Lady Pirate basketball doubles up Crane in season opener

Pirate basketball falls to Crane, readies for Morrisville tourney
 
The Ash Grove High School boys  and girls basketball teams opened up their 2025-26 seasons last week with the girls picking up a win and the boys falling in a close game.
The Lady Pirates hosted Crane on Monday, Nov. 24 and came away with a 50-25 win. Ash Grove jumped out to a 12-0 first quarter lead and never looked back, adding another 11 points in the second quarter on their way to a 23-6 lead at half. In the third quarter, the hot hand continued as the Lady Pirates added another 14 points to their total to increase their lead to 37-14. The score was closer in the fourth quarter, with Ash Grove outscoring Crane 13-11 to capture the 25-point win.
Millison Sapp led Ash Grove with 21 points and Bristol Lathrop had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
“It was a great start to this season,” said head coach Bryan Dean. “The girls are super excited for the year.”
The Lady Pirates are 1-0 on the season and were scheduled to take part in the eighth Annual Morrisville Tournament this week from Monday through Saturday.

Boys’ basketball
The Pirates basketball team hosted Crane on Tuesday, Nov. 25 and fell in a close contest 67-60.
Crane took an early 17-10 first quarter lead and were able to increase that to 27-20 by halftime. In the third quarter, the visitors continued their great shooting putting themselves up 46-30 after scoring 18 points in the quarter. Ash Grove fought back in the fourth quarter, scorching the net for 30 points but still came up a little short, losing by seven points.
Kyler Reece had 20 points, Easton Rust added 17 points, and Jaden Hance ended the game with 13 points.
“Crane is a really good team and our guys battled tough,” said head coach Grant Williamson. “We went through a little lull in the second quarter where things were difficult but made a push late to try and get back into it.”
The Pirates are 0-1 on the season and were scheduled to play at the 54th Annual Morrisville Tournament this week from Monday through Friday.