Top-ranked Warriors win defensive battle

GOSNELL -- Defending 4A state champion Westside showed why it is one of the favorites to repeat in handing Gosnell a 52-27 loss Tuesday night at Pirate Gym.

The Warriors (19-2), ranked No. 1 in this week's 4A VYPE Power Poll, clamped down on defense, led by 6-foot-11 University of Arkansas signee Hunter Mickelson, who patrolled the paint with five emphatic blocks, along with altering several other shots.

The only Warrior in double figures, Mickelson also scored 14 and grabbed 11 rebounds.

The undermanned Pirates did swarm him on each feed inside, often forcing kick outs to the perimeter, which kept Gosnell close early. The host team held Westside to 32.7 percent shooting, including 3 of 17 (17.6 percent) from three-point range.

The Pirates just had trouble converting on the other end, making only 1 of 17 three-pointers themselves on the night and connecting on an anemic 8 of 45 (17.8 percent) from the field to go along with 10 of 16 free-throw shooting.

"I thought we played a great game," Gosnell head coach Len Whitehead said. "We stopped them all night long. I thought we played as well as they did, maybe even better. The scoreboard doesn't reflect it because our shots didn't go down. If we can ever get our shots falling, we're playing at that level. Defensively, tonight, we did a great job intensity-wise. We were there, we were focused. We're not getting the results on offense yet, but we're working towards it. We're starting to see some improvements."

Of the cold shooting, particularly, from three-point range, Whitehead said: "That's something that can turn overnight because we're a better shooting team than that."

He believes his club has the ability to make shots, it just lacks confidence.

"We need to see some go in to start believing that they can," Whitehead said. "But they're big and they alter some shots. They're state champions for a reason. They're a pretty good team, but I felt like that we played with them and maybe outplayed them in several areas on the night, other than scoring."

Gosnell kept it tight in a low-scoring first quarter, holding Mickelson scoreless the first 7:50. Then he scored four in the final 9.5 seconds of the quarter.

Tre Howe's runner with 26 seconds left in the first cut the Westside lead to 6-4.

But Mickelson was fouled with 9.5 seconds left in the period.

As Pirate fans mockingly called the Hogs, he hit the first. Mickelson missed the second, but charged through the lane for the stick back and a foul. The old-fashion three-point play made it 10-4, the score going into the second period.

Though the Pirates never led, they stayed within striking distance most of the first half with a solid defensive effort, holding the Warriors to 6 of 21 shooting, including 1 of 8 from three the first two quarters.

Despite 3 of 22 shooting in the first 16 minutes, Gosnell had a chance to get within five midway through the second quarter. The three-point shot fell, but the Pirates were whistled for traveling on the play.

Westside's Jeremiah Nortier then drilled a three-pointer to boost the advantage to 15-4.

Gosnell's Tyler Gibbons popped a three with just under two minutes left in the half to close the gap to 17-7, but a 4-0 run gave Westside a 21-7 lead at halftime.

Gosnell got as close as 12 in the third, but the Warriors used a 13-4 run to pull ahead by 21, then lead 36-16 going into the fourth.

The lead never dipped under 20 in the final period.

"Our kids battled," Whitehead said. "They did everything we wanted them to do tonight. They showed effort, they showed improvement. I think we rebounded as well as they did tonight, maybe even outrebounded them. I don't know. I haven't' seen the stats. Our tallest player is 6-foot and they've got 6-11."

Gosnell (9-8) pulled down 36 rebounds to Westside's 42.

Keyston Claybrooks led Gosnell with seven points. Howe and Darrian McKinney added five apiece, Gibbons three, Taylor Jolly, Marcus Chew and Zach King two each and James Cook, one.

Meawhile, the Gosnell Junior Pirates defeated Westside, 31-18. Gosnell led 5-3 after one and 16-10 at halftime. The margin was 27-16 going into the fourth period. Burton Furlow paced Gosnell with 11 points.

Gosnell is scheduled to travel to Osceola, Friday night. The seventh grade game will tip off at 5 p.m. with the junior boys and senior boys following.

mbrasfield@blythevillecourier.com