Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Pick Your Poison
FARMINGTON — Pick your poison. Providence Academy learned the hard way that holding Farmington’s leading scorer Makenna Vanzant without a field goal and two points might not get the job done against the Lady Cardinals.
Farmington hosted Providence Academy in a nonconference girls basketball game Friday, Jan. 11, and won by more than 20 points for the second straight game, 74-50. The scary thing for opponents is Vanzant went scoreless for the first three quarters. Her only points of the game came when she converted a pair of free throws in the fourth quarter, but Farmington’s scoring didn’t drop off.
Madisyn Pense led four Farmington players in double figures with 16 points, 3 rebounds and 2 steals. Alexis Roach scored 13 points, Joelle Tidwell added 12 points, and Audrey Culpepper swished three treys for 11 points to go with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. Tori Kersey added 9, and Trinity Johnson 8.
The start of the game didn’t look like it would turn out that way. The Lady Patriots jumped out to a 7-0 lead prompting Farmington coach Brad Johnson to burn a timeout with a little over two minutes gone. Coming out of the time-out senior Madisyn Pense got the Lady Cardinals on the scoreboard. The teams then exchanged trips to the foul line with Trinity Johnson making 2-of-2 for Farmington.
Three quick points by Roach drew Farmington within a point, at 8-7. The Lady Patriots led 11-7 and 13-9, but Roach and Culpepper combined for a mini 5-0 Farmington run to end the quarter. Culpepper’s trifecta put Farmington ahead, 14-13.
The lead changed hands in the second quarter. Providence Academy scored four straight to move in front, 17-16, but Trinity Johnson’s 3-pointer restored Farmington to the lead, at 19-17. A trey from Eliza Ball and a breakaway left-handed bucket by Tidwell off a steal extended the Lady Cardinal cushion to 24-7 and initiating a time-out by Providence Academy at the 2:13 mark.
Trinity Johnson and Pense each contributed a 3-pointer to improve Farmington’s position on the scoreboard to 30-19 at the half.
Pense came out and busted another three to start the third quarter. A basket by Tidwell and two scores from Roach continued Farmington’s 18-2 run which began in the second quarter. Providence Academy broke the run with a free throw only to have Culpepper connect again from downtown when she was given space in the corner as the Lady Cardinals doubled the score leading 40-20.
Providence countered with a 6-2 run but they ran smack dab into Culpepper again, who fired once more and her aim was true from the same spot in 3-point range and a 45-26 Lady Cardinal lead. The Lady Patriots showed plenty of fight producing a 15-6 run concluded with backto-back 3-pointers to narrow Farmington’s advantage to 10 points, at 51-41. Pense’s free throws pushed Farmington’s lead back to 12 as the quarter ended.
Makenna Vanzant drew the full attention of Providence Academy’s defense throughout the contest. She finally got on the scoreboard with a 2-for-2 trip to the free throw line. Pense knocked down one more trifecta pump-faking to cause a defender to fly out-of-bounds then drilling the shot. The closest Providence Academy got within the fourth quarter was 48-44.
FARMINGTON 74, P. ACADEMY 50
P. Academy 13 6 22 9 — 50 Farmington 14 16 23 21— 74 Providence Academy (12-8, 2-1): Faith Curry 6 5-8 19, Margaret Byczkowska 5 0-0 10, Emma Fenwick 4 0-0 10, Acie Thurlby 2 4-5 9, (No. 24) 1 0-0 2. Totals 18 9-13 50. Farmington (14-3, 4-0): Madisyn Pense 5 2-2 16, Alexis Roach 4 5-5 13, Joelle Tidwell 3 6-6 12, Audrey Culpepper 3 2-2 11, Tori Kersey 4 1-1 9, Trinity Johnson 2 2-2 8, Eliza Ball 1 0-0 3, Makenna Vanzant 0 2-2 2. Totals 22 20-20 74.
3-point goals – Providence Academy 5 (Curry 2, Fenwick 2, Thurlby). Farmington 10 (Pense 4, Culpepper 3, Johnson 2, Ball). Rebounds – Providence Academy 37, Farmington 26. Assists – Providence Academy 5, Farmington 13 (Vanzant 5). Steals – Providence Academy 3, Farmington 9. Blocks – Providence Academy 1, Farmington 2 (Vanzant, Culpepper).
Farmington 68, W. Yell County 19
Farmington returned to the Yell County Tournament hosted by Dardanelle on Saturday, Jan. 12, and ran away from Western Yell County, 68-19. The game became a blowout early. Farmington scored 23 of the first 25 points beginning with Pense’s 3-pointer from the wing and a layup to finish a 2-on-1 fast break.
Treys by Trinity Johnson, Pense and Vanzant pushed the lead to 21-2 and things never got better for Western Yell County. Pense came across the baseline, taking a pass from Vanzant, and nailed another trifecta extending the margin to 28-6. Field goals were few and far between for Western Yell County and another Farmington run featured Vanzant’s 10-foot pull-up on a break and two 3-pointers by Trinity Johnson giving Farmington a 40-9 advantage.
Pense scored 13; Trinity Johnson, 12; and Vanzant, 11. Rebounds – Western Yell County 27, Farmington 36. Assists – Western Yell County 5, Farmington 18 (Vanzant 5). Steals – Western Yell County 3, Farmington 12 (Roach 3). Blocks – Western Yell County 0, Farmington 1 (Gurrola).