Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Subtle Shift Boosts Lady Tigers Basketball
PRAIRIE GROVE DOWNS LINCOLN GIRLS 40-33
PRAIRIE GROVE — Subtle changes in Prairie Grove’s offensive set proved decisive as the Lady Tigers outscored Lincoln 20-14 in the second half to claim a 40-33 win Tuesday, Dec. 4.
Prairie Grove got the ball to Lexie Madewell sliding up and down the box and the senior made 4-of-6 shots including a 3-pointer to score 9 points.
“We hit some big shots there and that was a big second half. We had to find somebody. I saw that the baseline, they were sticking back so the high post was going to be open so I kind of switched her (Madewell) and Jasmine (Wynos) there giving Jasmine more of a threat along the baseline and Lexie more of a scoring threat there at the high post,” said Prairie Grove coach Kevin Froud. “She did, she had four points in a row when we got us a little bit of a lead and then Emily Grant hit a big 3-pointer.”
The lead see-sawed back and forth in the second quarter. Lincoln led 12-10 when Emily Grant’s old-fashioned 3-point play pushed Prairie Grove ahead, 13-12. Kyli Jenkins answered with a 3-pointer for Lincoln, but Grant tied the game at 15-all hitting a baseline jumper. The teams traded buckets. Jessica Goldman scored for the Lady Wolves and Jasmine Wynos hit a jumper for Prairie Grove knotting the score again, at 17-17.
Jenkins drove around a defender for a layup, but Prairie Grove regained the lead, 20-19, on Grant’s trifecta from the right corner on a kick-out from Wynos in the post. The Lady Tigers maintained that lead at halftime.
Goldman scored on a drive off an in-bounds play and hit a 3-pointer which tied the score again, at 24-24, with 4:15 left in the third. Lexie Madewell put Prairie Grove back in front with a jumper in the key. Goldman then stroked another trey giving Lincoln its last lead of 27-26 at the 3:05 mark of the third quarter. Kaylee Elder made a pair of free throws giving Prairie Grove a 28-27 edge.
The Lady Tigers went into a full-court press and held Lincoln without a point for the rest of the quarter. Larisha Crawford connected on a 3-pointer to stretch Prairie Grove’s lead to four, at 31-27, at the end of the third.
Averi Massey ended a 3:52 Lincoln scoring drought with a 3-pointer drawing the Lady Wolves within 31-30 with nearly a minute elapsed in the fourth. Wynos got an offensive rebound drawing a foul and making both charity shots, but on the ensuing possession Lincoln beat the press with Jenkins scoring to pull the Lady Wolves with 33-32 with 5:31 remaining in the game.
Nearly two minutes later Massey fouled out and Lincoln missed her quickness. Elder came around the shoulder of a Lady Wolf setting up in the post deflecting and stealing the ball.
“It was a three-point game at that time and she did perfect defense, knocked it away,” Froud said. “As far as a game to watch it was pretty good. The officiating was pretty good. It just kind of flowed real well.”
Prairie Grove scored 7 of the final 8 points of the game to take a 40-33 nonconference victory.
Grant scored 19 points to lead Prairie Grove.
“She was a little bit more aggressive tonight, what I’ve been asking her to do,” Froud said. “That was a good win. Lincoln was 7-2 coming into this game and we’re 3-2. It was a good win for us, a rivalry game, kids knowing each other; and it was just a good basketball game.”
Massey scored 10 points to lead the Lady Wolves. Prairie Grove’s full-court press affected Lincoln’s 3-point shooting. The Lady Wolves made only one 3-pointer in the fourth.
“They (Lincoln) did a good job of getting some quick outlet passes,” Froud said. “We never really jumped it a whole lot. We just did more to make them use their legs and maybe they would get a little tired and not hit as many 3-pointers in the second half.”