Senior Lifts Gravette

Photo by Randy Moll -- Gravette senior point guard Matt VanOtterloo shoots for two in play against Farmington at Gravette on Tuesday night.
Photo by Randy Moll -- Gravette senior point guard Matt VanOtterloo shoots for two in play against Farmington at Gravette on Tuesday night.

— Farmington paid so much attention to Terence Pierce that another Gravette player had to come to the forefront Tuesday night.

Matt VanOtterloo gladly accepted that role.

The senior guard scored Gravette’s first eight points and finished with 14 — all in the first half — as the Lions claimed a 49-37 victory and handed the Cardinals their first loss in 4A-1 Conference basketball play.

“We have to have other players step up,” Gravette boys basketball coach Dustin Peters said. “Matt has been playing really good the last three games, not only with his shooting but his rebounding.

“He’s an excellent rebounder for a guard, and he was definitely the catalyst for us.”

Farmington (11-4, 4-1) took its only lead on Chase Garner’s inside bucket 13 seconds into the game. VanOtterloo needed just 20 seconds to hit a 3-pointer and put Gravette (7-7, 3-2) ahead for good, and he hit four of the Lions’ six from beyond the arc in the first half to help build a 28-12 lead midway in the second quarter.

The Cardinals made the game closer, cutting Gravette’s lead to 30-23 at halftime and pulling within 36-33 after Matt Brackett’s bucket with 1 minutes, 23 seconds left in the third quarter. Farmington, however, didn’t hit another field goal until Garner connected with 11 seconds left, allowing Gravette to pull away.

“They shot the ball well, and we didn’t,” Farmington coach Beau Thompson said. “We had pretty good shots most of the night, but you have to score more than 37 points to beat the defending conference champs at their place.

“We like to play our zone defense, and they shot it so well early that we didn’t have the option to play it the whole game. It took us out of what we normally do, but give them credit.”

Pierce finished with 16 to lead Gravette before fouling out with under three minutes remaining. Garner was the only Farmington player in double figures with 12 points.

GRAVETTE 49, FARMINGTON 37

Farmington 9 14 10 4 — 37

Gravette 18 12 10 9 — 49

Farmington (11-4, 4-1): Garner 12, Brackett 8, Dellett 7, Jo. Mueller 6, Hollingsworth 4.

Gravette (7-7, 3-2): Pierce 16, VanOtterloo 14, Pollreis 8, Parker 8, Troutner 3.

Girls:

Farmington 76, Gravette 59

Tichina Scales and Haley Maxwell scored 10 points apiece in the second quarter as Farmington went on a 33-10 run and blew past Gravette.

The outburst helped the Lady Cardinals, who played without coach Brad Johnson, turn a three-point deficit into a 48-28 halftime cushion. Farmington coasted from there and led by as much as 28 points in the third quarter.

Maxwell had 22 points to lead four Lady Cardinals in double figures, followed by Scales with 14, Kristi Duchanois with 13 and Rene Scheyder with 10. Monica White led Gravette (5-9, 1-3) with 23 points, while Destaney Wishon added 17 and Samantha Pruitt chipped in 12.

FARMINGTON 76, GRAVETTE 59

Farmington 15 33 14 14 — 76

Gravette 18 10 10 21 — 59

Farmington (): Maxwell 22, Scales 14, Duchanois 13, Scheyder 10, Blackburn 7, Rome 4, Sigmon 4, McPherson 2.

Gravette (5-9, 1-4): White 23, Wishon 17, Pruitt 12, Bayley 3, DeWitt 3, Davis 1.

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