EL DORADO, Ark. - El Dorado's varsity girls surged in the fourth quarter and pulled away to a 60-54 win over Texarkana Tuesday night at Wildcat Arena.
The Lady Wildcats improved to 6-11 overall and 2-1 in conference while the Lady Razorbacks dropped to 6-9, 1-3.
In a game of runs, El Dorado used an 8-2 spurt in the final period to create an 8-point cushion.
LaDiamond Maker and Lauren Nelson combined for 15 points and 16 rebounds in the post.
Amyiah Williams led a balanced offensive attack with 12 points. Kalese Moseby scored 10 while ZB Brown and Maker each scored nine. Maker pulled down 10 rebounds.
El Dorado led 13-9 after one quarter after Moseby drained a 3-pointer. The Lady Wildcats carried a 31-28 advantage into the intermission and pushed the margin to 43-36 with 5:33 left in the fourth.
The Lady Razorbacks fought back and sliced the deficit to 43-41 on Allyssa Young's basket with 4:03 remaining. The Lady Wildcats stopped the 5-0 spurt when Williams converted a three-point play. Brown followed with a jumper as El Dorado went on its 8-2 spurt. Maker's rebound and putback gave the Lady Cats a 51-43 lead with 2:55 left to play.
Down the stretch, Williams and Brown ran the team from the backcourt. Williams' three-point play might've been the biggest bucket of the game.
Fortunate Barry led Texarkana with 16 points while Z'niah Nelson scored 13.
For El Dorado, the victory was important for conference standings. But it was also a gritty, team effort, which could be a positive sign for the rest of the season.
El Dorado 71, Texarkana 65, OT
El Dorado played like a team desperate for a victory and fought for an exciting 71-65 overtime win over Texarkana at Wildcat Arena.
G'savion Levingston's lay-up sent the game into overtime, where Isaiah Ramey scored five of the team's 10 points.
The Wildcats snapped a five-game losing skid and improved to 5-10 overall and 1-2 in conference. The Razorbacks slipped to 8-7, 1-3.
Levingston scored 15 points off the bench. Jarmel Love scored 10 of his 15 points in the first quarter. Brendan Simmons scored 12 of his 14 points in the second quarter and Ramey scored six of his 11 points in the final minute of regulation and OT.
The Razorbacks led 61-59 after Andre Reed's free throw with 14.2 seconds left in the game. El Dorado got the ball into the frontcourt and called a timeout with 6.9 seconds remaining.
The ball was inbounded in the corner to Jordan Tubbs, who bounced a pass into the post to Simmons. The ball went through Simmons' legs and into the hands of Levingston on the opposite block. Levingston powered up a lay-up, tying the game with 4.1 on the clock.
Texarkana did not get off a shot in time, sending the game into OT.
Of the game-tying field goal, Coach Simmons said, "No, it wasn't for him. They were switching screens. We got to thinking. When Brendan got to the block and got posted up, he pretty much had his way with their guards. So, what we talked about doing is screening down for Tubbs to pop out, which he did. We got the switch we wanted. Tubbs got excited with his pass. Brendan got open so quick and Tubbs tried to rush his pass. Ended up fine. I mean, he threw a bullet at Brendan's feet, but it bounced. (Levingston) did a great job on the backside getting position and he just went up strong like he did all night and put the ball in the hole.
Texarkana's Jaylon Randle opened the OT with two free throws. Ramey scored on a drive to tie the game before Tubbs drained a 3-pointer with 1:38 on the clock. Nicholas Watson scored in the lane for the Razorbacks, cutting the deficit to 66-65 with 1:08 remaining.
But Ramey hit both ends of the 1-and-1 with 57.5 left. After Kyron Young missed a 3-pointer for the Razorbacks, Ramey was fouled and hit one free throw. El Dorado finished the game when Ramey hit Levingston with a long pass for an easy bucket.
Ramey, playing the point, controlled the OT for the Wildcats and hit 3-of-4 at the line in the extra period.
The win was a team effort but Levingston's play off the bench stood out for the Wildcats.
Love hit a pair of 3-pointers and scored 10 quick points as El Dorado led 13-7 midway in the first. The Razorbacks tied the game 17-17 after one quarter and the Wildcats led 34-32 at the half.
The game was knotted at 44-44 before Tubbs launched a shot from three-quarter court, that was nothing but net at the end of the third quarter. The shot gave the Wildcats a three-point advantage and proved pivotal.
Tubbs contributed nine points in the game.
Watson scored 18 for Texarkana. Jordan Jones netted 14 and Reed added 12.