Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Game Gets Away On Handful Of Plays
FARMINGTON GIRLS LOSE SEMIFINAL TO HARRISON 68-55
MORRILTON — A handful of plays Farmington didn’t make allowed Harrison to hand the Lady Cardinals a 68-55 loss in the semifinal of the 4A North Regional girls basketball tournament.
There were a couple of breakdowns defensively when Farmington didn’t cut off the path to the basket, a few turnovers on ill-advised passes, and missed shots around the basket. Those were particularly painful in the third quarter when Harrison outscored Farmington 26-15 to assume a 49-33 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Trailing by six after Audrey Culpepper’s foul shots, Madisyn Pense stole an in-bounds pass and found a teammate going to the basket. A foul occurred but neither free throw would go down.
Farmington had another chance to trim the deficit, but lost the ball on a steal by Harrison’s Marion Groberg. No one rotated over as she drove the lane drawing a foul and making both free throws to spark a Harrison 21-11 run over the last 5:17 of the third. Makayla Campbell and Brylie Parker hit backto-back treys to push the Lady Goblin lead to 42-29.
Farmington tried to rally. On the heels of Madisyn Pense’s trifecta, Groberg stepped out-of-bounds with the ball and the Lady Cardinals found Trinity Johnson cutting to the basket. She was fouled making 1-of-2 free throws drawing Farmington within, 44-33, with 47.1 seconds left in the third.
Harrison answered with Brylie Parker’s 3-pointer and by cashing in on both ends of the bonus when a foul was called with 4.7 seconds showing. Suddenly, Farmington found itself facing a 16-point disadvantage and the complexion of the game changed as the third quarter ended.
The Lady Goblins made 24-of-29 free throws including 13-of-15 in the fourth to negate Farmington’s efforts at a comeback. The loss dropped Farmington in the consolation game of the 4A North Regional on Saturday.
The Lady Cardinals began the game 0-for-4 from the field and fell behind 4-0 before forging a 7-0 run on Vanzant’s 3-pointer and a Vanzant assist to Alexis Roach for a transition basket. Pense had a trey blocked, but grabbed the rebound and drove the lane. She dished to Joelle Tidwell for a layup and Farmington led 7-4.
Farmington turnovers allowed Harrison to finish the first with an 11-0 run highlighted by Caroline Cecil’s back-to-back 3-pointers.
The Lady Goblins took a 23-13 lead in the second, but Farmington got a three from Vanzant and a pair of Culpepper free throws to pull within five. Farmington’s defensive stand with Harrison in the bonus and in possession of the ball for the last 45.3 seconds of the half didn’t allow the Lady Goblins to get off a shot.
Farmington was in the game, down 23-18 at the half.
Harrison made four of its six 3-pointers and 8 of its 19 total field goals in the third to pull away.
Brylie Parker scored 23 points for Harrison. She was joined in double figures by Cecil and Groberg with 13 apiece and Sydney Shrum with 10. Vanzant had a game-high 24 for Farmington while Roach had 14.
Two week prior the Lady Cardinals rebounded well from a home court loss to Harrison when they didn’t shoot well, then won the District 4A-1 tournament on Harrison’s home-court. Coach Brad Johnson hopes to replicate that at state.
“I thought they did a tremendous job of getting refocused after that loss. They didn’t let it debilitate them. They recovered and they went right immediately into that district tournament with No. 1 punch your ticket to Regionals, No. 2 let’s do as good as we can and try to progress each game,” Brad Johnson said.
HARRISON 68, FARMINGTON 55
Harrison 15 8 26 19 — 68 Farmington7 11 15 22 — 55 Harrison (24-5): Brylie Parker 9 3-4 23, Caroline Cecil 4 2-3 13, Marion Groberg 2 9-10 13, Sydney Shrum 2 6-7 10, Kenzie Parker 1 3-4 5, Makayla Cambell 1 0-0 3. Totals 19 24-29 68.
Farmington (24-7): Makenna Vanzant 4 10-12 24, Alexis Roach 4 6-9 14, Madisyn Pense 2 0-0 6, Audrey Culpepper 0 4-4 4 Joelle Tidwell 1 1-2 3, Tori Kersey 1 0-1 2, Trinity Johnson 0 2-4 2. Totals 13 23-32 55.
3-Point Goals — Harrison 6 (Cecil 3, B. Parker 2, Campbell), Farmington 6 (Vanzant 4, Pense 2). Rebounds — Harrison 31, Farmington 31 (Vanzant 8). Assists — Harrison 11, Farmington 9 (Vanzant 5). Steals — Harrison 4, Farmington 5. Blocks — Harrison 4, Farmington 4 (Culpepper 2).