Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Devils Take Pair From Ouachita

REBECCA S. COOPER

Senior night was exciting and memorable to everyone Friday night as the Gurdon basketball teams hosted Ouachita High. Who could ask for a better end to the regular season than two wins with the same score.

The scores were 56-53.

Ladies first.

The Ouachita Lady Warriors started the game with strength, but the Lady Go-Devils stayed on top of them as the half came to an end. The ball was like a greased pig through most of the game as both teams threw it away time and time again.

Gurdon was down by two points at the beginning of the last quarter, when the officials called a technical on the coach from Ouachita. Coach Kevin Owens was tense over the calling of fouls for his girls, so the Lady Devils took the four free throws with Tiffany Ware making three of them. Meanwhile the crowd from Ouachita roared with disapproval.

The coach proceeded to stamp around in a fury for the rest of the game.

Lavonda Young started the first quarter with four baskets out of the 14 points made.

Ware, Brandi Escalante and Vanesha Young got the shots to keep up with the Lady Warriors through the rest of the first quarter.

Second quarter scoring brought in 8 points made by Escalante, Lavonda Young, and Kashonna Young.

Third quarter was the break into the heat of the game, as the Lady Go-Devils were neck and neck with the Lady Warriors. Tiffany, Brandi, Lavonda, Vanesha, and Ebony Crow gave the crowd something to watch as the clock ticked down.

The Ladies took us to a win with the last two minute scores by Escalante. The final score was 56-53.

Before the game the seniors Lady Go-Devils were escorted onto the court by their parents and loved ones as they watched the small crowd praise the hopes and future plans of these five young women.

The senior players are Yvonne Penny, Latrena Beasley, Helen Dickens, Kashonna Young and Lavonda Young, who all have bright futures ahead.

The Ladies also won Tuesday night's game against Sparkman, 44-30.

Now the Go-Devils. And what a game against Ouachita. After the show the Lady Devils gave, what would the Go-Devils do to top it?

The court was full with proud parents and loved ones as the eight seniors were presented to the audience.

The senior Go-Devils are Josh Ursery, Cameron House, Eric Allen, Keevin Beasley, Terry Cornish, Demond Beasley, Adrian Meeks and Blake Norris. They stood tall for the flashes from family and friends.

But the game was never boring from the word go. The Go-Devils were 10 points ahead within the first few minutes of the game, but the Warriors were not going to give up easily.

The Go-Devils were up and down the court in a serious running game. In the first half the crowd was treated to Keevin Beasley executing an energetic slam dunk with the visiting crowd calling orders for the refs.

Now the show started in the crowd with a very verbal visiting group that were frustrated after the first loss.

By the half the coach was pacing and getting tense. But the Go-Devils went shot for shot with the Warriors right down to the buzzer, with regulation four quarters being tied at 46 each.

The two teams went into overtime where the Go-Devils were down by three points for the majority of the five minutes.

Just as the Gurdon crowd thought the game was lost, Adrian Meeks made the game- winning two points with less than 10 seconds on the clock.

The crowd was off its feet as the Warriors' coach threw a big fit. The officials had enough time left to call a technical on the coach who followed them off the court yelling and stomping like a bull with a rope around it. He had his team in tears practically and his fan group ready to fight. They stayed around for 45 minutes fussing and waiting to see if the officials would change their minds magically.

But the game was Gurdon's and the Go-Devils walked away with a 56-53 win on the majority of the team's last seasonal high school game.