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Lady Eagles slip past Lady Raiders
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| Greene County Tech’s Lauren Hodge dribbles past Nettleton’s Jennifer Towne (10) during the second half Tuesday at Raider Gym. Saundra Sovick/Paxton News Bureau |
GCT boys, girls down Nettleton
By Cory Clark
Paxton News Bureau
JONESBORO — Tuesday’s girls’ game between host Nettleton and Greene County Tech featured two of the top 5A girls’ teams in the state of Arkansas, and it lived up to the billing.
After a clutch free throw from the Lady Eagles’ Lexi Gramling gave her team the lead, a last-second three-pointer from Nettleton went deep into the rim and then spun out as Greene County Tech held off the Lady Raiders 38-37 in a physical and hotly contested conference matchup.
The Tech boys’ made it a clean sweep as the Golden Eagles jumped out to a 16-4 lead after the first quarter and went on to a 50-38 victory.
In the girls’ game, Tech got off to a good start getting out to a 12-6 lead to start the game.
Nettleton finally got going and finished the first quarter on a 9-0 run, taking a 15-12 lead into the second quarter.
The second quarter was back and forth but Tech managed to lead 23-21 heading to the half.
The Lady Eagles were finally able to put a little room between themselves and Nettleton in the third period as Tech led 31-26 going into the final quarter.
The fourth quarter was heated as a pair of technical fouls were called on Tech and another was called on Nettleton.
Nettleton started the fourth quarter going 1-of-5 from the field but the Lady Raiders stayed close and trailed 35-34 with a little over two minutes left in the game after a putback from Alexis Sharp.
Tech extended its lead to 37-34 as Gramling scored inside but a jumper from Jennifer Towne got Nettleton to within 37-36 with 1:20 left in the game.
The Lady Raiders were finally able to pull even at 37 with 52.6 seconds left in the game after Towne went 1-for-2 from the foul line.
Tech was in the process of holding the ball for the last shot when Nettleton was called for a foul on the perimeter.
Gramling went to the line for Tech and made the first foul shot but missed the second, giving the ball back to Nettleton with 7.1 seconds left and the Lady Eagles up 38-37.
Towne wasn’t challenged on the inbound play and drove to the three point line before finding an open Ashlyn Doty in the corner.
Doty, who hit a game winning three for Nettleton in the Northeast Arkansas Invitational, fired a shot that went in and then rimmed out at the buzzer.
Gramling and Olivia Prichard each led a balanced attack for Tech with nine points apiece and Brooke Tabor added eight points in the win.
Towne led Nettleton with 18 points and Shayna McMillin added seven.
Usually a very good team at the free throw line, Nettleton only hit on 11-of-18 attempts at the charity stripe while Tech went 8-for-12 at the line.
Tech coach Trey Harding said he expected Towne or Alexis Sharp to take the last shot for Nettleton but he added that he wasn’t too surprised the ball ended up in Doty’s hands after her heroics at the NEA Invitational.
“Jenni (Towne) did a great job of finding Doty in the corner and that reminded me of the Rivercrest game in the NEA when I saw her shoot it and I thought here it comes but luckily for us the ball bounced out,” Harding said.
With the game tied at 37, Harding said his team was hoping to take the last shot after Towne hit 1-of-2 throws but he credited Gramling for drawing contact and getting to the foul line.
“We told them one shot and we went four out and we were going to let Lexi (Gramling) try to get into the lane and we had Brooke (Tabor) on the backside in case they drew help but Lexi did a great job of trying to get into the lane and drew some contact and made a huge free throw,” he said.
Nettleton coach Jason Smith said Tuesday’s game was one of the most physical girls’ games he’s ever seen.
“It was an all-out war out there and perhaps the most physical girls’ game that I’ve ever been associated with and we’ve played quite a few of them,” Smith said. “All you can ask for is a shot and we got a good look.”
Greene County Tech 50, Nettleton 38
In the boys’ game Tech got off to a great start and never really let Nettleton back into it.
Andrew Ferguson played an outstanding game for the Golden Eagles as he carved up the Nettleton defense and scored 29 points and Nick Cothern added 13 points in the win.
The Golden Eagles led 16-4 after the first quarter and 24-10 at halftime as Nettleton only had two field goals in the first half.
Once Tech got a lead, the Golden Eagles spread the floor and let Ferguson control the ball and he was able to get to the rim consistently and finish.
Tech’s lead was 33-21 going into the final quarter and although Nettleton got to within 39-31 on a layup from Jordan Andrews with a little over five minutes left the Raiders just couldn’t make enough shots or stop Ferguson, who scored 16 points in the second half.
Andrews led Nettleton with 15 points and E.J. Whitaker finished with 10.
Tech coach Scott Bowlin praised the play of Ferguson and said after a very difficult non-conference schedule, his team seems to be hitting its stride at just the right time.
“This team is learning how to finish games and Ferguson is finally beginning to establish himself as one of the best players in the 5A East and if not in all of the 5A,” Bowlin said. “He pretty much did it all tonight.”
Also for Greene County Tech, Seth Dearing scored four points and Hunter Matheny and Lane Earls hit two each in the win.
Tech hosts Beebe for conference action on Friday night.
After a clutch free throw from the Lady Eagles’ Lexi Gramling gave her team the lead, a last-second three-pointer from Nettleton went deep into the rim and then spun out as Greene County Tech held off the Lady Raiders 38-37 in a physical and hotly contested conference matchup.
The Tech boys’ made it a clean sweep as the Golden Eagles jumped out to a 16-4 lead after the first quarter and went on to a 50-38 victory.
In the girls’ game, Tech got off to a good start getting out to a 12-6 lead to start the game.
Nettleton finally got going and finished the first quarter on a 9-0 run, taking a 15-12 lead into the second quarter.
The second quarter was back and forth but Tech managed to lead 23-21 heading to the half.
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The fourth quarter was heated as a pair of technical fouls were called on Tech and another was called on Nettleton.
Nettleton started the fourth quarter going 1-of-5 from the field but the Lady Raiders stayed close and trailed 35-34 with a little over two minutes left in the game after a putback from Alexis Sharp.
Tech extended its lead to 37-34 as Gramling scored inside but a jumper from Jennifer Towne got Nettleton to within 37-36 with 1:20 left in the game.
The Lady Raiders were finally able to pull even at 37 with 52.6 seconds left in the game after Towne went 1-for-2 from the foul line.
Tech was in the process of holding the ball for the last shot when Nettleton was called for a foul on the perimeter.
Gramling went to the line for Tech and made the first foul shot but missed the second, giving the ball back to Nettleton with 7.1 seconds left and the Lady Eagles up 38-37.
Towne wasn’t challenged on the inbound play and drove to the three point line before finding an open Ashlyn Doty in the corner.
Doty, who hit a game winning three for Nettleton in the Northeast Arkansas Invitational, fired a shot that went in and then rimmed out at the buzzer.
Gramling and Olivia Prichard each led a balanced attack for Tech with nine points apiece and Brooke Tabor added eight points in the win.
Towne led Nettleton with 18 points and Shayna McMillin added seven.
Usually a very good team at the free throw line, Nettleton only hit on 11-of-18 attempts at the charity stripe while Tech went 8-for-12 at the line.
Tech coach Trey Harding said he expected Towne or Alexis Sharp to take the last shot for Nettleton but he added that he wasn’t too surprised the ball ended up in Doty’s hands after her heroics at the NEA Invitational.
“Jenni (Towne) did a great job of finding Doty in the corner and that reminded me of the Rivercrest game in the NEA when I saw her shoot it and I thought here it comes but luckily for us the ball bounced out,” Harding said.
With the game tied at 37, Harding said his team was hoping to take the last shot after Towne hit 1-of-2 throws but he credited Gramling for drawing contact and getting to the foul line.
“We told them one shot and we went four out and we were going to let Lexi (Gramling) try to get into the lane and we had Brooke (Tabor) on the backside in case they drew help but Lexi did a great job of trying to get into the lane and drew some contact and made a huge free throw,” he said.
Nettleton coach Jason Smith said Tuesday’s game was one of the most physical girls’ games he’s ever seen.
“It was an all-out war out there and perhaps the most physical girls’ game that I’ve ever been associated with and we’ve played quite a few of them,” Smith said. “All you can ask for is a shot and we got a good look.”
Greene County Tech 50, Nettleton 38
In the boys’ game Tech got off to a great start and never really let Nettleton back into it.
Andrew Ferguson played an outstanding game for the Golden Eagles as he carved up the Nettleton defense and scored 29 points and Nick Cothern added 13 points in the win.
The Golden Eagles led 16-4 after the first quarter and 24-10 at halftime as Nettleton only had two field goals in the first half.
Once Tech got a lead, the Golden Eagles spread the floor and let Ferguson control the ball and he was able to get to the rim consistently and finish.
Tech’s lead was 33-21 going into the final quarter and although Nettleton got to within 39-31 on a layup from Jordan Andrews with a little over five minutes left the Raiders just couldn’t make enough shots or stop Ferguson, who scored 16 points in the second half.
Andrews led Nettleton with 15 points and E.J. Whitaker finished with 10.
Tech coach Scott Bowlin praised the play of Ferguson and said after a very difficult non-conference schedule, his team seems to be hitting its stride at just the right time.
“This team is learning how to finish games and Ferguson is finally beginning to establish himself as one of the best players in the 5A East and if not in all of the 5A,” Bowlin said. “He pretty much did it all tonight.”
Also for Greene County Tech, Seth Dearing scored four points and Hunter Matheny and Lane Earls hit two each in the win.
Tech hosts Beebe for conference action on Friday night.
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