By TAYLOR MITCHELL
Sports Editor

For the first time this season the Raiders of Benton Academy left a basketball gym with a win.
Monday night the Raiders overcame a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter to defeat Sharkey-Issaquena 42-39 in Benton.
In the pivotal final quarter of play, Benton’s offense came to life with 13 points while the defense shut down the visitors, allowing just three points.
Both Sharkey and Benton got off to slow starts in the first quarter with each team scoring four points. Sharkey took the lead within the next eight minutes with 19 points. The Raiders managed to score 12 points in the second quarter to trail 23-16 at halftime.
After halftime both squads match each other point-for-point with each side posting 13 points to their total, setting up the Raiders’ fourth quarter comeback victory.
Chase Ward and William Jones led Benton in scoring with six points each and Bo Dickerson was second with three points.
While the boys’ game provided enough drama for an entire week’s worth of games, the earlier game wasn’t as dramatic.
Sharkey-Issaquena jumped out to a 15-13 lead in the first quarter and never looked back, winning 65-54 on Benton’s home court.
While the outcome wasn’t what Benton wanted, there were bright spots including Sarah Burdine’s 17 points. Nora Grace Davis was second on the team with 15 points while Jenny Reynolds had 12.
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