Jones sisters help Reddies clip Harding
ARKADELPHIA — Harding’s Lady Bisons literally couldn’t keep up with the Joneses.
In a strong Henderson State performance, twin sisters Pink and Blu Jones stood out as the host Reddies (7-1, 3-0 Great American Conference) won, 8477, Saturday at the Duke Wells Center. The junior guards combined for 49 points, Pink with a game-high 31 and Blu chipping in 18. Hailey Estes, part of her team’s all-Arkansas starting five, added 18 points and a team-high
12 rebounds.
With others penning strokes to the canvas, Pink and Blu dominantly colored this early-season matchup of GAC contenders. “Blu especially made some shots that hurt us,” said Harding coach Tim Kirby, whose team rallied from 18 points down to within six in the final minute.
Fittingly, the Joneses made the last seven points, all free throws, Pink with six. Both stand 5 feet, 9 inches and played for Fayetteville’s 2015 Class 7A championship team with Pink also a track star as two-time state 400-meter champion.
Pink was the more highly recruited of the two, said Henderson coach Jill Thomas, while Blu “was kind of a a sleeper.”
Henderson remained undefeated in the GAC, while dropped to 6-2 overall and 2-1 in league play. Both teams play in Arkadelphia next weekend with the Reddies facing Arkansas-Monticello (2-5 1-2) and Harding against Ouachita Baptist (4-4, 1-2) at Bill Vining Arena, both at 1 p.m. on Saturday with men’s games to follow.
Before the Feb. 16 Searcy rematch with Harding, Kirby said his team must do a better job in transition defense. And perhaps from the perimeter after allowing seven 3-point baskets Saturday while making none itself.
Kirby looked with wonder at a scoresheet revealing both teams made 26 baskets and were an identical 25-for-37 on free throws. “When you have stats like that and lose by (seven) like we did, you know that threes were important to the other team’s success,” Kirby said.
Blu Jones made three and Maci Mains two from long range, the Reddies sinking seven of 24 while Harding missed all six behind the arc.
“Threes are usually a big key for us,” said Thomas, whose all-Arkansas first five includes Lani Snowden, of Van Buren, and Karrington Whaley, out of Springdale Har-Ber. Like the Jones sisters, Estes played on a state-championship team at Conway.
With nine points, five boards and three blocks, the 6-2 Whaley got physical inside against Harding junior post Kellie Lampo, a four-year starter at Jessieville.
Lampo led Harding with 19 points and 11 rebounds but never got into a rhythm offensively and fouled out after 5-for-16 shooting, 9 of 17 from the free-throw line. Brooke Bradley added 17 and Carissa Caples 14 for Harding, Caples the only starter back from the team that reached the NCAA Division II Final Four two seasons ago.
Kirby built that team with in-state help from Sydney Layrock, of Paragould; Caroline Hogue, of Arkansas Baptist in Little Rock.; and Riley Rose, from Harding Academy in Searcy. Thomas, in her sixth year at Henderson after four seasons at Pfeiffer University in North Carolina, is using the same blueprint in her adopted state.
About her team’s Arkansas connections, Thomas said, “They all got good high-school coaching.”