Lady Warriors complete season of hoops with productive success
After returning to the big stage of senior high girls basketball last week, the Ouachita Lady Warriors ended their hard fought season in the first round of the Class 1A state tournament to the Rural Special Lady Rebels 61-38 hosted at Brady-Hipp Arena in Greers Ferry.
Despite the Lady Warriors journey of state title glory being shortened, Ouachita produced another magnificent season of hoops led by head coach Corey Brown.
The Lady Warriors brought the aggression to state, but the Lady Rebels maintained a well executed attack—which has led them to the finals this Thursday.
Brown was pleased by his Lady Warriors effort and how productive they battled throughout the entire 20202021 basketball season. He feels these Lady Warrior hoopsters are a special group and was honored to have coached them through another successful season.
“It was a wonderful and wild season. A season I was very thankful for because at times it looked like it might not happen or finish as it should or normally would. This group of seniors were an excellent group and I was just lucky to be able to coach them,” Brown said.
He noted the Lady Warriors have a combined record from 7th through 12th grade of 133 wins and only 31 losses (including a 28-7 record this year with six of those losses coming to teams ranked in the top five in the state for most of the year).
“Mostly I just had to make sure I got the bus to the right gym and they took care of the rest. I appreciate what they have done for our basketball program and the standard they have set. While I will miss them on the court what I will like most is their positive mental attitude,” Brown said.
While every sports team had to deal with the uncertainty of COVID-19 pandemic this year, Brown believed the Lady Warriors handled the situation with class and overcame the adversity during the season.
“We had several situations throughout the season that would cause some teams to crumble but our girls just chose joy, they chose to control what they could and not stress about the rest. I tend to let things linger, I appreciate them for helping me grow as a person in that area,” Brown mentioned.
Throughout the years, the Lady Warriors with Brown have developed a close and productive relationship— which has allowed them to blossom as one of the top contending teams in Class 1A.
Brown stands strong about relating productive principles on the court to aspects of life while leading and guiding as a coach. He believes these young ladies have exemplified themselves well on and off the court and it’s a tribute to their success.
“We play to win the game and rarely are happy with anything less but I’m so proud of these girls for winning in life and that is a much bigger game,” Brown said.
The Lady Warriors finished the runner-up at district, third at regionals and a state tournament qualifier for consecutive seasons—with a .500 overall record of 20 plus wins.
2021 CLASS 1A STATE TOURNAMENT
Lady Warriors vs Rural Special Lady Rebels
In the Lady Warriors final game of the season at state, senior duo Lizzy Rowton and Linsey Sirratt led scoring in double-figures. Rowton drilled two trifectas (3-pointers) from beyond the arc and finished the contest with 15 points, five rebounds, two assists, three deflections and three steals. Sirratt knocked down two trifectas (3-pointers) from beyond the arc and dropped 12 points, had four rebounds, one assist, two deflections and three steals.
Senior Aileen Ables finished with five points and busted a trifecta (3-pointer) from downtown—including two assists, two deflections and had two steals.
Gabby Buras (with two rebounds), Emma Williams and Lauren Daniell each added two points apiece. Williams grabbed five rebounds off the glass, had one assist, three deflections and one steal. Daniell also snatched two rebounds, had one assist, one deflections and two steals. Senior Tessa Kuykendall contributed with an assist and two deflections for the Lady Warriors during the state tournament.