Stories from Thursday, February 9, 2012

Harrisburg jumped out to 12-2 lead after one period of play and never looked back as the Lady Hornets went on to post a 48-38 victory over Earle last Thursday night in Harrisburg. Nikki Pierce led three Harrisburg players in double figures with 18 points. Kelly Simpson pitched in 14 and Natalie Eaton added 10 for the Lady Hornets. Harrisburg won the junior girls' game, 37-19, behind Samantha Balentine's 17 points.

Bay had not lost a game since the finals of the NEA tournament. Cedar Ridge gave Bay that loss and brought a perfect 26-0 record to Bay last Thursday night for a rematch. Bay got down early, fought their way back, but in the end the Timberwolves kept their record perfect with a 58-47 victory. Each team traded a basket in the first two minutes of the game with Dylan Loven scoring Bay's basket. Cedar Ridge scored a conventional three-pointer before Gunner Freeman tied the game at five with a three-point shot with 5:00 left in the opening period. Cedar Ridge used an 8-0 run over the next three minutes to build a 13-5 lead before Tyson Oliver canned a three-pointer to pull Bay within five at 13-8 with 1:51 left in the first period. The Timberwolves responded with a three-pointer before the period ended setting the score at 16-8 after one period of play. Kail Harris and Oliver scored back to back buckets to open the second period cutting the lead in half at 16-12. Cedar Ridge scored a basket with 6:00 left to push the lead back to six, 18-12. The teams traded baskets before Freeman is fouled and hits one of two free throws making the score 22-15. Cedar Ridge goes on a 5-0 run to go up by 12 at 27-15. Oliver cut the lead back to nine, 27-18, with a three-pointer with 2:19 left in the half. Freeman got the 'Jackets to within six at 27-21 hitting a basket and making the free throw after being fouled only to see Cedar Ridge score again before half making the score 29-21 as the teams went to the locker rooms. Loven scored a quick basket as he's fouled opening up the third period. The three-point play cuts the lead to five, 29-24, less than a minute into the period. After trading baskets Cedar Ridge hits an inside shot and his fouled on the play. Bay coach Brad Brannen questions the call and is issued a technical. Cedar Ridge hits the free throw on the foul play and then hits one of two on the technical to set the score at 35-26 with 4:41 left in the third. Bay cut the lead to two with a 7-0 run as Loven hit a jumper and Freeman got an easy layup off a steal before hitting a three-pointer with 2:45 left in the period making the score 35-33. Cedar Ridge outscored Bay 9-3 closing out the third with a 44-36 lead. Bay cut the lead to four at 44-40 with two Oliver free throws and a Loven jumper only to see Cedar Ridge score back to back buckets to make it 48-40 with 4:40 left to play. Oliver and Craft hit back to back shots for Bay to cut the lead to six at 50-44 with 3:00 left to play. Holt hit a three-pointer with 49 seconds left to play making the score 53-47 before Cedar Ridge closed the game out scoring the last five points for the 58-47 win. Loven led three Bay (25-5) players in double digits with 14. Oliver added 12 and Freeman scored 11. "They (Cedar Ridge) shot the ball well and I felt like we didn't shoot well," Brannen commented after the game." "This game will motivate us to get better."

Trumann's Lady Wildcats visited the Lady Pirates from Gosnell this past Monday in 4A-3 girls' basketball action. The game needed two extra periods as Gosnell posted a 56-49 victory. The game was tied at 38 after four periods of play. Each team scored four in the first overtime making the score 42-42 and forcing the second overtime period. Gosnell caught fire in the last frame outscoring Trumann 14-7 to post the win. Trumann (8-17, 3-11) was led in scoring on the night by Jazmye Nixon with 18 points. Julia Jones added 10 for the Lady Wildcats. Trumann will host Bay Friday night for Senior Night.

The Trumann girls' sixth grade team just capped off another great season which also capped a fantastic pee-wee career. The girls on the team have played together for three years and have had a tremendous run. The girls are coached by Mike Dungan. The team played in the Northeast Arkansas Basketball Conference comprised of 10 teams broken down into two divisions. Trumann played in the west division with Bay, Brookland, Caraway and Harrisburg. The girls have won their division for three straight years while compiling a 29-1 record. They captured the conference championship three straight years going 9-0 in doing so. They boast a 50-9 overall record in the three years they played together. In addition to the division and conference titles, the girls also won the Westside Hot Shot basketball tournament and placed third in the Valley View Blazer Shoot-Out Blue Division tournament this season. Team members include: Misty Moye, Kendall Pruitt, Mya Chandler, Lexi Jackson, Baylee Bowers, Clementine Collins, Olivia Greenwell, Hannah Craig, Anna Waleszonia, Emilee Bibb, Destiney Hensley, Kaitlynn Hernandez and Riley Staten. Congratulations girls!!

Bay's Lady 'Jackets hosted the Lady Timberwolves from Cedar Ridge last Thursday in senior girls' basketball. The Lady T-wolves had an answer for every Bay run as they posted a 60-50 victory. Cedar Ridge opened the game with a 9-0 run before Bay's Courtney Francomano hits one of two free throws to make the score 9-1 with 3:53 left in the opening period. Bay scored the next six points on back to back buckets by Hannah Willard and a Sara Sharp layup to cut the lead to two at 9-7 Cedar Ridge with 2:14 left in the first. Willard gave Bay the lead at 11-10 with two free throws with 1:26 left. The teams traded leads before Cedar Ridge hit a three-pointer with four seconds left in the period to take a 16-13 lead after the first period. Both teams played well in the second quarter as Bay tied the game twice but a 6-1 run by Cedar Ridge to close the second period sent the Lady T-wolves to intermission with a 29-25 lead. The teams exchanged three point runs to open the third period setting the score at 32-28 Cedar Ridge with 5:20 left to play in the third. Cedar Ridge scored the next four points to take a 36-28 lead with 4:40 left. Sharp and Willard both canned three-pointers wrapped around a Bay free throw to cut the lead to one, 36-35 with 2:25 left in the third. Cedar Ridge closed the period on a 6-2 run to make the score 42-37 after three periods of play. Sharp hit a bucket to open the fourth before Cedar Ridge reeled off the next ten points to open up a 52-39 lead with 5:10 left in the game. Bay got within eight with 1:55 left on a Willard three-pointer to make the score 58-50. Willard led Bay (16-14) in scoring on the night with 23 points as Sharp netted 11 points for the Lady 'Jackets. "We had good energy and played hard but they (Cedar Ridge) had an answer each time we got something going," Bay coach Chad LaRose said after the game.

Marked Tree used a huge third quarter to pull away from Rivercrest and post a 68-53 victory this past Tuesday in Wilson. Leading 37-32 to start the third period, the Indians burned the nets by outscoring the Colts 25-9 to blow the game open. Allen Buchanan and Thadious Moore led four Indians in double figures on night with 20 points apiece. Gunner Pitts and Darius Ivy had 13 and 11 points respectively for Marked Tree.

Trumann used a strong second half to turn a five-point halftime deficit into a 64-51 4A-3 conference win over Gosnell this past Tuesday in Trumann. Trumann (19-9, 8-6) opened the game with baskets from Malcolm Washington and Lee Conatser before Gosnell reeled off nine straight points to go ahead 9-4 with 4:41. Trumann battled back and after back to back buckets from Washington, the Wildcats led 12-11 with 2:57 left. The first period ended in a 12-12 tie. Gosnell opened the second period with a basket before Nate Maxwell and Washington both connected on three-pointers giving Trumann a 18-14 lead with 5:54 left in the period. Trumann stretched that lead to six before the Pirates hit consecutive baskets to cut the lead to two at 20-18. Gosnell ended the period on an 11-4 run to go in at halftime with a 29-24 lead. Trumann came out a different team in the third period going on an 11-6 run in the first three and half minutes to cut lead to one at 35-34. Conatser gave Trumann the lead at 37-36 with a three-pointer with four minutes left in the third. Jimmy Creecy scored on a stick back to put the Wildcats up three at 42-39 with 2:02 left. Matt Holt's shot at the buzzer gave Trumann a 44-39 lead after three periods of play. Gosnell opened the final period going on a 7-4 run in the first two and half minutes to get within two at 48-46. Trumann responded with a 15-0 to put the game out of reach at 63-46 with under two minutes left to play. The Wildcats went on to post the 64-51 victory. Washington led Trumann with 25 points while pulling down 11 rebounds. Holt scored 11 as Conatser and Maxwell both netted 10 for the Wildcats. "We played a better game offensively in the second half," Trumann coach Skip Dulaney said after the game. "Our defense stepped it up and did a better job rebounding. Great second half! Trumann will host Bay Friday night for Senior Night.

It was previously reported in the Poinsett County Democrat Tribune that Trumann was awarded a forfiet victory over Osceola for thier game on January 27th. The game that was overturned was the contest on January 2nd. The Democrat Tribune regrets this error...