The good news is the Gans Grizzlies basketball team made it to the Class B, Division I Regional Tournament, but the bad news is they are facing elimination for the rest of the playoffs.
The Grizzlies, after winning their singleelimination game 3937 in overtime over the Leflore Savages in the Class B, Division I District Tournament last Thursday night on Larry Ringgold Court at Bryant “Big Country” Reeves Fieldhouse, lost 75-30 to the Strother Yellowjackets in the district title game last Friday night.
The Grizzlies (6-18) will face Red Oak in the Class B, Division I Regional Tournament consolation quarterfinals at 7:30 p.m. this Thursday Cameron Arena in Cameron. They will have to win Thursday night, Friday afternoon in the consolation semifinals in Indianola and Saturday afternoon in the consolation championship game in Indianola to advance to next week’s area tournament in Cleveland, Okla.
The season came to an end for the Gans Lady Grizzlies as they lost 56-40 to the Strother Lady Yellowjackets in last Thursday’s sidleelimination game in the Class B, Division I District Tournament on Larry Ringgold Court at Bryant “Big Country” Reeves Fieldhouse.
The Lady Grizzlies finished the season at 11-14.
The Gans teams split their regular-season finales against Midway, which took place Feb. 9 at home. The Grizzlies beat the Chargers 57-42, but the Lady Grizzlies fell 46-39.
In the boys’ district title game, the ’Jackets, who led 19-13 after a quarter, stung the Grizzlies with a 23-5 second period to take a 42-18 halftime lead.
In defeat, Bryce Stevens led Gans with eight points, followed by Austin Hines with seven points, Preston Moore with six points, Jessie Phillips, Hunter Edwards, Aiden Garcia and Brayden Bradley with two points each and Preston Bennett with a free throw.
In the boys’ win over Leflore, after the Savages used a 17-8 fourth quarter to knot the game at 35-all at the end of regulation to force overtime, the Grizzlies doubled the Savages 4-2 in the extra period to ensure basketball this week.
For the game, Garcia led Gans with 14 points, followed by Phillips with nine points, Moore with six points, Hines with five points, Stevens with three points and Bennett with two points.
In the girls’ seasonending loss to Strother, the Lady ’Jackets, who led 33-30 after three quarters, put away the game with a 23-10 final period.
In defeat, Skilynn Bird scored a game-high 21 points to lead Gans, followed by Valan Harper with 12 points, Nora Barnes with five points and Madi Pilkington with two points.
In the boys’ victory over Midway, the Grizzlies rallied from a 14-8 first-quarter deficit by outscoring the Chargers 49-28 over the final three periods to get the come-from-behind victory.
For the game, Hines scored a game-high 18 points and Phillips added 11 points to lead Gans, followed by Garcia with seven points, Stevens with six points, Moore with five points, Eli Blackmon with four points, Bennett and Lucas Flute with two points each and Michael Christopherson and Leland Locust with a free throw apiece.
In the girls’ loss to Midway, the Lady Chargers rallied from a 16-15 halftime deficit by outscoring the Lady Grizzlies 27-11 in the third quarter to take a 42-27 lead after three periods.
In defeat, Barnes led the Lady Grizzlies with 11 points, followed by Pilkington with nine points, Harper with eight points, Bird with seven points and Brighton Dorsey with four points.
