Lady Cardinals Clock Lions Farmington Rallies To Beat Gravette

FARMINGTON — Despite trailing for three quarters, Farmington doggedly stayed in the game, and fashioned a 56- 50 comeback win over Gravette on Jan. 10 in girls basketball play.

Farmington seized the lead on four straight points, including a 2-for-2 trip to the line by Lexie Lewis, followed by a transition basket set up by Lewis’ defensive rebound and outlet to point guard Tiffany Rhame. Rhame found Tichina Scales running the floor and the sophomore put the ball in the hoop for a 39-38 Lady Cardinal lead, their first since leading 2-0 on a Lewis lay-up.

Farmington coach Brad Johnson said Scales made a big difference in the game.

“She got a couple

of

big steals and a big rebound. That’s big-time stuff for a sophomore to come off the bench,” Johnson said.

In the final 4:51, Farmington finished strong while Gravette struggled with turnovers. Scales came up with a steal on the ensuing in-bounds play, then Rhame hustled to force Gravette’s Destaney Wishon to mishandle a rebound which went out-of-bounds to Farmington.

Gravette got a break when the Lady Cardinals turned the ball over on the in-bounds play, but Rene Scheyder rebounded a Lady Lion miss at the other end and got the ball out to Rhame, who passed to Lewis on the fastbreak. Lewis was fouled by Monica White and made both for a 41-38 Farmington lead.

Three times Gravette got within a point but couldn’t get over the hump. Wishon sank two free throws but Rhame found Lewis open for a freethrow line jumper. Kyndra Meeker was fouled and made both shots but Scheyder answered with a pair for Farmington. White scored a running lay-up to make it 45-44 with 2:52 to go.

Rhame got inside but missed a layup and fouled Wishon on the rebound. Neither free throw would go down and Lewis added a point for Farmington at the other foul line. After a lane violation, Shyanne Nichols missed a 3-pointer then fouled out when Rhame scrambled to pick up a loose ball and laid the ball in. Rhame converted the three-point play to push Farmington ahead, 49-44 with 1:37 remaining.

Gravette put together a 6-3 run to close within 52-50 at the 40 second mark. White used a quick move to dribble left out of the high post and was fouled at the basket, making both free throws. After Rhame hit both ends of the double bonus, Samantha Pruitt used dribble penetration to put a shot in off the glass. Rhame added another foul shot before Meeker hit from the left baseline on a feed from Pruitt.

Rhame then hit another pair of free throws and White got caught too far under the backboard and threw it away while trying to find an outlet. Breanna Jones sealed the game from the line for Farmington. The Lions missed two 3-point attempts in the closing seconds and Farmington won 56-50.

“Gravette played very well against us,” Johnson said, noting the Lions had a very good defensive game-plan.

Gravette led 9-7 after one quarter and held an 18-16 edge at halftime. The Lady Lions were in front by seven in the second frame and twice led by eight in the third quarter, but couldn’t shake the Lady Cardinals.

Gravette knocked down a trio of trifectas in the third stanza. Pruitt, who led all scorers with 16 points, had two and Nichols, who scored 12 points, had the other. Gravette was up, 35-31, at the end of the third but an 8-3 run over the first 3:09 of the fourth-period sparked Farmington’s comeback.

Johnson said the foul trouble of Gravette’s Nichols was a factor.

“She’s a good player, who can beat you in a lot of different ways,” Johnson said, adding Nichols is difficult to press, but when she was on the bench in the fourth quarter with foul trouble, Farmington was able to amp up their press and get turnovers.

Lewis led a trio of Lady Cardinals in double figures with 15 points, followed by Jones with 14 and Rhame with 13. Rounding out the Farmington totals were: Haley Maxwell, six; Scales, four; and Scheyder and Payton Journagan with two each.

White added eight and Wishon seven, with Meeker ( f ive) and Shelby Frey, two points, accounting for Gravette’s scoring.

MARK HUMPHREY ENTERPRISE LEADER One foot over the line. Gravette’s Shyanne Nichols has one foot in the frontcourt while trying to maintain her dribble against the pesky defense of Farmington’s Rene Scheyder. The Lady Cardinals picked up a conference victory, 56-50, at home on Jan. 10.