GENTRY — Tim Rippy didn’t hesitate when asked what freshman Haley Borgeteien-James added to his team when she was called up this week for the Gentry girls basketball team.
“Confidence,” Rippy said.
After leading the ninth grade team to the district title last weekend, Borgeteien-James has made a big difference for Gentry in two games of the 4A-1 District Tournament. On Wednesday, her 15 points were huge for the Lady Pioneers, who punched their ticket next week’s 4A-North Regional Tournament with a 51-43 win over Lincoln.
Gentry (11-15) trailed most of the game until a sudden surge from the 3-point line turned the game in its favor. The Lady Pioneers hit four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, including a pair each from Jordan Olds and Destiny Thomas.
Gentry 51, Lincoln 43
Lincoln 15 7 10 11 — 43
Gentry 9 12 9 21 — 51
Lincoln (19-8): Sugg 11, Thordsen 9, Rowe 8, Rich 7, Neeley 4, Lloyd 4.
Gentry (11-15): Arnold 16, Borgeteien-James 15, Olds 8, Thomas 6, Hammond 5, Page 1.
“We were due,” Rippy said. “I felt like we were due. It feels like in certain games the last few weeks we’ve been hitting them in spurts. All of a sudden in the fourth quarter tonight, we just lit it up.”
Before then, Gentry used the solid play of senior Tara Arnold, who scored a game-high 16 points, and Borgeteien-James. Arnold, a senior, played well outside with Borgeteien-James scoring inside. Borgeteien-James had 9 points in the second quarter to help Gentry stay close.
Gentry had lost six games since the holiday break by five or fewer points. The addition of Borgeteien-James might reverse those outcomes, Rippy said.
“She just plays with an enormous amount of confidence for a freshman,” Rippy said of Borgeteien-James. “I think our older kids feed off that. She gives us an inside presence that can score. Even though she’s not that big, she just knows how to score.”
Lincoln (19-8) used a balanced scoring attack to lead for most of the game until Olds drained a 3-pointer with 1 minute, 40 seconds left to give Gentry a 44-41 lead. The Pioneers never trailed after that and sealed the game at the free-throw line down the stretch.
“You let a good shooter shoot enough, they’re going to make it,” Lincoln coach Deon Birkes said. “We had some letdowns and forgot. We just weren’t ready to play and they were.”
Hayle Sugg led Lincoln with 11 points and Nikki Thordsen added nine.
The Lady Pioneers will take on No. 2 seed Farmington at 7 p.m. Friday.
BOYS
Gravette 58, Prairie Grove 47
Otto Troutner scored a game-high 18 points as Gravette secured a bid to the regional tournament with a late run.
Quinten Parker added 12 points and Terence Pierce 11 for the Lions.
Derek Arguello led the Tigers with 10 points.
4A-1 District Tournament
At Gentry
Girls
Tuesday’s Games
Game 1: Berryville 64, Pea Ridge 51
Game 2: Gentry 39, Gravette 38
Wednesday’s Games
Game 3: Gentry 51, Lincoln 43
Game 4: No. 4 Ozark vs. Berryville, 7 p.m.
Friday’s Games
Game 5: No. 1 Prairie Grove vs. Game 4 winner, 4 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 Farmington vs. Gentry, 7 p.m.
Saturday’s Game
Championship
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 6 p.m.
Boys
Tuesday’s Games
Game 1: Lincoln 60, Gentry 37
Game 2: Prairie Grove 54, Berryville 49
Wednesday’s Games
Game 3: No. 3 Gravette 58, Prairie Grove 47
Game 4: No. 4 Ozark vs. Lincoln, 8:30 p.m.
Friday’s Games
Game 5: No. 1 Pea Ridge vs. Game 4 winner, 5:30 p.m.
Game 6: No. 2 Farmington vs. Gravette, 8:30 p.m.
Saturday’s Game
Championship
Game 7: Game 5 winner vs. Game 6 winner, 7:30 p.m.