Prairie Grove Scalds Eagles

TAYLOR HARTIN HITS 5 TREYS, SCORES 30 POINTS DURING STATE ACTION

PRAIRIE GROVE — The Prairie Grove girls basketball team rode the hot hand of Mattie Hartin at Regionals but at state, her twin sister, Taylor, took her turn stroking 3-pointers.

Taylor Hartin consistently found open looks against Crossett and scalded the Eagles for 30 points with half of those coming from behind the 3-point line. Sophomore Parker Lopez persistently attacked the basket driving for 18 points as the Lady Tigers beat Crossett, 65-42, in a firstround State 4A tournament game played on Saturday, Mar. 7, at Ozark after two postponements pushed the bracket back two days.

Mattie Hartin did not score a 3-pointer in the contest yet contributed 6 points and dished out assists with Prairie Grove successfully adjusting to Crossett’s full-court style offensively and getting past the press. The Lady Tigers did have some trouble containing Crossett’s Kyleah Hodges, who used her ball-handling abilities to get to the basket recording 11 field goals and 25 points but other than Shaquanna Keith’s 11 points no other Eagle produced more than a single bucket. In fact, only two other Crossett players scored combining for 6 points.

Shaquanna Keith had 7 points in the first quarter and beat the Lady Tigers downcourt to put Crossett ahead, 7-6; countering an early Prairie Grove 6-2 lead on treys from Taylor Hartin and Camree Bartholomew. Following Keith’s basket, Prairie Grove ended the quarter with an 8-2 run. Mattie Hartin faked a trey and drove from the left corner scoring a driving lay-in, then passed to Taylor Hartin releasing up the floor for a fast-break layup. Two Crossett turnovers were costly for the Eagles with Prairie Grove scoring after each to hold a 14-9 lead after one period of play.

Prairie Grove erupted for 22 points in the second quarter beginning with back-to-back trifectas by Taylor Hartin. Kyleah Hodges’ 3-point play drew the Eagles within, 22-14, but Taylor Hartin answered with another 3-pointer, her third of the period, and Lopez navigated through traffic for a lay-in giving Prairie Grove a 27-14 advantage at the 4:07 mark. Prairie Grove made 4 straight foul shots then Bartholomew nailed a 3-pointer from the right wing. Ashley Cox’s offensive rebound on the next possession enabled the Lady Tigers to reset their half-court offense and Taylor Doss went down the lane finishing with her left hand.

Prairie Grove commanded a 36-16 halftime lead and the margin was still 20, at 56-36, at the conclusion of the third quarter. The Lady Tigers ran a minute off the fourth quarter clock before Taylor Hartin, who had 9 points in the quarter, drove for a layup. She added a backdoor cut hoop on an assist from her twin, Mattie; and scored on a lead pass. Taylor Hartin’s 30th point of the game came when she put the ball on the floor with her left hand and went around a defender scoring easily on the drive. Prairie Grove won 65-42 to advance to the quarterfinals against Brookland, No. 2 seed from the East.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHELLEY WILLIAMS Smoking gun. Prairie Grove junior Taylor Hartin scored 30 points against Crossett in State 4A girls competition on Mar. 7. Hartin made 10 of 14 field goals, including 5 of 8 3-point tries and 5 of 5 free throws.