The Eufaula Lady Ironheads earned a big win over the Henryetta Lady Knights 57-25 Tuesday night at Perry Anderson Gymnasium in Eufaula. Eufaula was led by senior Jadence Efurd who dominated the paint with rebounds on both ends of the court, giving her team multiple scoring opportunities. John Bumgarner continued to outperform her opponents as she started the game with a three-pointer and finished with four threepointers while scoring 21 points.
Eufaula began to pull away when Maddie Ballard hit a long threepointer to give Eufaula a 11-6 lead. That was followed by a Kate Pippenger steal, who passed the ball to Olivia Hamby to Hannah Needham who scored. Hamby then grabbed a Henryetta rebound and scored on the other end 16-6. Henryetta drove downcourt only for Hamby to block a shot pass to Needham who fouled. Needham closed out the first period with a free throw to give Eufaula a 16-6 lead.
Efurd continued to show great effort as she scored the first five points in the second period and finished the game with seven points and six rebounds. Eufaula ended the second period with a score from Pippenger to give the Lady Ironheads a 25-17 lead.
The second period was all Eufaula as they outscored the Lady Knights 18-6. It began with Bumgarner scoring followed by Ballard shooting free throws. Then Pippenger made a great steal and pass to Efurd for a score. Lauren Gray then stole the ball from Allanna Lawrence then made a great throw to Bumgarner who scored from the paint to make it a 32-19 game. Henryetta’s Peyten Bailey then scored (32-21) but Bumgarner hit two three-pointers back-to-back followed by Hamby’s layup to make it a 40-21 game.
Eufaula continued its onslaught into the fourth period before Eufaula head Jason Radomski pulled his starters with 3:20 left in the game as the Lady Ironheads went on to a 5725 victory.
Bumganer led all scorers with 21 points, Olivia Hamby nine points, Ballard eight points and Efurd seven points to round out the Lady Ironheads.
Jordyn Goodman and Zoe Beatright each finished with six points for the Lady Knights.
Hunter leads Ironheads to win over Knights The Ironheads used a fast start to separate themselves from Henryetta in the first period 10-2, this being one of two key factors in the Ironheads’ win. Keaton Parish was on fire throughout the game as he forced steals and grabbed rebounds. Dacen Hunter and Parish were pivotal in the game as rebounders.
Henryetta began to make a surge in the second period as Talon Weaver cut the lead to 11-6. Maddox Bridges scored for Eufaula and Ty Sparks made a great steal but Henryetta grabbed the rebound and Maverix Randleman scored to make it 13-8. On the next possession Parish makes the rebound and passes the ball to Bridges who scores on a contested shot by Weaver. Parish then makes another steal but Bridges misses the shot; Weaver grabs the ball and scores. Hunter closes out the period at the free throw line to give the Ironheads a 1610 halftime lead.
The third period was a battle as each exchanged scores with Skyler Grenshaw of Henryetta hitting a three-pointer. Then the Knights forced a turnover. But Parish makes another steal and score. Weaver answered with a three-pointer of his own to cut the lead 20-16 with 4:41 remaining in the third period.
On the next possession Jentry James hits a long three-pointer for the Ironheads but Nakona Johnson answers with one for the Knights 23-29.
Eufaula forces a turnover and James scores but Gavin Williams steals the ball, passes it to Weaver, who gets fouled by Hunter, who then gets a technical. Henryetta made one of its two shots at the foul line, then got the ball back and scored to make it a 25-22 game with 1:06 remaining in the third period.
Parish and James both scored to finish the period with a 29-22 lead.
It was a back and forth game to start the final period as the Knights slowly chipped away and finally tied the game at 29-29 when Weaver scored with 4:40 remaining. On the next play Hunter hits a threepointer from the corner, Parish scores followed by what I thought was the second factor in the victory: Hunter hits a second three-pointer to give Eufaula some cushion leading 36-29 with 2:06 on the clock.
Henryetta is then called for stepping out of bounds, giving the ball back to the Ironheads. Hunter then hits a short shot to make it 38-29 as the fans erupted in jubilation.
However, the Knights would fight as Weaver hit a three-pointer to cut the lead 38-32.
On the next play, Henryetta forces a turnover but misses the shot as Parish grabbed the rebound, passed the ball to James who scored. Bridges scored the next points followed by Johnson and Randleman’s scores with 39.6 seconds in regulation. The Ironheads managed to run out the clock with Ty Sparks to hold off and win 45-40.
Maddox Bridges led Eufaula with 13 points, Hunter 12 points, and Parish and James added seven points each.
Weaver led all scorers with 18 points; Grenshaw eight points and Randleman had seven points for the Knights.
