The Diamonds improved to 10-5 overall and 4-2 in the NOAA conference, but had to fight off a tough challenge by the Bulldogs.
Muldrow, which was trying to snap out of a recent losing streak, led most of the night and was still in contention until a technical foul doomed the Bulldogs to their fifth-straight loss.
Sallisaw was up 48-45 following a pair of free throws from Sam Tehee with :42 left. The technical came on the inbounds play, when Muldrow had six players on the floor. Tehee sank another free throw and Sallisaw regained possession, eventually going up 50-45 on a Ryan Clubb free throw.
Several three-point attempts were off target for Muldrow in the closing moments and Michael Anderson sealed the win for the Diamonds with two free shots in the final seconds.
Guards Tehee and Anderson paced Sallisaw with nine points apiece. Clubb, Shane Cox and Donald Sanders all chipped in eight points each, Derek Tillis six and Danial McHenry four for the Diamonds, who hit six shots from beyond the three-point arc. Tehee had two of the treys with Anderson, Sanders, Clubb and Cox making the others.
Austin Day drilled a pair of three-pointers for Muldrow on the way to a game-high 14 points. Spencer Tally added 13 points, Jeremy Collins five, Nathan Byrd four, Caleb Cawhorn four, Trevor Earls three and Matt Lucas two.
The loss dropped Muldrow to 7-8 overall and 2-4 in the conference, but the Bulldogs got off to an encouraging start on Friday night.
Day bucketed seven of his points in the early-going as Muldrow jumped out to a 13-4 lead. Sanders responded with a long-range jumper and Tillis netted two free shots to pull the Diamonds back to within 13-9 by the end of the first quarter.
Sallisaw grabbed a brief lead in the second period, but Earls scored from three-point range and Tally had six points to keep the Bulldogs in front, 31-29, at halftime.
Muldrow led by as many as five points in the third quarter before Cox got a tip-in at the end of the period to pull Sallisaw back to within 40-39.
Three-point baskets from Cox and Tehee put the Diamonds in front 45-42 in the fourth quarter. Day evened the score with a trey at the 2:10 mark, but Muldrow went scoreless the rest of the way while shooting 2-of-10 from the floor. Sallsiaw clinched the win with 7-of-11 free throw shooting in the final stanza.
Sallisaw 53, Muldrow 44 (Girls)
The Lady Diamonds got a combined 40 points from senior post players Mandi Pearson and Anna Herndon while notching the NOAA conference victory on Friday night at Muldrow.
Pearson totaled 22 points and eight rebounds-both of which were game-highs. Herndon dropped in another 18 points, including eight during a 14-4 spurt in the first quarter.
That early surge put the Lady Diamonds in front for good, although Muldrow twice fought back to within a single point.
Katrina Proctor's three-point shot from the wing pulled the Lady Bulldogs to within 33-32 with :05 left in the third quarter.
However, Sallisaw responded with 13 consecutive points at the start of the fourth period to pull away for the victory. Herndon had six points during the decisive run and Pearson added five more as the Lady Diamond lead grew to 46-32.
Sallisaw scored the rest of its points from the line, sinking 14-of-24 free throw attempts in the fourth quarter.
Muldrow dropped to 5-11 overall and 0-6 in the NOAA despite 12 points each from Jordan Southerland and Proctor. Gena Sanders tallied 10 points, Megan Matlock sank two treys and finished with eight points and Mashiah Akin scored two points. The Lady Bulldogs outrebounded Sallisaw, thanks to eight boards by Southerland and six from Akin.
Sallisaw, which moved to 10-5 in all games and 3-3 in the league, got six points from Lana Reed, three from Kelli Branham and two each from Kay Smith and Renae Means. Means also came down with seven rebounds, including six in the fourth quarter.
