Both PHS varsity basketball teams win neck-and-neck games

Both high school varsity basketball games played at Pittsburg High School on Tuesday evening came down to the wire and ended in three-point victories for the Pittsburg girls and the Pittsburg boys against the Arkansas City Bulldogs.

The Pittsburg girls used a 15-2 run over a roughly six-minute stretch of the third and fourth quarters and held on for a 46-43 win.

The Pittsburg boys clamped down on the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter after surrendering 20 points in the third quarter, Jornell Fondren made all six of his free throw attempts in crunch time and Arkansas City swingman David Boxman’s 3-point shot rimmed out at the buzzer, giving PHS a 47-44 win.

Pittsburg girls

Balanced scoring, forcing turnovers and minimizing its own turnovers helped Pittsburg build a 40-29 lead in the fourth quarter after trailing Arkansas City 27-25 almost halfway through the third quarter.

“I wasn’t here last year, so I’m not sure what the difference has been,” Pittsburg head coach Kim Peterson said. “I just know what we’ve been working on and we’ve focused on taking good care of the ball, playing solid defense and keeping our composure in tough situations.”

Pittsburg closed out the third quarter on a 11-2 spurt — only a Caitlynn McVey outside shot surrounded by Purple Dragon baskets. Brianna Maxwell started the run at the 4:00 mark on an inside basket. Mackenzie Spresser forced an Arkansas City turnover and then made a 3-point shot. Bethanne Elliott scored an easy basket on a perfectly-executed inbounds play. Lizzy Willis drained a pair of mid-range baskets, taking advantage of Arkansas City interior players afraid of venturing too far away from the paint.

During the third quarter, Pittsburg committed one turnover compared to seven for Arkansas City.

“We only had nine or 10 turnovers tonight and that is far less than we’ve had in any other game this season,” Peterson said. “We were happy about that and most of them came in the second half. When we needed to take care of the ball, we took care of the ball and finished the game.”

Pittsburg committed 11 turnovers, five in the second quarter and three near the end of the game as the Bulldogs made one last charge.

Senior forward Mariah Forrest helped get Arkansas City players Kelcey O’Daniel and Mary Brantley in foul trouble. Forrest made 6 of 8 free throws in the first half and finished with 10 points, struggling through her own foul trouble after halftime. Forrest committed two fouls on Arkansas City post Jordan Salas within 25 seconds of game time 59 seconds into the third.

“She had 10 points tonight,” Peterson said. “She did a very good job of getting to the free-throw line and making the majority of those free throws. We talked about how you can’t be scared to take it up against their big girls. They have a 6-foot-2 girl (Brantley) and we talked about shot fake and go up strong. Don’t be shy, don’t be scared and take it to her. That’s what Mariah did, as well as our other players in there.”

Eight Pittsburg players reached the scoring column, led by Forrest with 10 points and followed by Skyler Muff (eight points), Spresser (seven), Lizzy Willis (six), Elliott (four), Maxwell (four), Ashley Willis (four) and Mercedes Vogel (three).

“We worked on looking at the back side,” Peterson said. “We knew that might be available. We were getting shots all over the floor. In fact, everybody that played tonight scored . . . our scoring went from 10 down to three. It was a well-rounded scoring night for us.”

Pittsburg (3-2) finishes its pre-holiday break schedule on a three-game winning streak after losing its opening games against Labette County (hurt by 30 turnovers) and Girard.

Pittsburg boys

Free throws play a central role in every basketball game and they certainly did Tuesday, as Pittsburg made six more and attemped 14 more foul shots than its opponent during a tightly-contested game.

Down 42-41 to Arkansas City with 2:21 remaining on the clock, Pittsburg senior guard Jornell Fondren drew the fifth personal foul on Arkansas City guard Justin Spencer and entered Pittsburg in the bonus. Fondren drained both ends of the 1-and-1 and gave Pittsburg back a 43-42 lead. With 9.9 seconds left, Fondren sank both ends of a 1-and-1 and then with 3.8 seconds on the clock, Fondren made two more free throws in the double bonus.

“Free throws in that situation are always pressure but you get to 1-and-1, it’s even more pressure because you don’t get the second unless you make that first one,” Pittsburg head coach Kiley Roelfs said. “Boy, he rose to the occasion. There’s no doubt about it.”

Arkansas City trailed 24-17 at halftime, but took a 37-34 lead after three quarters on the strength of a 20-point quarter and culminated by a set play which led to a Samuel Palmer 3-point shot from the corner at the buzzer.

Senior guard Dillon O’Dell scored three baskets in the fourth, helping Pittsburg stay in the game with strong drives on the Arkansas City defense. This increased energy helped Pittsburg reverse its fortunes.

“I thought a big key to the third quarter was that we got back on our heels and not aggressive,” Roelfs said. “They were the aggressors to start that third quarter and that’s why they got back into it and took the lead. It took us a while, but eventually we started getting back into attack mode. We got more aggressive on the offensive end and I thought it carried over into the defensive end and we found ways to make stops. It had a lot to do with energy and aggression.”

Junior guard Tanner Ellis left the game early in the second half after he landed on the feet of Arkansas City guard Derrick Banks during a Banks field goal.

Pittsburg seniors Joe Wimmer, Brandon Smith and Dylan Gromer were already in street clothes on Tuesday.

“If it’s going to happen, now is probably the best time because now we have a little time to heal,” Roelfs said. “Once we get done with practice the next couple days, hopefully a few days will give these guys a chance to get back healthy again and hopefully we’ll start getting them back on the floor.”

After losing its season opener to Labette County, Pittsburg has won four straight games and closes out its pre-holiday break schedule at 4-1.

Pittsburg girls 46, Arkansas City 43
ACHS    6 11 12 14 — 43
PHS    8 13 15 10 — 46
ARKANSAS CITY (43) — Caitlynn McVey 8 0-0 18, Jordan Salas 4 2-3 10, Mary Brantley 1 4-6 6, Rakiyah Taylor 2 0-0 4, Asia Budd 1 0-0 3, Kelcey O’Daniel 1 0-0 2. Totals: 17 6-9 43.
PITTSBURG (46) — Mariah Forrest 2 6-8 10, Skyler Muff 4 0-2 8, Mackenzie Spresser 1 4-6 7, Lizzy Willis 3 0-0 6, Bethanne Elliott 2 0-0 4, Brianna Maxwell 2 0-0 4, Ashley Willis 2 0-0 4, Mercedes Vogel 1 0-0 3. Totals: 17 10-17 46.

Pittsburg boys 47, Arkansas City 44
ACHS    9  8  20  7  — 44
PHS    8 16 10 13 — 47
ARKANSAS CITY (44) — Justin Spencer 5 0-0 11, Wes Brantley 2 6-8 10, David Boxman 3 0-0 6, Dakotah Stewart 3 0-0 6, Samuel Palmer 2 0-0 5, Derrick Banks 1 0-0 2, Keegan Murphy 1 0-0 2, Matt Postlewait 1 0-0 2. Totals: 18 6-8 44.
PITTSBURG (47) — Dillon O’Dell 7 3-8 17, Jornell Fondren 3 6-6 13, Andrew Joy 2 0-0 6, Jalen King 2 1-2 5, Tanner Ellis 0 2-2 2, FeDor Lomax 1 0-2 2, Stefon Rich 1 0-2 2. Totals: 16 12-22 47.