Visiting Conway’s depth pays off
SPRINGDALE — A little history about Springdale HarBer’s girls served Conway well Monday afternoon.
The Lady Wampus Cats used what they did during last year’s game against the Lady Wildcats to their advantage, using a fast start and a good finish to take a 72-57 victory in Wildcat Arena.
“We knew it was going to be a battle with Har-Ber,” Conway Coach Ashley Hutchcraft said. “It was last year, and they are really good in the second quarter. They beat us in the second quarter last year. So we talked about that, and it sort of repeated itself.
“We have a lot of depth, and I think that showed in the end. We use a lot of people off the bench, and we have all our starters back from last year. I can see a lot of growth, especially in these physically tough games.”
Chloe Clardy, who had 25 points to lead three Conway players in double figures, made her presence felt early with three of Conway’s first five baskets after Har-Ber (2-1) opened the game with a Caylan Coons three-pointer. The Lady Cats (4-0) used strings of 10 and 9 points to build an early 19-8 cushion and led by as many as 15 points in the first half.
Har-Ber, however, held Conway to just one basket over the final 4:30 of the first half, and the Lady Wildcats were able to pull within 3528 by halftime. Coons, who finished with 29 to lead HarBer, hit two free throws to start the second half, and her three-pointer made it a 40-37 game with 5:13 left in the third quarter.
But Conway’s depth became too much for the Lady Wildcats. The Lady Wampus Cats regrouped offensively and extended their lead to 54-43 to close out the third quarter, then started the final 8 minutes with an 8-1 spurt and stretched their lead to 6244 on Alex Joviette’s bucket with 5:44 remaining.
“We didn’t do a good job of putting the ball in the hole to start the game,” Har-Ber Coach Kimberly Jenkins said. “We needed our offense going to match theirs because they are a very high-powered offensive team. They’re a handful with all the length they have and the inside-outside game.
“They have players that can make plays. We were keying on a couple of their better players, and they’re all really good. They had some players step up who weren’t the top three players we were trying to stop, and I think that made a big difference. We were trying to help in guarding Clardy and [Jaiden] Thomas, and they had somebody else hit a big shot.”
Thomas finished with 11 and Savannah Scott 10 for Conway. Pacious McDaniel added 13 for Har-Ber.
BOYS
NEW SCHOOL 41, SPRINGDALE 38
The Cougars rallied in the fourth quarter to edge Springdale in nonconference action.
New School (11-2) trailed 30-23 entering the fourth quarter, but outscored the Bulldogs 18-8 to claim the road win.
Jackson Harris led New School with 13 points, and Macheal Harriman and Evan Goldman scored 10 each.
Isaiah Sealy led the Bulldogs (0-1) with 11.