Nighthawks avenge March 6 loss to Arkansas-Cossatot

After falling to Arkansas-Cossatot earlier in the month on the road, National Park’s women’s basketball team took an 80-74 win over the Colts Monday night at The Kettle.

Down 58-55 entering the fourth quarter after trailing by as much as 10 in the opening half, freshman Kyra Hargrove got the Nighthawks (4-8) on the board with a drive and bucket while Cossatot’s Kyaira Jackson answered with a drive and score of her own as both teams continued trading baskets.

The Colts’ momentum appeared to take off as Kaylee Brooks converted an and-one before LaQuesha Clark tacked on a pair of free throws for

6-point lead with just over two minutes off the clock. NPC sophomore Imani Honey, of Mountain Pine, helped steal the energy back with a sliceand-dice to the paint, hitting another to cut the deficit to 1 after sinking a free throw.

Honey drove into the paint again as freshman Sierra Trotter nailed a 3-pointer on the ensuing drive for a 69-67 lead near the midpoint of the quarter. After Mikayla Scott hit two from the line for the Colts (49), Honey responded with a pull-up jumper as freshman guard India Atkins hit off an inbounds pass moments later for a 4-point lead.

Honey found Jessieville grad Lilliana Fehrenbacher in the paint for a bucket with 2:30 remaining as Atkins sealed the win by hitting the final 4 points from the line.

“Just applying pressure,” said Nighthawks head coach Marvin Moody. “We knew they were short-handed. We have more size and more speed. We just wanted to apply the pressure and take their legs where they were missing the shots they were hitting in the first half. The intensity was great. They fought hard, fought hard.”

The Nighthawks got off to a fast start with Fehrenbacher hitting in the paint on the opening possession before Centerpoint grad Jaide Vavra sank two free throws for an early 4-0 lead. Brooks got the Colts on the board with a putback on their opening possession, and Honey connected with Atkins on the other end.

The Colts managed to break the early Nighthawk press as Jefferson led a 7-0 spurt with a putback and trey before Vavra answered with her first one from the perimeter four minutes in to knot the game at 9. Both teams traded baskets before Honey drove the paint for a floater off the glass, and Jefferson answered with buckets for the Colts.

Bennett got things going late in the opening frame, hitting a pair from the line, knocking in a putback and forcing a turnover on the other end. Clark capped the quarter with a drive to the rim for a buzzer-beater to tie the game at 20.

Jefferson got things going for the Colts in the second with a spin move in the paint, but Hargrove answered for NPC with inside shot to keep the score knotted.

As both teams continuing to trade buckets, Scott nailed the first of her three treys of the quarter to give Cossatot the momentum and a 39-33 lead

heading into the final 2 minutes of the half. Honey got the Nighthawks back in the flow with a drive and layup followed by a Vavra 3-pointer from the top of the key to spark a 7-3 run to close the half down by 2.

Fehrenbacher hit under the basket to start the third quarter, knotting the game before Jackson answered for the Colts with a bucket, and Scott drained the fourth of her six 3-pointers of the night. Down by 5, Honey kept the Nighthawks in the game, scoring off a drive and hitting Vavra for a trey.

Closing out the frame, Hargrove led NPC on an 8-1 run with a steal and and trey before freshman Jasmine Keener drained a trey in transition from the right wing.

Honey led NPC with a double-double performance with 25 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals. Vavra followed with 13 points, two steals and a rebound while Atkins had 11 points, four boards and a steal. Hargrove and Fehrenbacher added 9 points apiece — Fehrenbacher with 10 rebounds and Hargrove with two steals and a pair of rebounds.

Scott led the Colts with 22 points and three rebounds, Jefferson had 16 points, a pair of steals and a pair of rebounds, Brooks had 12 points and five boards and Clark and Jackson each finished with 11 points.

The Nighthawks host South Arkansas Community College Thursday at 5 p.m. before closing out the regular season next Monday with a make-up game at Arkansas State Mid-South.