Opponents Fear Cards’ Running Game

OVERSHADOWED DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE IN SEMIFINAL WIN

FARMINGTON — One play during the Lady Cardinals’ 76-64 semifinal win over Batesville at Cardinal Arena on Saturday, March 7, illustrates opponents’ fear of Farmington’s full-court running game.

A long rebound from a missed Batesville 3- pointer bounced towards mid-court. Farmington senior Joelle Tidwell outran everybody on the floor and dribbled toward the far end.

Batesville’s starting guards, junior Isabella Higginbottom and sophomore Taylor Rush, furiously pursued her.

Too late to prevent the shot from getting up but just in time for Rush to commit a foul, both girls crashed into the gym wall. For a few moments they both lay there in a crumpled heap as Tidwell prepared to shoot free throws.

Coming into the Lady Cardinals’ 12-point semifinal win over the 2019 state champions, which avenged a 72-59 loss to Batesville in the last season’s quarterfinals, Farmington coach Brad Johnson figured Batesville feared Farmington’s capability to score quickly.

“I think they fear a team that can score as fast as they can,” Brad Johnson said.

Batesville didn’t want to meet a mirror image of themselves.

Farmington prevailed in an epic clash of titans — marking the fourth time since 2015 the schools have met in the state tournament. Overshadowed in an offensive showcase featuring 37 points by Batesville junior Isabella Higginbottom offset by Farmington’s big three guns, Trinity Johnson and Makenna Vanzant with 20 apiece and Torie Kersey with 19; was the effectiveness of Farmington’s defense.

The Lady Cardinals limited Batesville to six assists. Higginbottom picked apart Pea Ridge’s defense the day before during a 65-44 Lady Pioneer quarterfinal win in which dribble penetration opened up passing lanes.

Key plays by Farmington at the end and beginning of quarters factored into the win. Higginbottom turned the ball over on a charging foul which allowed the Lady Cardinals to take a 21-12 lead into the second quarter. Tidwell found sophomore Carson Dillard open for a 3-pointer on the left wing to start the second quarter.

Farmington didn’t score while playing for the last shot of the first half, but neither did Batesville.

The Lady Cardinals held a 38-25 advantage at the half then withstood Batesville’s comeback bid in the third when the Lady Pioneers outscored Farmington 16-9.

Farmington defenders held their ground forcing Higginbottom into a traveling violation with 22.7 seconds left in the third. Vanzant drove the middle and laid the ball in at the other end. It went through the hoop and bounced out-of-bounds. Batesville was slow to retrieve and in-bound. A desperation shot fell way short — leaving Farmington with a 47-41 cushion when the third quarter horn sounded.

Senior Audrey Culpepper lived up to her name — peppering Batesville’s defense with a 3-pointer to begin the fourth. The shot lifted Farmington into a nine-point lead and although Batesville cut it to four, the Lady Pioneers expended a lot of energy both physically and emotionally, intensified by the simultaneous crash landings for both Higginbottom and Rush while chasing Tidwell.

Tidwell’s free throws kickstarted a 7-1 Farmington run capped by her assist to Kersey and another Dillard trey widening the lead to 57-47.

The last three minutes consisted of Batesville fouling and Farmington making free throws. Brad Johnson inserted his quickest defender, senior Kaci Drain, who wasn’t able to keep Higginbottom from scoring, yet harassed her all the way up the court taking seconds off the clock and making the Lady Pioneer star take difficult shots.

To her credit Higginbottom made an array of spectacular shots, but Drain didn’t help her out by fouling. There were no 3-point plays or 4-point plays.

Eventually time ran out on Batesville and the Lady Cardinals won 76-64.

FARMINGTON 76, BATESVILLE 64

Batesville 8 17 16 23 — 64 Farmington 17 21 9 29 — 76 Batesville (30-3): Isabella Higginbottom 14 3-6 37, Taylor Rush 3 1-1 9, Jalise Stewart 3 2-2 8, Kaylee Clark 2 0-0 4, Anna Claire Ezell 1 0-0 3, Riley Freeman 0 2-2 2, Kayla Ward 0 1-4 1. Totals 23 9-14 64.

Farmington (31-3): Makenna Vanzant 3-10 13-15 20, Trinity Johnson 5-14 6-6 20, Torie Kersey 7-14 5-5 19, Audrey Culpepper 2-3 0-0 6, Carson Dillard 2-6 0-0 6, Joelle Tidwell 1-3 3-4 5, Morgan Brye 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 20-51 27-30 76.

3-Point Goals — Farmington 9-26 (Trinity Johnson 4-12, Culpepper 2-2, Dillard

2-5, Vanzant 1-6, Brye 0-1), Batesville 9 (Higginbottom 6, Rush 2, Ezell).

Rebounds — Farmington 30 (Tidwell 8), Batesville 43. Assists – Farmington 15 (Tidwell 6, Vanzant 6), Batesville 6. Steals – Farmington 2 (Tidwell, Vanzant), Batesville 4. Blocks – Farmington 3 (Culpepper, Tidwell, Vanzant), Batesville 1. Turnovers — Farmington 7. Total fouls — Farmington 15, Batesville 23. Fouled out — none.