Fouke wins state opener, faces a No. 1 seed
LAMAR, Ark. — Fouke trailed the entire game until the final 2 minutes when the Lady Panthers put on a ferocious rally to beat Flippin, 50-45, in first-round action Thursday in the Class 3A girls state basketball tournament at Lamar High School.
The Lady Panthers (32-4) advance to play No. 1 seeded Salem (28-4) in the quarterfinals at 4 p.m. today.
Fouke’s leading scorers were Connie Ross with 16 points and Paige Attaway with 7 points.
The Panthers outscored Flipping 20-14 in the decisive fourth quarter.
Fouke senior Jacie Bishop was injured and carried off the court on a stretcher, coach Mo Williams said. Bishop was believed to have suffered a concussion and deep contusion to her thigh, he said.
“We played really sloppy for most of the game, and couldn’t seem to do anything right,” coach Williams said. “After the the injury of Jacie, our girls seem to rally around her and for 2.43 seconds we could do no wrong and finished the game strong. I was extremely proud of our girls for their resiliency in the face of adversity.”
Williams also pointed out Flippin’ sportsmanship.
“I’m really grateful for the Flippin coach and team for coming together with our girls in prayer of Jacie.” Williams said. “It was such an amazing display of sportsmanship and class.”
Baseball BORDER BATTLE RESET
Texas High was able to play one game in Thursday’s Border Battle baseball tournament before the rains flooded the Tiger Field.
Ashdown defeated Longview, 8-7, in the only game played Thursday.
Today’s schedule has been moved to Longview High School’s baseball field, which is located across from Lobo Stadium. The Lobo diamond has turf, which drains well.
Today’s schedule matches Liberty-Eylau vs. Ashdown at 10 a.m.; Texas High vs. Ashdown at noon; Liberty-Eylau
vs. Ashdown at 2 p.m.; Atlanta vs. Fort Smith Northside at 4 p.m.; and Longview vs. Fort Smith Northside at 6.
Texas High is hopefully the tournament can return to Tiger Field on Saturday. That schedule includig Texs High vs. Fort Smith Northside at 11 a.m.; Longview vs. Camden Fairview at 1 p.m.; Liberty-Eylau vs. Fort Smith Northside at 3 p.m.; and Texas High vs. Camden Fairview at 5 p.m.
Ashdown (1-1) defeated Longview in Thursday’s game. Reliever Grayson Porter picked up the pitching win for the Panthers.
Walt Jones led Ashdown with two hits, including a double, and Nash Brown, Gunnar Altenbaumer and Eric Hilton added hits. Brown and Hilton had doubles.
Track & Field
EAGLES TO RUN TODAY
BROOKINGS, S.D. — Texas A&M University-Texarkana’s two runners, Charles Dorsett III and Vincent Nchogu, are set to compete in the prelims in their respective races today in the NAIA Indoor Track and Field Championships at Dakota State University.
Dorsett will compete in the 600 and 800 meters and Nchogu will run the 3000 meters.
The national finals are set for Saturday.
Softball
TAMU-T TO PLAY PAIR
MOBILE, Ala. — The unbeaten Texas A&M University-Texarkana Eagles (8-0) will play a pair of games in the Mobile Invitational today.