PRAIRIE GROVE -- The Prairie Grove girls basketball team simply couldn't throw the ball in the ocean and the final score, a 55-32 loss to Pea Ridge Jan. 9, reflected the struggle.
Prairie Grove shot 9-for-60 for 15 percent from the field. The Lady Tigers were 4-of-26 from beyond the 3-point arc and 5 of 34 inside the 3-point line.
Meanwhile Pea Ridge (6-11, 2-5) basked in the warmth of a hot shooting first half, highlighted by a 20-7 scoring advantage in the second quarter to take a 30-12 halftime lead.
"They shot probably 60 percent in the first half and we couldn't make anything," said Prairie Grove coach Kevin Froud.
Pea Ridge led 7-5 with a minute left in the first quarter when the Lady Tigers got off six shots on a single possession and still came away empty. Pea Ridge sank a 3-pointer and ended the quarter in front, 10-5.
Pea Ridge cooled off in the fourth quarter. Neither team made a field goal for the final five minutes of the contest, but Pea Ridge led 49-25 at that juncture following Maria Socha's old-fashioned 3-point play. The Lady Blackhawks hit 6-of-8 free throws over the last 4:38 to close out the game.
Froud was disappointed, noting the Lady Tigers were coming off wins at Shiloh Christian and Lincoln
"We were on a two-game win-streak, then to come out and have a night like tonight...," Froud said. "I thought maybe we were going to get it together. We had too many turnovers (15). That's 15 opportunities we didn't get to score. There's still a lot of basketball left. We've got an opportunity. Hopefully, we'll get better."
Three players scored in double figures for Pea Ridge, Hollyn Davis, 11; Gabby Adams, 11; and Sunny Olson, 10.
Pea Ridge 55, Prairie Grove 32
Prairie Grove^5^7^10^10 -- 32
Pea Ridge^10^20^10^15 -- 55
Pea Ridge (7-11, 3-5): Hollyn Davis 3 4-5 11, Gabby Adams 5 1-2 11, Sunny Olson 4 0-0 10, Kiley West 2 2-2 7, Catherine Hooten 2 2-2 6, Maria Socha 1 3-3 5, Katelyn Swope 1 2-2 4, Kynley Burton 0 1-2 1. Totals 18 15-18 55.
Prairie Grove (8-10, 4-6): Sarah James Stone 3-6 1-2 7, Madi Vinson 2-7 6, Audrey Doering 0-1 5-6 5, Jordan Sugg 0-4 4-6 4, Larisha Crawford 1-6 3, Emily Grant 1-13 3, Jasmine Wynos 1-3 2, Aniyah Gibbs 1-7 2, Kaylee Elder 0-4 0-0 0, Lexie Madewell 0-9 0-0 0. Totals 9-60 10-14 32.
3-Point goals -- Pea Ridge 4 (Olson 2, Davis, West), Prairie Grove 4-26 (Vinson 2-5, Crawford 1-4, Grant 1-7, Sugg 0-1, Elder 0-3, Madewell 0-6).
Rebounds -- Prairie Grove 23 (Stone 7). Assists -- Prairie Grove 7 (Sugg 2, Grant 2, Gibbs 2). Steals -- Prairie Grove 7 (Crawford, Stone, Gibbs, Vinson, Wynos, Grant, Doering). Turnovers -- Prairie Grove 19.
Sports on 01/17/2018