Lady Lions overcome foul trouble

Gravette claims 48-40 win at Prairie Grove

PRAIRIE GROVE — Gravette overcame a world of foul trouble to defeat Prairie Grove, 48-40, in 4A-1 Conference action on Tuesday, Jan. 8.

The already short-handed Lady Lions, playing without juniors Cally Kildow and Mallory Smith, as well as sophomore Rebecca James, all out with injuries, battled through 22 fouls which eventually led to Jessica Bookout fouling out.

Gravette coach Will Pittman was more than pleased with bench play.

“Kaylan Chilton and Kasandra Tajchman played good for us off the bench, then we got in even more foul trouble,” Pittman said. “We never lost our composure. We never looked defeated. A couple of girls who don’t get very many minutes, Austyn Russell and Taylor Neustel, came in and gave us real good minutes when we had to have them.”

Sophomore Shylee Morrison singed the nets, connecting on four 3-pointers and scoring 16 first-half points. Morrison caught fire in the second quarter, making a trio of treys, including two when the Lady Lions made three over a 1:23 span and helping Gravette pull away from a 13-13 tie after Prairie Grove’s Larisha Crawford made 2-of3 free throws. Morrison was good from the top of the key on the Lady Lions’ next possession. After a Prairie Grove turnover, Kaylan Chilton sank a 3-pointer and Morrison did the same, giving Gravette a 22-13 lead with 4:25 remaining in the second quarter.

At that juncture, Prairie Grove coach Kevin Froud called a time-out. The Lady Tigers would give up two more 3-point shots to Gravette during the first half, one more by Morrison and another from Gabbi Scott; but to their credit, they did not allow a single point by Morrison in the second half.

“Shylee Morrison scored 16 points in the first half and made them (Prairie Grove) change their defense in the second half,” Pittman said.

Gravette led 28-24 at halftime and was forced to look elsewhere for its offense in the second half. Tajchman, a 5-8 junior, had a pair of big buckets for the Lady Lions in the third. A 3-pointer from senior Maggie McKenzie and a basket by 6-0 sophomore Abigail Beranek enabled Gravette to outscore Prairie Grove, 9-6, in the period and maintain a 37-30 lead going into the fourth. Emily Grant scored all of the Lady Tigers’ points in the third.

Prairie Grove scored 10 points in the quarter, getting points from five different players who combined to make 6-of-8 free throws. In the final quarter, Gravette made 5-of-10 free throws, and singular field goals by Beranek, Bookout and Scott were enough to pull out an eight-point win.

“Down the stretch, it was a pretty big team effort,” Pittman said. “We made some pretty big plays, got some loose balls and made some big baskets.”

Morrison led the Lady Lions with 16 points. Beranek and Scott added 8 apiece.