Lady Tigers Shut Down Huntsville

HARRISON — Prairie Grove won the season series with Huntsville coming away with a crucial, 45-28, victory at district Tuesday, Feb. 12.

The teams had split during the regular season with Prairie Grove winning 48-39 on Nov. 13 in the season-opener and Huntsville winning, 34-31, on Dec. 18 in conference play.

The Lady Tigers won 3 of its last 4 games of the regular season starting with a Jan. 29 overtime win at Shiloh Christian (39-35), followed by a narrow 22-21 home loss to division leader Pea Ridge on Feb. 1 and a Feb. 5 win at Gravette (46-45), plus a 50-30 thrashing of Gentry on senior night, Feb. 8. The success came on the heels of a 10-game losing streak and breathed some life and hope into the program going into postseason.

Prairie Grove rode that momentum, boosted by the additions of a pair of freshmen, Trinity Dobbs (5-6 guard) and Olivia Kester (6-0 post). Dobbs made Prairie Grove’s first field goal after starting the first quarter against Huntsville with 5 free throws. Dobbs finished a drive with her left hand laying in the basketball to give the Lady Tigers a 7-6 first quarter lead, something they needed to keep their confidence up.

Lexie Madewell contributed another major shot in the arm with a made 3-pointer 1:22 into the second quarter and a bucket to tie the game at 13-13 after Huntsville used a 7-1 mini run to take a brief lead which lasted all of eight seconds. Dobbs used a pump-fake to score in the lane and added a free throw keeping Prairie Grove in front, 16-14, at halftime.

A 19-5 run in the third quarter put Prairie Grove in control. Emily Grant had 9 points in the run highlighted by her theft of an in-bounds pass and layup giving the Lady Tigers a 23-15 advantage with two minutes elapsed in the third.

As the quarter wore down Grant drove and had her shot blocked. Kaylee Elder hustled to save the rebound in-bounds giving Prairie Grove another chance and Kester cashed in with a putback. With 40 seconds to go in the quarter, Grant grabbed a loose ball and turned it into a layup. Larisha Crawford’s free throws capped the run stretching the Lady Tiger lead to 16 points.

Huntsville cut it to 35-21 as the third came to a close, but Prairie Grove never allowed the Lady Eagles to make a run in the fourth and the Lady Tigers advanced to the second round with a 45-28 win. Farmington defeated Prairie Grove 60-23 in the second round to eliminate the Lady Tigers from the tournament.

PRAIRIE GROVE 45, HUNTSVILLE 28

Prairie Grove7 9 19 10 — 45 Huntsville 6 8 8 6 — 28 Huntsville (8-19): Kara Drewyor 2 4-6 8, Dezeray Sulffridge 1 4-4 7, Kendra Poor 2 1-2 5, Grace Mayes 2 0-0 5, Addisyn Routh 1 0-0 3. Totals 8 9-12 28.

Prairie Grove (9-14): Emily Grant 3-14 7-9 13, Trinity Dobbs 3-11 2-2 8, Lexie Madewell 2-5 0-0 5, Larisha Crawford 1-6 2-2 4, Jasmine Wynos 1-4 2-3 4, Olivia Kester 2-3 0-0 4, Mariah Halber 0-0 3-4 4, Kaylee Elder 0-1 2-2 2, Logan Meadors 0-0 2-2 2. Totals 12-44 20-24 45. 3-Point Goals — Prairie Grove 1-10 (Madewell 1-2, Grant 0-1, Wynos 0-1, Crawford 0-3, Dobbs 0-3). Huntsville 3 (Sullffridge, Routh, Mayes).

Rebounds – Prairie Grove 24 (Grant 5, Madewell 5). Assists – Prairie Grove 3 (Crawford, Elder, Jordan Sugg). Steals – Prairie Grove 8 (Grant 4). Blocks — Prairie Grove 1 (Grant). Turnovers – Prairie Grove 11.