LINCOLN — Gravette couldn’t contain Nikki Thordsen even after she hit the floor hard and had to temporarily leave the game.
BOYS
GRAVETTE 72, LINCOLN 62
Terrence Pierce scored 29 points to lead Gravette to a road victory over Lincoln.
Pierce made four 3-pointers and was 7 of 8 from the free-throw line for the Lions (13-10, 9-5), who led 33-23 at halftime.
Lincoln got to within 38-37 in the third quarter before Gravette pulled away again behind Carson Pollreis, who scored all 10 of his points in the fourth quarter. Pollreis hit two 3-pointers and a free throw to put the Lions ahead 63-52 with just over three minutes to play.
Otto Troutner finished with 15 points for Gravette, while Payton Hulse and Dylan McConnell each had 12 to lead Lincoln. The Lions were 21 of 30 from the free throw line while Lincoln finished 9 of 14.
Thordsen scored 16 points and played a standout all-around floor game to lead Lincoln to a 57-47 victory over the Lady Lions on Senior Night at the Wolves’ Gym.
Thordsen led four players in double figures for Lincoln (19-7, 10-4), which held off Gravette after grabbing a 10-point lead in the first quarter.
Thordsen left the game in the fourth quarter after she was fouled from behind and slammed into a padded support pole behind the goal. Taylor Cunningham shot two free throws for Thordsen before Thordsen returned and added another steal to help complete the victory.
Lincoln finished 26 off 44 from the free-throw line while Gravette was 15 of 17.
“Nikki does her job and she wants everybody involved, almost to a fault sometimes,” Lincoln girls basketball coach Deon Birkes said of Thordsen, who remained on the floor for a few minutes after being fouled. “She’s the ultimate team player, and I wish I had about 30 of those.”
Gravette outplayed Lincoln in the third quarter and got to within 42-41 after two free throws by Kylee Davis with five minutes, 41 seconds to play. But Davis and center Monica White fouled out within seconds of each other, and Lincoln was able to pull away again.
Davis left the game with 10 points, and White had six while leading the Lady Lions in rebounding.
“I was proud because I didn’t have (White) or Destiny Wishon in there when we got it to 42-41,” Gravette coach Will Pittman said. “Our little ones made that happen, and I was real pleased with their effort.”
Gravette had a poor effort in the first quarter when the Lady Lions made only two field goals and committed seven turnovers. The result was a 15-5 deficit that Gravette failed to overcome despite getting to within one point in the fourth quarter.
“We spotted them 10 to begin the game, basically, and you just can’t do that,” Pittman said.
Lincoln built its lead on crisp passing and baskets from seven players. Hayle Sugg scored 13 points to follow Thordsen Jaycie Neely had 10. Shelby Rowe finished with 11 points after making 8 of 14 free throws in the fourth quarter.
“When (Gravette) chipped away at the lead, they started being aggressive and we stopped being aggressive,” Birkes said. “We got a little complacent but when it came right down to it, they found a way.”
LINCOLN 57, GRAVETTE 47
Gravette 5 11 19 12 — 47
Lincoln 15 12 13 17 — 57
GRAVETTE (NA/3-11): Wishon 15, Davis 10, Prewitt 7, White 6, DeWitt 5, Bailey 3, Duke 1.
LINCOLN (19-7, 10-4): Thordsen 16, Sugg 13, Rowe 11, Neely 10, Lloyd 4, Hannah 2, Cunningham 1.
GRAVETTE 72, LINCOLN 62
Gravette 12 21 18 21 — 72
Lincoln 7 16 20 19 — 62
GRAVETTE: (13-10, 9-5): Pierce 29, Troutner 15, Van Otterloo 14, Pollreis 10, Nims 2, Parker 2.
LINCOLN: (10-12, 7-7): Hulse 12, McConnell 12, Escareno 10, Simmons 9, Goldman 9, Barnum 8, Guevara 2.