CAC hopes to send star player out with state title
Central Arkansas Christian’s Lady Mustangs had the players but not the luck down the stretch last season as Steve Quattlebaum’s team came up short in the Class 4A state tournament. With one of the nation’s top recruits from the class of 2018 in junior Christyn Williams, expectations were high for the Lady Mustangs, for a generation perennially one of the state’s best programs. But after Williams and a couple of other starters suffered lateseason injuries, CAC lost three of its last four games to finish 29-5 with a loss to Berryville in the Class 4A state quarterfinals. “It was really disappointing,” Coach Quattlebaum said. “I thought we were the best team in the state. It was just bad luck and a lot of injuries. Don’t take anything away from Berryville, but I felt like if we’d been 100 percent, we could’ve done a little better.” Now Williams is back for her senior season after winning gold and silver in international competition this summer. She won gold in June in the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) Women’s 3x3 Under-18 World Cup in Chengdu, China, and silver in July in the FIBA U19 World Championship for Women in Udine, Italy. She had won bronze in 2016 with Team USA’s U17 World Cup team in Zaragoza, Spain. “She’s better,” Quattlebaum said of his star on the eve of the 2017-18 season. “She’s stronger; she shoots it better. All areas of her game are better. It’s like every year when she comes back from the summer — she’s a little better.” The Lady Mustangs won state titles in 2005, ’06 and ’07, but the elusive fourth championship has been more than 10 years in the making. During Williams’ freshman season in 2015, the Lady Mustangs reached the Class 4A state quarterfinals, where they fell to Star City. In 2016, the sophomore led them to the championship game, where they lost to a stacked Riverview squad. Now, with just one season remaining in Williams’ high school career, Quattlebaum said, he and his seniors feel some pressure. “It’s been a long time since we won one,” he said. “I feel that pressure every year, but this year makes it even more. When you have the best player in the country, you’d think you’d win a few state championships, but we just haven’t. “But for sure, this year we will be one of the most talented teams.” In fact, he said, he thought the Lady Mustangs would be quite a bit better than they were last season. “We’ve just got to stay healthy and continue to work hard,” he said. “They kind of remind me of the group from our second championship team. They were really talented, but I kept reminding them that hard work beats talent if talent doesn’t work hard. “Teams that don’t deserve it don’t usually win state championships.” Four starters return to help boost CAC toward that fourth state title. Returning to the lineup with Williams, a 5-11 guard, will be three-year starters Jenna Davis, a 5-11 senior post, and Kelson Miller, a 5-9 senior point guard; and two-year starter Alexa Mashburn, a 6-0 senior center. Also expected to contribute outside are 5-8 junior shooting guard Madyson Bowman, 5-7 sophomore point guard Hannah-Claire Haughaboo, 5-7 senior utility player Carson Swede and 5-9 freshman shooting guard Bethany Dillard. “Madyson Bowman had a good summer and is much improved,” Quattlebaum said. “Hannah-Claire Haughaboo played some for us last year, and she got better over the summer. We’re counting on her scoring some for us. Carson Swede will play some inside and some outside. She’s one of our better defenders. Bethany Dillard is a good one. She can score inside. She’s a good 3-point shooter, a good ball handler. She’s just a good all-around player.” Katie Fox, a 6-0 sophomore, will also work inside, the coach said. “She’s been injured, so she’s not practicing, but she’s a little more athletic, runs the floor well, is a good defender and is improving on offense,” Quattlebaum said. Junior 5-7 forwards Riley Shepard and Brynne Bell will also contend for playing time inside, he said. Brittney Williams, a 5-11 sophomore transfer from Conway, will provide practice help as she awaits her eligibility. Quattlebaum said she will eventually give the Lady Mustangs more depth in the post. Team strengths are experience — with several multiyear starters — and depth, the coach said. “We have really struggled in that area the past few years, but this should be the deepest team we’ve had in several years,” Quattlebaum said. But he said he could pinpoint several weaknesses. “We’re still not a great shooting team — just spotting up shooting and hitting shots,” he said. “We are getting better. I think our scoring will be a little more balanced this year, which is always a concern. We are still not as good a rebounding team as we should be.
When you have the best player in the country, you’d think you’d win a few state championships, but we just haven’t.
STEVE QUATTLEBAUM CAC GIRLS COACH
I always thought this group should press better than what we do. I think we need to get better in that area. We’re pretty solid at half-court man, but we haven’t been very good at extending the pressure.” The Lady Mustangs will be pushed in the 4A-2 by Lonoke and Little Rock eStem. “They’ve both got a lot back,” Quattlebaum said. “We’re opening with Van Buren at the Paragould tournament, and they are pretty good. There are several good teams in that tournament and some good teams in the Conway tournament. We’ll play in a tournament in Memphis over Christmas, so we’ll see some good teams there.” Overall, he said, he is excited to start his 23rd season at Mustang Mountain. “I think it could be one of the best teams we’ve ever had if we continue to work hard and stay away from injuries,” he said. “We brought these five seniors up as freshmen, and they’ve had some big wins, but they haven’t had the ultimate win. “They all have that on their mind, and we’re going to work really hard to get them there.”