Wilson, Hartley power Trumann to next round

OSCEOLA — Trumann didn’t have it going early Thursday against Centerpoint, but Mycha Wilson made sure the Lady Wildcats brought it when it mattered.

The junior scored 17 of her game-high 21 points in the second half to guide Trumann to a 50-46 victory in the first round of the Class 3A girls state tournament at Seminole Arena.

Senior guard Mallory Hartley added 13 points, 10 rebounds and 4 assists for Trumann (24-7), which shook off a bout of nervousness in the first half to advance to face Lincoln today at 4 p.m. in the quarterfinals. The Lady Wildcats shot 18 of 37, were outrebounded 28-23 and committed 19 turnovers, but Wilson was at the forefront when Trumann needed her.

With the Lady Wildcats staring at a 33-30 deficit a minute into the final quarter, a Wilson assist to sophomore center Haley Mathis seemingly got her going. She then scored her team’s next 11 points to help Trumann take command.

The Lady Wildcats also got a huge play from Hartley late that all but locked up the victory. Down 48-46 with nine seconds left in the game, Centerpoint had possession with a chance to either tie or take the lead, but Hartley stepped in front of Lady Knights senior guard Jaide Vavra to draw a charge with 4.5 seconds remaining. She then knocked down the resulting free throws to provide the final margin.

“That’s Mallory Hartley,” Ballew said. “She could care less if she scores a single point in the game. If she took every charge, that’s what Mallory cares about. She’s about the team and about winning, and that moment truly defined who Mallory Hartley is.”

The loss was a bittersweet one for Centerpoint (14-12), which missed out on a top seed after suffering a 61-60 loss to Fouke in a regional final last week on a last-second three-pointer. The Lady Knights, who were 15-of-44 shooting and got a team-high 14 points and 6 rebounds from freshman guard Monika Flores, led 23-21 at halftime, but foul problems plagued them in the second half.

HARDING ACADEMY 58, ASHDOWN 54

Harding Academy went on a 17-2 burst that spanned the first and second quarters, then held on in the fourth.

Senior guard Alden Graves scored 25 points, including seven three-pointers, for Harding Academy (26-7). Junior forward Sloane Wiedower had 14 points and 10 rebounds, while junior guard Caroline Citty finished with 13.

Senior guard Kenya Wilson had 16 points for Ashdown (18-12), which was down by 17 in the third quarter. Senior forward Adaysia Thompson finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 5 steals.

ATKINS 67, FOUKE 58

Sophomore guard Lindsey Cox scored 25 points to send Atkins to the semifinals.

Cox scored 16 points in the second half, but she had help. Senior forward Alejandra Handie and sophomore forward Ashton Dillard scored 10 points apiece for Atkins (26-6), which scored 14 of the game’s last 19 points.

Junior guard Taylor Hardin had 19 points and senior guard Laykin Smallwood ended with 15 for Fouke (26-7). Junior guard Mallory Oliver added 11.