Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Holt, Glidewell lead teams to hoop titles
NWA DEMOCRAT- GAZETTE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Teams don’t win championships without great individual effort like the ones provided over the weekend by Maddi Holt and Kolby Glidewell.
H o l t scored 23 points as Bergman finished 43-0 on the season after beating Lamar 66- 42 in the Class 3A state championship game at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs. Holt also spearheaded the defensive effort against Lamar, which made only 28 percent of its field goal attempts in the game. Glidewell scored a game-high 20 points for Lavaca, which beat Magnet Cove 50-34 to captured the boys state championship in Class 2A.
Together, Holt and Glidewell are the Northwest Arkansas Democrat- Gazette boys and girls Players of the Week.
Holt was dynamic attacking the basket, especially from the left side, early against Lamar. The junior guard scored 17 points in the first half when Bergman built a 32-20 lead after two quarters. Holt converted on a sweeping play to start a 13-1 run then closed it with a long 3-pointer to provide Bergman with plenty of momentum heading into the locker room.
“We made it a goal to get to the rim in the first half, either from driving hard or posting up strong,” Bergman coach James Halitzka said. “While Maddi’s scoring was impressive in the first half, her defensive was just as good. Maddi held (Kori) Sanders to just four points all game while making every shot a tough shot for her.”
The Lady Panthers increased their lead to 59-33 after making six of their first seven shots heading into the fourth quarter.
Lavaca also won big to finish 35-2 on the season after beating Magnet Cove 50-34 at Bank OZK Arena in Hot Springs. Glidewell scored nine of his game-high 20 points during an 11-0 run in the third quarter for the Golden Arrows. He shot 7 of 15 from the field and collected four rebounds while leading L ava c a to its first state championship in boys basketball.
“My favorite thing about Kolby is his character and the great teammate he is,” Lavaca coach Renner Reed said. “He’s been our leading scorer this year and he couldn’t care less if he ever scored a point as long as we win. I’m thankful he was on my team and I’m blessed to have coached him.”