Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Lady Tigers Can’t Capitalize On Scenario
PRAIRIE GROVE LOSES GAME TO PEA RIDGE
PRAIRIE GROVE — Pea Ridge (18-4, 9-2) overcame foul trouble with senior Blakelee Winn scoring 10 points in a balanced effort to defeat Prairie Grove, 65-38, in 4A-1 girls basketball action Tuesday, Feb. 9.
Prairie Grove (7-13, 2-9) played aggressive early deflecting the ball out twice before Ella Faulk stole away Pea Ridge’s opening possession. Kenleigh Elder ended the Lady Blackhawks’ second possession with a steal and quickly found Trinity Dobbs with the outlet. Dobbs pushed the ball and found Faulk going in for a layup.
Dobbs blocked a shot by Pea Ridge and Zoe Hubbs rebounded to start the game with threestraight defensive stops by Prairie Grove before the visitors found their offense and jumped ahead 7-2 on Ravin Cawthon’s putback. Another fine Lady Tiger defensive play negated a made 3-pointer by drawing a charging foul. Dobbs’ old-fashioned 3-point play made it a two-point game.
Cawthon drained a trey, then the Lady Tigers got a break with Blakelee reaching in drawing her second personal while guarding Dobbs. She subbed out and Dobbs banked a shot off-the-glass while driving the lane bringing the Lady Tigers within, 10-7, at the 2: 24 mark of the first quarter.
“We were down three and had a good scenario. Their best player (Winn) was in foul trouble. The next thing you know we were down by 10, but that’s the mark of a good team,” said Prairie Grove coach Kevin Froud.
Pea Ridge then scored the last 7 points and led 17-7 after one period, which saw a combined 20 players take the court for both teams. Froud inserted 11 different Lady Tigers into the first quarter lineup and Pea Ridge played nine.
Pea Ridge increased its lead with a 10-3 run midway through the second, but Prairie Grove managed to stay within 30-16 at halftime before the Lady Blackhawks produced a 22-7 surge in the third quarter effectively taking control with a 52-22 lead.
The Lady Blackhawks had five players score at least 7 points with freshman Leah Telgemeier leading the team with 13. Telgemeier hit two 3- pointers and junior Lauren Wright added another, but the majority of Pea Ridge’s points came on drives to the basket.
“We didn’t really get the chance to run a whole lot of sets because of the pace of play they (Prairie Grove) set. They pressed us a lot,” said Pea Ridge coach Heath Neal. “I like to play fast, but to play fast you got to make shots.”
Led by Trinity Dobbs’ 19 points, the Lady Tigers didn’t go away quietly outscoring Pea Ridge 15-13 in the fourth, but couldn’t make up any ground.
FARMINGTON — Gentry played Farmington tough for two quarters after falling behind 20-5 in the first period. but couldn’t close the deal and lost 46-32 at Cardinal Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 9.
Farmington embarrassed the Lady Pioneers by blowing them out on their homecourt, 66-32, in Jan. 26. The first quarter started that way again before Gentry settled in defensively and began consistently cutting off paths to the basket. Forced to shoot outside, Farmington wasn’t hitting and Gentry outscored the Lady Cardinals 21-14 over the middle two quarters.
Gentry fashioned an 8-4 run over a two minute span of the second quarter to pull within, 28-15, at halftime beginning with Alyssa McCarty’s 3- point shot. Trinity Johnson made a freethrow for Farmington then Randi Jo Bolinger cranked up a three from the top-ofthe-key.
Farmington again made 1-of-2 foul shots and Gentry scored on McCarty’s 10-feet pull-up jumper. The Lady Pioneers stopped a Tori Kersey drive in the lane, but the Farmington star was able to kiss the ball off-the-glass from an awkward angle.
Neither team scored for the last minute and Farmington took a 28-15 lead into the half.
Megan Hernandez’ putback matched Farmington’s biggest lead of the contest, but Gentry scored nine unanswered points of the third quarter to get back in the game.
Jaiden Wilmouth beat the Lady Cardinals in transition and Bolinger got a three to bounce in. McCarty went to the offensive glass and put in a missed 3-pointer. A Gentry steal and layup reduced Farmington’s lead to 30-24.
Hernandez broke the run by catching a lob and scoring on the low right block. Bolinger scored at the other end as Gentry advanced the ball down- court quickly. Farmington got the last basket of the third with Trinity Johnson cutting across the key, taking a pass and putting the ball in the hoop for a 34-26 lead.
The Lady Pioneers twice got within six points in the fourth. McCarty caught a cross-court pass then drove the baseline cutting Gentry’s deficit to 34- 28. Trinity Johnson missed a 3-pointer but chased down her own rebound to answer for Farmington.
Farmington missed a fastbreak layup, then Gentry went the other way getting a good shot, which missed but Wilmouth rebounded and laid it back in keeping the Lady Pioneers within 36-30.
In the last five-and-a-halfminutes the Lady Cardinals outscored Gentry 10-2 to put the game away including the last seven points after Wilmouth’s bucket.
Trinity Johnson knocked down a 3- pointer. Carson Dillard broke to the basket when Gentry trapped and the Cardinals found her. She added another layup after releasing down-court.
Bolinger topped the Lady Pioneers with 13 points, sharing game-high honors with Farmington’s Trinity Johnson and Kersey.
PRAIRIE GROVE — The Pea Ridge girls basketball team came out red hot to open their new Blackhawk Arena with a 4A-1 win over Prairie Grove on Friday, Jan. 8.
The Lady Blackhawks made 5-of-10 long-range 3-point shots in the first quarter. Blakelee Winn scored the first basket in the new arena and finished with 18 to lead the Lady Blackhawks while Aiden Dayberry and Lauren Wright notched 10 each. Pea Ridge would make 11 total 3-pointers in the contest.
Prairie Grove (5-7, 0-3), playing its second game of the week without head coach Kevin Froud, who was in quarantine, trailed 19-9 after one quarter. With assistant coach Rachel Harmon in charge, the Lady Tigers pulled within 28-20 only to allow a 5-0 Pea Ridge run to close out the half down 33-20. Pea Ridge led 52-31 after three quarters and outscored Prairie Grove 17-2 in the fourth quarter. Trinity Dobbs scored 19 points making 8-of-10 free-throws and grabbed 6 rebounds for Prairie Grove.