The Pioneers and Lady Pioneers would enter Tuesday night’s 5A East action looking to even up the score with the Golden Eagles of Greene County Tech after being swept on the road earlier this season.
In girls action, the three-point barrage of the Lady Eagles would hinder the Lady Pioneers in the first quarter as they would trail 16 to 7. The Batesville offense would pick up steam in the second and the defense would tighten as the Lady Pioneers would close the deficit to 24 to 18 at the half. The offensive struggles would once again become the story after the half as the Lady Eagles would extend their lead to 10 entering the final frame. Both teams would have no shortage of baskets in the final quarter as leading scorer Taylor Rush would look to will the Lady Pioneers back into the game, cutting the lead to four several times in the final eight minutes, before the Lady Eagles would close out the game from the free-throw line completing the sweep 52 to 44.
Rush would lead the way in scoring for Batesville after nine fourth-quarter points as she was followed by junior Abby Hurley with nine, senior Olivia Everetts with five, and seniors Emily Harrison, Zharia Childress, and Anna Clair Ezell would add four points apiece.
In the nightcap, the Pioneers would come out swinging from the opening tip, as they would score the first seven points of the game, before GCT would answer with six of their own. The two teams would trade buckets before the Eagles would take a 14 to 11 lead into the first break. In the second, the Pioneer offense would eclipse their scoring total of the first behind nine JT Morgan points, but the Eagles would get hot from the field and stretch their lead to ten at halftime. The Pioneers would experience some offensive woes in the second half as the Golden Eagles would pull away and complete their sweep of the Pioneers by a final of 67 to 43.
Leading the Pioneers in scoring was senior JT Morgan with 17, fellow senior Logan McSpadden would add twelve, sophomore Kade Barber, and junior Kaleb Young would add three, and sophomore Shane Dunlap, junior Jeremiah Strickland, and senior Wes Lange would add two apiece.
The two Pioneer squads will now get set to head to Greene County to take on the Rams of Paragould Friday night. Senior Girls action will tip off around 6 p.m. with the senior boys to follow and can be heard on 93 KZLE, online at WhiteRiverNow.com, and on the White River Now mobile app.
Article by Wes Gwaltney, The Voice of Pioneer Basketball, 93 KZLE
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