Tigers get past Lions to take conference win
GRAVETTE — With snowy conditions rolling through Northwest Arkansas Friday night, Lion fans turned out to see Gravette take on the Tigers of Prairie Grove in a 4A-1 conference showdown in Lion Arena. The outcome of the game hinged on the final minute of the contest.
The opening tipoff went to the Lions in the first quarter. Tristan Batie drove to the basket for a layup and the first two points of the contest. One minute later, Tiger Sloan Smith landed a three-point field goal from the left wing for Prairie Grove’s first points of the night and the early lead.
Both teams’ defensive game plan limited the offensive attack on the boards and the Tigers held a one-point advantage over the Lions by the end of the first quarter.
In the first three minutes of the second quarter, Prairie Grove maintained a slim two-point lead over Gravette. The Tigers were able to hold the Lions to only five points — a field goal and free throw by Johnny Dunfee and a pair of free throws by Batie — through the eightminute quarter. By the break, Prairie Grove held a four-point lead, 18-14, over Gravette.
Once again, the offensive game plan for both teams got off to a slow start in the third quarter. At the 5:28 mark, the Lions managed to tie the contest at 20 all. But 15 seconds later, a field goal moved Prairie Grove back into the lead once again. With a little over four minutes left in the quarter, the Lions hit a threepoint field goal to move Gravette back into the lead. But the Tigers hit a short run that put them in the lead, 28-25, going into the
final eight minutes of the contest.
The two teams traded field goals during the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. With the Tigers leading by four points at the 2:46 mark, both teams’ shooting game went cold with neither able to get the ball through the net. With only 90 seconds left to play, a free throw by Prairie Grove finally broke the dry spell. With 21 seconds left to play, Michael Duke made a field goal and was fouled, sending him to the line for one free throw. Duke made the shot and suddenly the Lions were only one point behind the Tigers. But the Prairie Grove Tigers were able to drive quickly down the court and put up a lastsecond shot and seal the conference win, 42-39, over the Gravette Lions.
Batie was the only Lion player in double figures with 18 points. Other Gravette players contributing to the scoring drive included Duke with eight, Dunfee with seven, Brady Hunt with three and Cordell Donnell with two.
On the other side of the court, the Tigers had two players in double figures, Sloan Smith with 17 and Landon Semrad with 12. Three other Prairie Grove players scored points during the 32-minute contest. Knox Laird had seven points, followed by Blake Gardner and Ethan Gross each with three.