Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Ozark Knocks Off Prairie Grove For Regional Crown
PRAIRIE GROVE — The third post-season meeting between Prairie Grove and Ozark in the last two years was a tussle until a Lady Tiger cold spell enabled Ozark to gain separation.
The Lady Hillbillies got 17 points from star point guard Kylie Ladd and 8 apiece from dual post-players Celia Heffington and Olivia Melton to hold off the scrappy undersized Lady Tigers, 52- 44, in the championship game of the 4A North Regional girls basketball tournament postponed until March 2 at Pottsville because of winter weather.
“Ozark used to be in our conference and we knew their players coming in,” said Prairie Grove coach Kevin Froud. “The Ladd sisters are good players. Kylie Ladd is able to dictate what happens from the point guard spot. Their big girls hurt us a little bit, Heffington did. Ozark is a great team.”
Ozark outscored Prairie Grove 18-9 over the final 10 minutes of the game to overcome a 35-34 Lady Tiger lead late in the third quarter. Mattie Hartin hit back- to- back 3- pointers sandwiched around Kylie Ladd’s trey for Ozark as the lead changed four times in the latter portion of the third. Parker Lopez set up an open shot by getting the ball in the lane and passing out of the paint but Kylie Ladd snapped another jumper, this one just inside the arc and Ozark regained the lead for a final time, at 36-35, with two minutes remaining in the third.
Prairie Grove didn’t score again until midway through the fourth quarter when Ashley Cox got a layup after cutting to the basket on an in-bounds play underneath. On defense Cox drew a charging foul on Ozark freshman Hannah Ladd but a turnover took away a scoring opportunity. Ozark ran down the clock before Prairie Grove committed enough fouls to send the Hillbillies to the line with 1: 46 left. Prairie Grove cashed in on a missed free- throw with Lopez once more driving into the key and finding Mattie Hartin for an open trifecta from the left wing.
The 3-pointer cut Ozark’s lead to 47-40 at the 1:34 mark but the Lady Tigers could not close the gap and lost, 52- 44, despite a desperation put-back by Lopez and driving shot off the glass by Mattie Hartin in the final minute.
Ozark finished quarters strong. Leading 13-12, the Hillbillies scored three unanswered points in the last 1:30 of the first period including a pair of freethrows with two-tenths of a second showing by Hannah Ladd, who twice rebounded her own miss. Prairie Grove was within 22-21 with 3:20 before halftime on Camree Bartholomew’s free-throws only to watch Ozark end the half on a 5-0 run. Olivia Melton’s tip-in at the buzzer lifted the Hillbillies to a 27-21 halftime lead.
Prairie Grove began the third outscoring Ozark by a 2-1 margin (14-7) during a five minute stretch. Lopez had a 3-pointer in the corner and Cox powered a rebound up and in for an old-fashioned 3- point play. The Hartin twins beat Ozark in transition with Taylor rebounding and throwing a lead pass for Mattie, who scored ahead of the pack. The layup drew Prairie Grove within 31-29 and postured the Lady Tigers to capture the lead which they did twice before Ozark scored the final 5 points to go up, 39-35, after three quarters.
“We missed some gimme shots at the end of quarters and they were able to hit some shots at the end of quarters. Then they had two role players hit some big shots, they hit a couple of threes on us in the fourth quarter. Then they got ahead of us and we had to chase them and they have some good ball-handlers,” Froud said. “It showed us that we can play with them. It hurts to lose but it gives us some confidence for the future.”