PRAIRIE GROVE -- Pea Ridge shot lights out from 3-point land on the way to handing Prairie Grove a 59-28 drubbing on Friday, Dec. 21.
The first half was disastrous for the Lady Tigers, while Pea Ridge seemingly had everything going their way including the fact that Prairie Grove only attempted four free throws for the entire game.
Katelyn Swope, Hollyn Davis and Gabbi Adams all hit treys for Pea Ridge as the Lady Blackhawks opened up a 21-3 lead in the first quarter. Prairie Grove's uphill battle was compounded when Pea Ridge scored the first 17 points of the second period to set the stage for a blowout. Swope had two more 3-pointers during the run which pushed Pea Ridge's lead to 38-7. Davis added another and the Lady Blackhawks took a 42-10 lead into halftime.
Davis nailed two more 3-pointers in the fourth and finished with 21 points. Swope added 12 and Gabby Adams 10 for the Lady Blackhawks, while Emily Grant led Prairie Grove (5-5, 0-3) with 14.
Early in the season Prairie Grove coach Kevin Froud predicted one of the biggest challenges to having a successful season would be the Lady Tigers holding their own on the boards. Pea Ridge out-rebounded the Lady Tigers by 10 (35-25).
"We've got Jasmine (Wynos), but we're really going to miss having SJ (Sarah James Stone) and Audrey Doering, and Madi Vinson, some of the bigger, some of the taller, physical girls that can get rebounds and stuff," Froud said. "That's really going to be I think an Achilles heel this year that we're going to have to do a better job of team blocking out and doing the little things."
As the Lady Tigers begin the conference season, Froud predicts tough competition night in and night out.
"It's hard to simulate what we're getting ready to go up against in practice, but we've got to go a little bit harder with each other in practice to make each other better," he said.
Conference dynamics have changed as Farmington and Harrison dropped down from the 5A ranks to join the 4A-1.
"They're two very good teams," Froud said. "Farmington, I think will have a chance to win the whole thing with them and Berryville. I don't know a whole lot about Harrison, but usually they're traditionally a good team. I think we're the toughest conference in the 4A all over the state so you make it out of our conference tournament, you've done something cause everybody from top to bottom is pretty good. Pea Ridge, Gentry, Gravette, all of us, it's pretty good from top to bottom. It's going to be a battle every night. There's not going to be any cake-walks or teams that you can take off."
PEA RIDGE 59, PRAIRIE GROVE 28
Prairie Grove^7^3^14^4^--^28
Pea Ridge^21^21^9^7^--^59
Prairie Grove (5-5, 0-3): Emily Grant 5-13 0-0 14, Larisha Crawford 2-5 0-0 6, Mariah Halbert 2-6 0-2 5, Jasmine Wynos 1-3 0-0 2, Kaylee Elder 0-3 1-2 1, Jordan Sugg 0-2 0-0 0, Lexie Madewell 0-9 0-0 0, Logan Meadors 0-1 0-0 0, Gracie Foster 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 10-43 1-4 28.
Pea Ridge (12-3, 3-1): Hollyn Davis 21, Katelyn Swope 12, Gabby Adams 10, Winn 9, Maria Socha 9.
3-point Goals -- Prairie Grove 7-20 (Grant 4-9, Crawford 2-4, Halbert 1-1, Sugg 0-1, Wynos 0-1, Madewell 0-2, Elder 0-2). Pea Ridge -- 9 (Davis 4, Swope 4).
Rebounds -- Prairie Grove 19 (Wynos 6), Pea Ridge 35. Assists -- Prairie Grove 7 (Crawford 2, Madewell 2), Pea Ridge 15. Steals -- Prairie Grove 2 (Madewell, Halbert), Pea Ridge 4. Blocks -- Pea Ridge 1 (Socha). Turnovers -- Prairie Grove 12.
Sports on 01/09/2019