Lady Blackhawks rally to defeat Elkins

Pea Ridge Lady Blackhawks got hot at the right time Tuesday night.

Pea Ridge closed out the third quarter with an 8-0 run and opened the fourth quarter with a 7-0 run as the Lady Blackhawks rallied for a 42-35 victory over Elkins in a nonconference game.

Laura Socha led Pea Ridge with 12 points while Alli Whatley was also in double figures with 10 points for the Lady Blackhawks (3-1). Maggie Fletcher finished with nine points for Pea Ridge and all her points came in a threeminute span in the fourth quarter.

Pea Ridge made its first five shots of the fourth quarter and it was 9 of 10 from the field the final eight minutes of the game.

“In the second half, we executed our offense,” said Pea Ridge coach Larry Walker. “We got some good shots in the second half because we moved our bodies and we moved the ball. We got some cheap baskets and Fletcher made some jumpers. Kids kept playing hard. We played good defense, but it just took a long time to get the offense going.”

Elkins led 14-13 at halftime and a 3-pointer by Paigely Barnett capped a 7-0 run by the Lady Elks that upped the lead to 23-15 with just over two minutes left in the third quarter. But the rest of the game belonged to the Lady Blackhawks.

Fletcher ended the 15-0 Pea Ridge run with a 3-pointer for a 30-23 lead two minutes into the fourth quarter and a layup by Whateley put the game out of reach at 42-30.

“We went cold, and we didn’t adjust to what Pea Ridge was doing offensively,” said Elkins coach Monica Wells. “But where we got beat was on the boards. We gave them way too many second chances.”

Bella Pitts led Elkins with 15 points.

Boys

Elkins 47, Pea Ridge 46

In a hard-fought contest, the Blackhawks lost by one point as the Elks’ Ethan Hipps hit a layup with two seconds left to lift Elkins to the victory over Pea Ridge. Pea Ridge trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half but twice led by one in the final two minutes.

Kobe Rose led Pea Ridge with 12 points. Austin Skaggs and Hunter Casebolt each scored 12 points for Elkins (1-2).

Pea Ridge (0-1) only dressed six players as nine Blackhawks are still with the football team in the playoffs.

TIMES photographs by Annette Beard Junior Lady Blackhawk Avery Dayberry, No. 5, looks for a receiver during Tuesday night’s baketball game in Blackhawk gym against the Lady Elks.

Junior Blackhawk Westin Church, No. 24, drives to the goal Tuesday night in the hardfought contest against the Elks.