Basketball: Gravette duo scores 31 in win over Greenland

GRAVETTE -- Gravette forward Bailey Soulé beat a Greenland defender to a loose ball in the final seconds of the first quarter Tuesday night. After bringing the ball into the frontcourt, he hit Kelton Trembly for a buzzer-beater.

Soule's hustle play kicked off an 11-0 Gravette run and, from there, the Lions never trailed on their way to a 56-41 win against Greenland.

"That was huge," Gravette coach Matt Busch said. "I just got through praising Bailey. He was our heart and soul tonight. Bailey is our energy guy, and our on-court leader. He's definitely a guy everybody kind of feeds off of. Buzzer beaters, dunks, anything like that, that's going to get kids going at any level."

Following Trembly's floater, Gravette reeled off the first nine points of the second quarter to grab a 20-10 edge. Trembly added a pair of 3-pointers while Soulé, Colby McCarthey and Chris Childress also added a bucket. Gravette's defense picked up as well, holding Greenland to 2 of 6 from the floor in the second to grab a 26-16 halftime lead.

The story of the night was the play of starting guard Dayten Wishon and Trembly, who combined for 31 points one week after pouring in 37 against Bentonville High in the season opener.

"I'd go out on a limb and say if they can do that every night we have a chance to win," Busch said. "Both of them have been 1-2 in scoring, and probably will most nights, and that certainly comes with a target. We'll need them to step up."

Trembly finished 6 of 11 from the floor after making four of his first five shots. He also threw down a two-handed dunk in traffic in the second half, energizing the Lions student section. Wishon, who scored a game-high 16, was 6 of 14 shooting -- 5 of 9 in the second half -- including two breakaway dunks.

"It gets our bench going, and it gets our whole stadium going," Trembly said of Wishon's dunks. "When you get a big play like that it's just awesome."

Childress followed the duo with nine points, including a 3-pointer with 3 minutes, 50 seconds to play to put the Lions back up 12 after Greenland's Cutter Watkins widdled the Pirates' deficit to single digits. Soulé, who jump-started the Lions early on, played a near-flawless game, finishing with eight points on 4 of 4 from the floor.

Boone Tincher led Greenland in scoring with 13, six in the first quarter. After scoring eight first-half points, Gravette held him without a made field goal in the second half. Will Overton also added nine points in the loss.

Girls

Gravette 75, Greenland 31

Nearly two minutes came off the clock Tuesday before Greenland hoisted its first shot of the night. Behind a strong defensive effort and three players reaching double figures, Gravette rolled to a win against the Lady Pirates.

Gravette jumped out to a 7-0 lead early before before Fiona Wilson's seven first-quarter points brought the game to a 9-9 tie after one. Coach Alan Barton's club, though, struggled with turnovers for four quarters, allowing Gravette to essentially put the game away before halftime with a 25-2 second-quarter run. The Lady Lions led 38-14 at halftime.

Gravette's top three scorers each took turns dominating the game. Tori Foster (14 points) scored 12 of her 14 points during Gravette's big second-quarter run, Kyrstin Branscum (14) added 10 in the third quarter and freshman Shylee Morrison poured in 12 of her game-high 18 points in the fourth with the game out of reach. In all, nine players scored for Gravette.

For Greenland, Wilson fouled out with 7 minutes, 32 seconds to play having scored 17 of Greenland's 31 points. The Lady Pirates did not score after she exited. Guard Destiny Jackson was the only other Greenland player in double figures with 10, six coming at the line.

Sports on 11/29/2017