Lady Pirates top Lady Chickasaws

Blytheville and Gosnell took another step in establishing the crosstown rivalry on Nov. 19. The two schools met on the hardwood for the first time with the Lady Pirates securing a 50-34 home victory.

Despite the Lady Chicks getting on the board first, it was Gosnell who took the momentum early and carried it throughout the game. Back- to-back buckets from juniors Jamyria Jones and Mya Britman gave Gosnell their first lead and they never looked back. A score from beyond the arc, followed by a fast breaking layup in transition helped Jones catch a scoring rhythm for the remainder of the frame. She went on to pour in 12 of her game-high 26 points in the quarter as Gosnell entered the second ahead 16-6.

Midway through the second, a three-pointer from Deyonce Stewart cut the Chicks’ deficit back down to single digits. Still, Gosnell closed the half with an and-1 from Ty Young to take a 24-13 advantage into halftime.

The two teams traded three-pointers to start the third, but the Blytheville offense was unable to keep the pace. The Lady Chicks scored only nine points in the frame, notching their third straight quarter under 10 points. Gosnell continued to build their lead, closing the third ahead 37-22 and coasting into their second win on the year. Behind Jones’ 26, Britman added 11 and Young added 7. Stwart and senior Tyana Howard led Blytheville with nine each. The Lady Pirates will return to action Dec, 2 as they battle another county foe, Rivercrest. The Lady Chicks will take the court again Nov. 30 when they visit Forrest City.