Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Tournaments Unkind To Lady Devils

Between tournament games, the Lady Go-Devils tuned up by thrashing Fordyce 67-53.

The game, played Nov. 28, saw the Lady Devils dominate the game from the outset. The took a 14-12 lead after one, but found themselves in a tie, 32-32 at the break. However, by the end of three, Gurdon's senior girls were in control with a 52-42 lead.

Alicia Clayborn couldn't miss as she poured in 35 points on the night, including a seven for 12 effort at the line. Tabitha Thomas followed with 19 points, including a trey.

The Lady Devils were 12 of 23 from the free throw stripe in the contest.

Lavette Domineck led Fordyce with 34 points as she provided almost all the offense for the Redbugs.

However, the 'Bugs suffered at the stripe as they were only six of 18.

From there, the Lady Devils ventured to the Southern Arkansas University Tournament in Magnolia.

Their first foe, Fouke, took a beating with the final score 70-41.

Clayborn and Thomas combined to score 49 of Gurdon's 70 points as the two were all but unstoppable.

The Lady Devils opened with a 15-7 first quarter assault. They posted a 31-19 advantage at the break. By the end of three, it was all over but the final score as Gurdon held a commanding 51-24 lead.

Thomas canned 26 points in the outing, while her counterpart, Clayborn scorched the cords for 23.

The Lady Devils were also 15 of 28 from the charity stripe.

A. Easley and Farley scored 14 each for the Lady Panthers.

Fouke's senior squad was seven of 15 from the line.

The Lady Devils, however, met their match in the next round of the SAU tourney.

The AA Gurdon squad locked horns with the AAAA Camden Fairview team.

The Lady Devils had their chance, but fell 48-45 in the end as they went cold from the field during the final three minutes of the game.

The Lady Cardinals led 12-11 at the end of one, and held a slim 26-24 lead at halftime. The Lady Devils trailed 36-31 when the buzzer sounded ending the third quarter and fought to take a 45-36 lead in the final eight minutes.

However, Thomas fouled out with a little more than three minutes left, and Gurdon was unable to score again.

Thomas led the team with 23 points, including a pair of three-pointers and a perfect trip to the line where she connected on three of three shots.

Clayborn followed with 11 points on the night, with nine coming from the stripe.

Overall, the Lady Devils were 13 of 30 in free throw attempts.

B. Stennis led the Lady Cards with 11 points in the contest, while teammate K. Lockhart contributed 10.

Fairview's girls shot 15 of 32 at the line.

Following the SAU tourney and then pasting Fordyce in regular season action, the Lady Devils entered the foray at the Dierks Tournament.

They opened with a 63-57 victory over Umpire.

However, it wasn't as easy as the final score shows. Umpire outscored Gurdon 11-8 in the opening period.

This only fueled the fire for the Lady Devils as they rallied and scored 25 points in the second period to lead 33-22 at the half. At the end of three, the Gurdon quintet was in control 50-31, and coasted to the win.

Thomas was an offensive force once she warmed up. She led all scorers with 35, including connecting on 14 of 19 free throws. Rasheda Dickens followed with 11 points.

The Lady Devils shot well from the line as they nailed 27 of 38 attempts.

S. Mullen and A. Mullen paced Umpire with 21 points each. The pair also posted identical seven for 10 efforts at the stripe.

Overall, though, Umpire was 21 of 33 in free throws.

Blevins, however, snuck up on Gurdon in round two of the tourney as they handed the Lady Devils a 51-46 loss, thereby sending them to the consolation round.

The two squads were deadlocked at 10-10 when the buzzer sounded ending the first period of play. Blevins, however, was stuffed by the Gurdon "D" in the second quarter as the Lady Devils took a 26-16 lead to the lockers at the half. The Lady Hornets responded and clawed their way back into the game in the third period with the score 39- 36.

A cold shooting final period doomed Gurdon.

Thomas again led the team with 19 points. Clayborn and Wanda Cornish scored seven each.

The Lady Devils had a rough night at the line as they only hit 11 of 28 attempts.

Gurdon fared no better in the consolation bracket as they fell 66-46 to Wickes' Lady Warriors.

It was a night the Lady Devils didn't have what it took offensively as they opened trailing 15-7. By halftime, the Lady Warriors held a 32-16 advantage. It didn't improve in the third quarter as Wickes was up 46-28.

Once again, Thomas and Clayborn provided the bulk of the offense, with Thomas ripping the nylon for 23 and Clayborn netting 18. Only two other members of the Lady Devil team scored.

Gurdon shot seven of 11 from the line.

L. Johnson heated up the scoring for Wickes with 30 points. M. Cole added 14 and A. Chambers contributed 10.

The Lady Warriors were also hot from the line as they hit 12 of 16 shots.

The Lady Devils took their frustration out on the Lady Panthers of Ashdown as they whipped them 45-34.

Gurdon opened with a scorching offense and stingy defense as they led 15-8 at the end of one. The onslaught continued as the Lady Devils went to the lockers at the break with a 26-18 advantage.

They slowed down somewhat in the third period, but continued to lead 31-22 as the buzzer sounded ending the quarter.

Clayborn led the team with 16 points. Thomas netted 11.

However, the Lady Devils were horrid from the line as they only hit seven in 23 tries.

K. Gulley paced Ashdown with 14.

The Lady Panthers were two of five at the stripe.

On Nov. 28, the junior Lady Devils edged Hope 33-30.

The Lady Kittens held a 10-7 lead after one, and were up 17-11 at the break. However, the Lady Devils heated up in the third period as they took a 21-19 lead and went on for the win.

Lavonda Young led the squad with 15 points. Tiffany Ware added eight.

The Lady Devils were 10 of 17 at the line.

T. Martin led the Lady Kittens with 15.

The Hope squad was 12 of 17 in free throw attempts.

While the senior boys will venture to Fort Smith for the Coca Cola Classic tourney, none of the other teams will see regular season action until Jan. 4, when they make the journey to Prescott to visit the Curley Wolves.