Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Cards Third, Tigers Fourth At Lady Bulldog Classic
FAYETTEVILLE — Farmington and Prairie Grove began last week with a head- tohead nonconference clash on Tuesday, then concluded the week by battling in a tournament game.
Farmington’s 68- 49 loss to Little Rock Central coupled with Prairie Grove’s 61- 36 setback to 7A Fayetteville in Friday’s semifinals arranged a bonus meeting of the U.S. 62 rivals in Saturday’s consolation game of the Lady Bulldog Classic at Fayetteville.
Farmington regrouped and managed a secondstraight win over their U. S. 62 rivals in five days after taking on Little Rock Central, a team Cardinal coach Brad Johnson said will probably be the most athletic team Farmington will face all year.
“They have two six-footers, a Division I recruit and two college-level guards,” Johnson said prior to the contest. “It will be a fun challenge for us.”
Little Rock Central led by just two points after the first quarter, 14-12; but scored 18 points in each of the final three quarters. Farmington also scored in double figures in every quarter but trailed, 32-26, at halftime and 50-37 after three quarters. Little Rock Central pulled away in the final frame for the 19-point win. of 2 at the line for Farmington and Bartholomew took a feed from the wing while cutting to again score a layup in the halfcourt offense. Farmington’s advantage was down to five, at 35-30, but the Lady Cardinals scored the next six points. Tayton Hopkins hit a trey from the right wing and added a free throw two possessions later before her sister Tahlon scored on the low block with a quick spin turnaround jumper.
Lopez busted a trifecta on the perimeter and the Lady Tigers could have inched closer but couldn’t make the front end of a 1- and-1 or get a layup to stay down and Tayton Hopkins took the ball the other way and made a short pull-up extending the Lady Cardinal advantage back to 10, at 43-33.
Prairie Grove then converted 5 of 7 foul shots over the next 54 seconds staying in the game, at 43- 38, at the 2: 03 mark. Tahlon Hopkins responded by scoring off another strong move in the paint and Tayton stretched out the Lady Cardinal lead to 10 once more with a free throw and shot off of the glass after finding an opening down the middle with 36 seconds remaining.
The Lady Tigers couldn’t find the hoop in the last two minutes and although they made the final score much closer than the 28- point blowout suffered at home against Farmington earlier in the week, the end result was another win for Farmington.
“We have no seniors but I love these girls. I love this group of girls,” said Prairie Grove coach Kevin Froud. “They just got to get some maturity level.”
With the win Farmington placed third in the tournament while Prairie Grove was fourth.