to 2-0 in the 4A-1 Conference.
The game was tied at 37-37 at the end of the third quarter before the Lions (6-2, 2-0) took over behind Pierce's three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter. Otto Troutner added 21 for the Lions.
Sports on 12/25/2013