FARMINGTON -- Youth and inexperience doesn't mean a basketball team is handicapped, just ask Farmington girls basketball coach Brad Johnson.
The Lady Cardinals graduated four seniors from last year's team and return only one starter, but Johnson said Thursday afternoon the team is progressing well.
"We have a small senior class with only four seniors," Johnson said. "We have four juniors and the rest of the roster is made up of sophomores and freshmen."
"We're certainly not a finished-product, yet," Johnson said. "I always tell them, 'basketball is a marathon, not a sprint.' We've added several volleyball athletes, who have come back in. They are getting in condition, getting their timing down. They have really come a long ways from where we started. I'm proud of them."
Progress was evident between a rough start and a solid finish leading to a 20-9 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter insuring a Farmington victory in a Nov. 8 benefit girls basketball game against Berryville won by the Lady Cardinals, 47-31. While Farmington's defense hindered the Bobcats' offense all game, both teams struggled to find the basket in the early going.
"Part of it obviously is we were trying to adjust to their size and length," Johnson said.
The 4A-1 Bobcats were taller with 6-feet-1 Hannah Morrel, 6-0 Kelcee Hopper and 5-10 Jeanessa Smith. Junior center Ella Wilson is the tallest Lady Cardinal at 5-feet-10. She has help in the post from 5-feet-7 classmate Madison Parsley. Briana Navarro (5-6 senior) plays guard while 5-5 senior Nikki Drain plays forward. Immediate foul trouble was also a factor.
"Our starting point-guard got into foul trouble 11 seconds into the game, that hurt us," Johnson said.
Farmington sophomore Madisyn Pense (5-7 guard) broke the ice by knocking down a 3-pointer from the left wing 2:12 into the game. Senior Kaylee Brown (5-9 forward) added a free throw as Farmington opened up a 4-0 lead at the 4:46 mark. Berryville finally erased the goose egg from the scoreboard when Baylea Smith hit a trey with 2:20 left in the opening quarter. Berryville freshman Lexi Anderson's putback lifted the visitors to a 5-4 lead at the end of the first quarter.
In the second quarter, Jeanessa Smith started a 7-2 Berryville run with a 3-pointer from the right corner. Hopper's free throw ended the spree with Berryville in front, 12-6, midway through the second. Johnson called time-out with 3:30 to go in the half and from that point on, the game swung in Farmington's favor. The Lady Cardinals at last started to execute their offense. Senior 5-feet-9 forward Claudia Oxford cut down the box taking a feed from Brown in the left corner and scored easily off the glass.
The Lady Cardinal defense then created a turnover by drawing a charging foul and Farmington went back to Oxford sliding down the box. She was fouled and made both free throws. Camryn Journagen (5-8 junior guard) then tied up the ball forcing another Bobcat turnover with the alternate possession going to Farmington. Oxford crashed the offensive glass and was again fouled. Once more she made both charity shots, tying the game at 12-12 with 1:09 left before intermission. Berryville answered with a kickout to Jeanessa Smith, who connected from 3-point land. Johnson signalled to the Lady Cardinals to play for the last shot and Brown was hit while launching a 3-pointer with :00.02 on the clock. She sank 2 of 3 free throws pulling the Lady Cardinals within, 15-14, at the half.
Farmington outscored Berryville, 13-7, in the third to take a 27-21 lead going into the fourth quarter, then put the game out of reach with a strong finish.
"That was really a tale of two halves," Johnson said. "Berryville imposed their will on us in the first half, but you know we like to play a 94-feet-game. In the second half, we were able to hit some shots and rebound better. All of that stuff allows us to get out in the open court and play a full-court game. We were able to do what we wanted in the second half."
The Lady Cardinals host rival Prairie Grove Monday at Cardinal Arena. Like Farmington, the Lady Tigers have their share of younger athletes with eight sophomores on their varsity roster.
Sports on 11/23/2016