By Angie Brushwood (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
Ash Grove, MO – Prior to Wednesday’s game against Mid-Lakes rival Skyline, Ash Grove senior Braden Trammell celebrated his 1,000th point for the Pirates with a personalized ball and well-deserved ovation. Trammell scored that milestone point against the Walnut Grove Tigers on Friday night.
Trammell appreciates the significance of achieving 1,000 points.
“A lot of players that I looked up to growing up scored 1,000 points, and I always wanted to be like them,” said Trammell. “To me it was a really big honor, something I’m really proud of. My family is my biggest support. They always have my back no matter what. This community is small and it’s strong, and I’m grateful for all the support they’ve given me. I’m proud of my teammates. I wouldn’t trade my guys for anything.”
Trammell’s recognition was not marked by a Pirates win tonight, however, as the Skyline Tigers pushed back against a thrilling Ash Grove first quarter, defeating the Pirates 82-73.
All of the Pirates’ first quarter points came in threes. The Pirates sank seven treys and converted one layup to a 3-pointer, to seal a 24-16 lead going into the second quarter.
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The Tigers were no slouches at the net, though, matching nearly every Pirates showstopper with a bucket in the paint. Brant Gideon (sr.) scored 12 of his 32 points for the Tigers in the first quarter.
“In the first quarter, we weren’t pushing it as well and we weren’t getting back on defense and getting hands in the face, and they were shooting the ball really well from the three,” said Gideon. “Later in the game, we tried to stop the three-point play and focus on defense more.”
In the second, the Tigers proved they could score from the rim too. Dax Beem sank two treys and converted one to a three. Gideon continued his streak, scoring eight more points for the Tigers in the second, including a buzzer-beater that gave Skyline a two-point lead at the half, 40-38.
Tommy Egan expressed his pride at the Tigers’ tenacity.
“I thought our kids stayed the course. It would’ve been real easy to drop our heads,” said Egan. “We kept talking about one possession at a time. Ash Grove finally started missing a couple of them, and we finished off with the rebounds. We did a really nice job offensively tonight. I‘m proud of our kids for staying the course, especially on a good opponent on the road.”
The Pirates were missing two starters, one to illness and one to a broken wrist in last week’s game against Walnut Grove.
“We came out and played well, but we couldn’t get stops,” said Ash Grove coach Josh Reece. “We had two starters that were out tonight. We were put in some different roles and just ran out of steam and got tired.”
The Pirates pushed back on defense in the 3rd and led 55-53 going into the 4th.
The Tigers pulled out all the stops in the fourth quarter, pulling to a 64-57 lead after a layup and three-pointer by Dax Beem.
The Pirates forced the Tigers to the line late in the fourth, where they went on a 10-0 run and widened their lead to 74-64. Tate Moreland made good on a 3-point turn at the line for the Pirates, narrowing the deficit to 74-67 with a minute remaining. Trammell would sink two more treys for the Pirates, but Skyline finished 82-73.
Ash Grove 24 14 17 18 — 73
Skyline 16 24 17 25 — 82
Ash Grove: Braden Trammell 19, Dalton McGregor 15, Tate Moreland 15, Matt Keller 14, Noah Branham 7, Kenneth Steeley 3 – 73
Skyline: Brant Gideon 32, Dax Beem 23, Chris Logan 11, Gage Gunter 8, Mason Lile 6, Brayden Whiteside 2 — 82
