Harrison shakes off recent struggles

HARRISON 49, BROOKLAND 41

MORRILTON — Harrison got rid of some anxiety early Tuesday morning before returning to the win column.

The Lady Goblins used an eight-point run in the third quarter to build a lead, and answered every challenge issued by Brookland over the final eight minutes to pull out a 49-41 victory in the first round of the Class 4A girls state tournament at Devil Dog Arena.

Senior guard Alex Hill finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 assists for Harrison (18-3), which rebounded in its tourney opener after experiencing a rare two-game losing streak.

The Lady Goblins had won their first 16 games and spent most of the year ranked No. 1 in Class 4A, but Harrison had lost three of its last four games, including its previous two during last week’s 4A-North Region tournament.

“We struggled a little bit in the early going [Tuesday], but I’ve got a lot of seniors who have something to prove after last week,” Harrison Coach Kristian Williams said. “Nothing against those other teams that were in our region, but we didn’t think we were the fourth seed coming in. So we thought we had something to prove.

“There were a few jitters, though, because it was a 10 a.m. game. And plus, Brookland’s a really good team that’s very wellcoached. I had some kids step up and hit some free throws there in the fourth and took care of the ball when it mattered the most.”

Senior guard Maggie Salmon also had 10 points for the Lady Goblins, who led just briefly in the first half but turned it on with their crucial run in the third quarter.

Brookland (18-7) rode its defense and stellar play from its upperclassmen — led by seniors Gracie Gramling, A.J. Allen and Hannah Boling — to take a 25-24 lead at the half. Gramling’s basket inside to start the second half made it 27-24.

Three free throws from Harrison senior guard Mariah Hudson started a 10-2 run that culminated in two more foul shots from Hill.

The Lady Goblins’ spurt coincided with foul issues for the Lady Bearcats. Gramling and Allen, along with senior forward Carleigh Smith, all notched their third fouls less than two minutes apart.

“Our kids work hard all the time, and they always put forth so much effort,” Brookland Coach Joe Baltz said. “[The fouls] made us have to manage things a little bit, but I thought the kids handled it well. Gracie’s a great player, she’s led us in scoring and rebounding a lot and is also one of my primary ball handlers. But I don’t think those fouls impacted the game a whole lot. It did force the girls to think a little more.

“We still played physical and got some good looks. Some of them just wouldn’t fall, though.”

Brookland, who got 10 points each from Boling and Allen, clawed within 39-38 with less than three minutes to go in the game after a Boling free throw. Hill answered with a floater to start a closing run to send Harrison into a quarterfinal matchup with reigning co-champion Star City.

“We said that eventually we’d have to play [Star City], so we may as well do it early and get it over with,” Williams said. “We’re excited about that matchup, though. We’re about to see a really aggressive team.”

JOE T. ROBINSON 53, WATSON CHAPEL 46, OT

Alex Rouse scored 22 of her team’s 36 second-half points to lead them to a come-from-behind victory.

The senior guard finished with 29 points, 8 rebounds and 8 steals as Joe T. Robinson (8-15) stormed back after trailing 34-20 with 1:56 left in the third quarter.

Watson Chapel (14-13) lost its lead late in the fourth quarter but sent the game into overtime on a putback from senior forward DeKeira Kentle with nine seconds left. The teams were tied at 46-46 with 2:31 to go in the extra session until a driving basket from Rouse led to Joe T. Robinson’s final push.

Lydia Hollaway added 15 points for the Lady Senators.

Sophomore forward Raelen Randle had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Kentle ended with 10 points and 10 rebounds for Watson Chapel.