Lady Lions overwhelm Lady Tigers in conference contest

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS
After being fouled by a Lady Tiger defender, Lady Lion Kaylan Chilton launches a free throw toward the basket late in the third quarter of the Gravette-Prairie Grove conference basketball contest at Lion Arena Friday night.
Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS After being fouled by a Lady Tiger defender, Lady Lion Kaylan Chilton launches a free throw toward the basket late in the third quarter of the Gravette-Prairie Grove conference basketball contest at Lion Arena Friday night.

GRAVETTE -- While snow continued to fall outside Lion Arena Friday night, inside things began to heat up as the Gravette Lady Lions played host to the Prairie Grove Lady Tigers in a 4A-1 conference contest. By the end of the 32-minute contest, the Lady Lions ran away with the game, taking the win by 31 points.

The opening tip went to Gravette's Reese Hamilton, who passed off to Shylee Morrison, who dribbled the ball just inside the left three point line. Morrison passed the ball off to Lizzy Ellis, who was standing in the right-wing behind the three-point line. Ellis put up the shot which landed in the net for the first three points of the contest.

On the Lady Tigers' first possession of the contest, Trinity Dobbs rebounded a teammate's missed shot near the left lane and put the ball up and in for Prairie Grove's first two points of the contest.

At the six-minute mark in the first quarter, Gravette was leading 6-2 when both teams' shooting

games went flat. For the next five minutes, the Lady Lions only managed to land one field goal. This allowed the Lady Tigers a chance to go on a brief run and, with four seconds left, they trailed the Lady Lions by one. Two seconds later, Hamilton was fouled, sending her to the line for two shots. Hamilton missed the first but made the second, giving Gravette a two-point edge, 9-7, over Prairie Grove.

The Lady Tigers' cold streak continued through much of the second quarter. The Lady Lions took full advantage of the situation by extending their lead to 15. But then it was the Lady Lions' shooting game that went flat, giving the Lady Tigers a chance to make up some lost ground. By the end of the second quarter, Prairie Grove trailed by only eight.

The Lady Lions began moving away from the Lady Tigers in the second half, hitting a total of 16 points in the third quarter and 22 in the fourth, while holding Prairie Grove to six in the third and nine in the fourth. The Gravette Lady Lions easily defeated the Prairie Grove Lady Tigers, 60-29, to take the conference win.

In double figures for the Lady Lions was Morrison with 24 points. Ellis and Taylor Neustel each had nine, followed by Kaylan Chilton with eight, Dalacie Wishon and Hamilton each with four, and Kyra Hook with two.

Trinity Dobbs was the only Lady Tiger in double figures, with 17 points. Ella Faulk and Zoey Hubbs contributed five points each to the Prairie Grove's scoring effort, followed by Ariana Harrel and Olivia Kestner each with one.

Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS
Lady Lion Rachel Deihl (12) and Lady Tiger Ariana Harrel (21) fights for control of a rebound during the second quarter of the Gravette-Prairie Grove conference contest in Gravette Friday night. Deihl was able to pull down the ball passing it off to a teammate.
Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Lady Lion Rachel Deihl (12) and Lady Tiger Ariana Harrel (21) fights for control of a rebound during the second quarter of the Gravette-Prairie Grove conference contest in Gravette Friday night. Deihl was able to pull down the ball passing it off to a teammate.
Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS
As Lady Lion Kaylan Chilton (top) drives to the basket, Lady Tiger Zoey Hubbs tries to block her route but is knocked down by Chilton during the Friday night Gravette-Prairie Grove basketball contest in Gravette. Because Hubbs was not set, official did not call a charging foul on Chilton.
Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS As Lady Lion Kaylan Chilton (top) drives to the basket, Lady Tiger Zoey Hubbs tries to block her route but is knocked down by Chilton during the Friday night Gravette-Prairie Grove basketball contest in Gravette. Because Hubbs was not set, official did not call a charging foul on Chilton.
Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS
Lady Lion Shylee Morrison (right) beats out Lady Tiger Ella Faulk as Morrison goes up for a layup during the Friday night conference contest between Gravette and Prairie Grove at Lion Arena in Gravette. Morrison made the basket for two of her 24 points for the contest.
Westside Eagle Observer/MIKE ECKELS Lady Lion Shylee Morrison (right) beats out Lady Tiger Ella Faulk as Morrison goes up for a layup during the Friday night conference contest between Gravette and Prairie Grove at Lion Arena in Gravette. Morrison made the basket for two of her 24 points for the contest.