Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Davis lifts Lady Bulldogs to top
SPRINGDALE HIGH 46, ROGERS HIGH 36
SILOAM SPRINGS — There was no tournament most valuable player named to the Siloam Springs Holiday Classic, but if there was there’s no doubt who the award would have gone to.
Springdale junior guard Marquesha Davis, a potential Division I recruit, pumped in 27 points to lead Springdale to a 46-36 win over 7A-West rival Rogers in the championship game Saturday night at Panther Activity Center.
Davis took over the game at times, accounting for more than half of Springdale’s offense. She had 12 points in the first half and turned it up a notch in the second half with 15 more points. She finished the tournament with 74 points in three games.
“You just want to give her a lot of credit,” said Rogers coach Preston Early. “She’s a difference-maker. She can do things that you just don’t have an answer for.”
There were several of those moments in the second half.
Leading 24-21 at halftime, Springdale (9-4) got a 3-pointer from Sarah Vogel to go up 27-21.
Then moments later, Davis intercepted a Rogers inbound pass on one end and took the ball coast-to-coast for a bucket and a 29-21 lead. Davis later hit a short jumper for a 33-26 lead.
Rogers (7-6) got back within 33-29 going into the fourth quarter after a pair of 3-pointers from Courtney Storey, but Davis had a few more tricks up her sleeve.
She opened the fourth by scoring on a putback, and had another offensive rebound and score.
With 4:56 left, Davis stole a ball and blew by Rogers defense for an old fashioned three-point play and a 40-29 lead.
“Those plays there were the game-changers,” said Springdale coach Heather Hunsucker. “Those are huge momentum plays for us to finish the game off.”
Storey led Rogers with 14 points, while Madison Loyd had 10.
BOYS SPRINGDALE HIGH 60, CLAREMORE, OKLA., 46
Springdale made it a Bulldogs sweep of the Holiday Classic with a double-digit victory in the boys championship.
The Bulldogs held a fivepoint lead going into the fourth quarter and outscored defending tournament champ Claremore (5-4) 24-15 in the final eight minutes to pull away for the win.
“We were solid in the fourth quarter and protected that lead,” said Springdale coach Jeremy Price. “That shows some growth and maturity.”
Trentez Scales opened the fourth quarter with a 3-pointer to give the Bulldogs (9-4) a 39-31 lead and Jajuan Boyd made it an 11-point advantage with a bucket.
Carl Fitch then scored three straight baskets to keep the lead at 11 points, and the Bulldogs had three different players — Fitch, Boyd and Marquis Donahoo — knock down free throws down the stretch to pull away.
“Trentez Scales hits a huge 3-pointer and we played solid half court defense in the fourth quarter to protect the lead,” Price said.
Scales finished with 18 points, while Fitch had 13 and Donahoo added 12.
Layton Hartloff led Claremore with 15 points.