Three players scored in double figures as the Gans girls celebrated homecoming with a 64-50 win over Arkoma in a non-conference game at Bryant Reeves Fieldhouse.
Seniors Randi Childers and Megan Flurry led the way with 17 and 16 points, respectively, and sophomore Raegan Sparkman scored another 11 to power the Lady Grizzlies to the victory.
The triumph was the first of the month for Gans, which lost twice at the county tourney and then suffered narrow setbacks to Riverside Conference foes Webbers Falls and Midway earlier in the week.
The Lady Grizzlies got back on track, though, by dominating the boards and holding Arkoma to 34 percent shooting from the floor (17-of-50) on Saturday night.
Childers was the top rebounder for Gans with seven, while Jessica Taylor grabbed six and Lacey Allen and Shawna Blake both snagged four. Those efforts helped the Lady Grizzlies to a commanding 31-17 edge in rebounding.
Childers got the Lady Grizzlies off to a strong start by scoring 12 of her points in the opening quarter. Her basket with 20 seconds left handed Gans a 20-16 lead entering the second period.
Arkoma pulled within 20-19 after Kristal Rushing sank one of her five three-point baskets, and she added two free throws moments later to knot the score at 21-21.
However, Gans responded with a 13-2 spurt to regain control and the Lady Grizzlies led the rest of the way. Flurry and Childers both had four points in the surge and Sparkman buried one of her two shots from beyond the three-point arc.
Gans led 37-27 at the break and extended its advantage to 16 points early in the third quarter as Lacey Allen and Flurry both scored off of steals. Two free throws from Taylor with 14 seconds left in the third gave Gans a 49-36 lead.
Arkoma could get no closer than 10 points in the fourth quarter as Gans sank 9-of-15 free throws to seal the victory. Flurry was 5-of-7 from the line in the final moments.
Allen finished with seven points for Gans and Taylor added five. Caree Douglas scored four, Katie Brunk two and Kaylee Kaewphonglek two.
Arkoma was led by 20 points from Rachel Edwards and 17 from Rushing.
In their games earlier in the week, the Lady Grizzlies got big efforts from several players. Sparkman netted 13 of her team-high 20 points in the fourth quarter of a 58-56 loss at Webbers Falls. Childers scored 19 in that game. Against Midway on Friday night, Flurry scored 13 and Sparkman had 12.
Arkoma 52, Gans 40 (Boys)
Former Muldrow assistant Dennis Wright enjoyed a return to Sequoyah County on Saturday night as his Arkoma Mustangs topped Gans.
Now in his first season as the head coach at his alma mater, Wright watched as his team went on an 18-6 run in the second quarter to grab the lead for good.
Gans had taken a 14-10 lead into the second quarter, but Michael Harmon hit three treys and scored 11 points to rally the visitors into a 28-20 halftime lead.
Gans twice pulled within four in the second half, the last time on a Joe Grooms basket early in the fourth quarter. That pulled the Grizzlies within 36-32, but they missed 16 of their final 17 field goal attempts and could get no closer.
Sophomore guard Nick Woodruff was Gans' leading scorer with 11 points. Grooms scored eight and Joe Brunk, Kyle John and Gary Southern added seven apiece.
Harmon led Arkoma with a game-high 21 points and Chris Rogers chipped in 10.
