Basketball: Mahoney powers Pea Ridge past Gentry

Lady Pioneers regroup after losing double-digit lead

GENTRY -- Pea Ridge wanted to give Gentry a healthy dose of Mikey Maloney, but the strategy took longer than expected Tuesday night.

The junior forward scored nine of his 13 points in the second half and helped the Blackhawks claim a 54-44 victory over the Pioneers during 4A/3A District 1 action.

"Coming to Gentry is always a tough place to play, so we knew we had our hands full," Pea Ridge coach Trent Loyd said. "We tried to go inside a little bit more, and we got Mikey back inside. He had a little ankle sprain Saturday, so we went more to the perimeter shooting.

"The focus in this game was to get it down low and let Mikey go to work. But we had a lot of guys step up in the second half and get us going. Will Feemster and Landon Allison came off the bench and, man, they have a spark to get us going."

Allison scored six straight points to give Pea Ridge (16-4) the lead for good after Gentry (9-11) had forced a 23-23 halftime tie on a Daniel Thao 3-pointer, then took a brief lead on Jon Faulkenberry's bucket. Hayden Holtgrewe then added a 3-pointer before Mahoney's bucket capped an 11-0 Blackhawk run and made the score 34-25 with 1 minute, 48 seconds left in the third quarter.

Gentry pulled within 35-33 after a Luke Fox 3-pointer with 6:10 remaining before Mahoney took control. He scored a trio of baskets inside and increased Pea Ridge's lead to 44-37 midway through the fourth quarter, and Gentry couldn't get any closer than five points again.

"That's where we wanted to get to in the end," Loyd said. "We wanted to make sure we went inside out, and we had a couple of looks outside. We didn't knock them down, but I think that is what is making this team special. We can score in all facets.

"We can score inside with Mikey and we have others who can hit shots. It's just a matter of where we are that night, and I was proud of how we got some stops and defended later in the game."

Nick Coble had 15 points to lead four Pea Ridge players in double figures, while Allison and Holtgrewe each added 11. Thao led Gentry with nine points.

PEA RIDGE 54, GENTRY 44

Pea Ridge 12 11 11 20 -- 54

Gentry 9 14 7 14 -- 44

Pea Ridge (16-4): Coble 15, Mahoney 13, Allison 11, Holtgrewe 11, Rose 4.

Gentry (9-11): Thao 9, Linton 8, Fox 8, Faulkenberry 5, Hammond 5, Kilgore 4, Wilkinson 3, Bates 2.

Girls: Gentry 41, Pea Ridge 35

Gentry had a 10-point lead slip away, then regrouped to knock off Pea Ridge.

The Lady Pioneers (11-8) owned a 23-15 halftime cushion and started the second half with a bucket by Haley Hays, but Pea Ridge (8-12) scored 15 unanswered points and took a 30-25 lead on Kiley West's 3-pointer -- the Lady Blackhawks' fourth of the third quarter.

Gentry, however, used Hannah Boss' two free throws and a three-point play by Ariel Nix with 4.7 seconds left to force a 30-30 tie. Boss then hit two free throws to start the fourth quarter, and Ahrya Reding's bucket gave the Lady Pioneers a 34-30 lead.

"The only thing we talked about, after the game, was their composure that they showed there," said Gentry coach Toby Tevebaugh, who picked up a technical foul during Pea Ridge's outburst. "I didn't help out and probably got a little carried away, but they didn't.

"We gained momentum back there at the end of the third quarter, and I told the girls they were fun. I wanted them to keep their heads up and that we were going to win this game. We had four seniors out there, and having that kind of leadership can make a difference."

Boss finished with 17 and was the only Gentry player in double figures. West had 14 points to lead Pea Ridge, while Hollyn Davis added 10.

GENTRY 41, PEA RIDGE 35

Pea Ridge 6 9 15 5 -- 35

Gentry 12 11 7 11 -- 41

Pea Ridge (8-12): West 14, Davis 10, Olson 6, Adams 3, Mitchell 2.

Gentry (11-8): Boss 17, Fuamatu 5, Dezurik 5, Hays 5, Jarnagan 4, Nix 3, Reding 2.

Preps Basketball on 01/17/2018

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