Poteau girls earn winning mark; Pirates tumble
Poteau’s girls basketball team defeated Sallisaw 65-52 to end the regular season with a winning record for the first time in four years.
Since this game was Senior night, the Poteau Lady Pirates started all three of their seniors. homecoming queen Lexi Fitzpatrick, Kennedy Cox and Chyanne Brickell starting with Brooklyn Garner and Britlee Reed.
Sallisaw has a 6-3 Addyson Gream playing post.
Poteau (10-9) struck early and often in the first quarter.
Even though Garner was the main dealer in the opening period with 11 points, Brickell played bigger than her four points in the first as her defensive play and position on Gream was substantial, as she held her to only 2 points in the stanza. Poteau led 25-7.
Sallisaw found a way for entry passes to Gream in the second, as she scored eight points at point-blank range. Parker Patterson led Poteau for the quarter as she had five points as she registered a deuce and a trey. Poteau led 34-23 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Poteau widened its lead. Poteau again got hot, scoring 21 points, as Brook Hattabaugh started to sizzle. She scored 11 points in the quarter. The Lady Pirates defense was again stifling, holding Sallisaw to eight points.
Poteau led 55-31 at the end of the third quarter.
Poteau had built an insurmountable lead after three quarters, but Sallisaw fought to the bitter end by carving 11 points off the Poteau lead. Garner went out early in the final period, finishing with 21 points. Gream finished the night with 24.
Scoring: Poteau: Hattabaugh 9, Garner 21, Reed 10, Emma Hackler 6, Patterson 8, Brickell 8, Fitzpatrick 4.
Sallisaw beats Pirates
With 40 percent of their starting lineup missing due injuries, the Pirates simply did not have enough in their gun to be competitive. Poteau lost the game 51-33.
Dax Collins has a toe injury, and Wyatt Gamble has a shoulder injury.
It seemed like at times the Pirates were hesitant when shots were there.
Poteau trailed 17-4 at the end of the first quarter, 26-14 at halftime and 3521 through three quarters.
Scoring: Poteau: Hudson Burdick 4, Kallen Ramirez 2 Kord Fenton 11, Connor Whitworth 9, Calloway Warren 2, Drew Stone 3, Aidan Sockey 2,