WEST FORK -- Lincoln head girls basketball coach Emilianne Cox wasn't hiding a basketball underneath her blouse.
She was deep into the third trimester of a pregnancy with two weeks left before her due date while coaching against Flippin in the second round of the District 3A-1 girls basketball tournament at West Fork on Tuesday, Feb. 14. The game determined which team would advance to the 3A Region 1 tournament with the loser going home and Flippin employed a full-court press to hotly contest an inbounds play from the sideline in front of the Lincoln bench.
Cox fearlessly stood on the sideline just steps away from senior Lily Riherd, who triggered the inbounds pass.
In the end, Cox wished she had one more quarter to finish perfecting a girls basketball team that turned its season around with the return of Sarah Snodgrass.
But district tournaments don't play a fifth quarter like the Arkansas High School Coaches Association All-Star basketball games and Flippin rode the double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds by Ella Alexander to eliminate Lincoln, 56-50, from the District 3A-1 girls basketball tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, at West Fork.
Ally Hodges added 13 points for the Lady Bobcats (22-9) to offset Snodgrass' 29 points for Lincoln (9-21).
"The team that I had at the beginning of the year to the team that I had at the end of the season is just uncomparable," Cox said. "I think if we had one more quarter to play tonight we might have pulled out a win. That's how much the kids wanted to win the game."
On consecutive Fridays in late November, the Lady Wolves suffered blowout losses to Class 4A teams Gentry (60-11) and Gravette (71-11) that began a 10-game skid. Lincoln lost its first six conference games before Snodgrass put up 34 points in her second game back from injury and they won 66-58 on the road at Green Forest.
Had the Lady Wolves won in the second round at district, they would have qualified for the 3A Region 1 tournament this week also at West Fork, but that would have placed Cox, who coached this season while expecting, at the threshold of giving birth.
She's due in one week.
"I've got two weeks left so I'm going a little crazy and I've got an 18-month-old out there in the stands right now so my life's about to be crazy, but I get to watch 'March Madness' from the couch for maternity leave so I'm good," Cox said.
Lincoln jumped out to an early 7-4 lead against Flippin but the Lady Bobcats scored 13 of the next 17 points in the quarter and moved ahead 17-9 at the end of the first period.
Lincoln rallied in the second quarter by scoring four straight points with Kaylin Osnes converting both ends of a 1-and-1 and Snodgrass adding a putback, trimming the deficit to 19-13.
A 9-2 Lady Wolves' run over a 2:06 span got them back in the game. Tabor Lewis caused a turnover by tying up the ball and then threaded the needle with a pass to Snodgrass cutting to the basket.
"Every single kid gave a hundred percent effort. We just couldn't knock down a shot, basically, or they [Flippin] made everything that they shot so it just wasn't our night to finish but, in terms of giving it all of their effort, they left it all on the floor," Cox said.
Cox lauded the play of her seniors.
Saylor Stidham has played for Cox since her seventh grade year. Stidham wants to attend Northeastern State University at Tahlequah, Okla., and pursue a degree in business.
"Oh man, the growth that she's had, not only as a player; I'm more concerned about the person that she's going to become. She's going to do big things," Cox said. "So, kudos to her."
Lewis joined the program as a junior and has ambition to become a doctor.
"I've got very smart kids," Cox said.
Lily Riherd would like to attend Arkansas Tech and also go into business.
"I've just got kids who have dreams outside of basketball and I can't wait to see what they get to do," Cox said.
Riherd has been Cox' point-guard the last three years. She came in as a sophomore and has grown tremendously. Cox would say she wouldn't want Riherd to hold the ball as a sophomore and now in her senior year Cox trusts Riherd with the ball throughout the whole game.
"The growth from everyone all-around is just crazy," Cox said.
Now that she's done mothering the Lincoln basketball team this season, Cox can focus on giving birth and taking care of a newborn. This will be the second child for Cox and her husband, Brendon. Their firstborn is now 18 months old.
And just in time -- her 9-month shot clock for carrying a baby full term was just about to expire.
Flippin 56, Lincoln 50
Lincoln^9^15^12^14^--^50
Flippin^17^12^17^10^--^56
Flippin (22-9, 11-3): Ella Alexander 7 8-8 22, Ally Hodges 4 3-6 13, Brooke Leininger 3 2-2 9, Marcee Benedict 2 0-4 5, Samantha Greenhaw 2 0-0 5, Cheyanne Merkel 0 2-2 2. Totals 18 15-22 56.
Lincoln (9-21, 4-10): Sarah Snodgrass 10 7-8 29, Makayla Quinn 1 6-6 8, Brinkley Moreton 1 2-4 4, Lily Riherd 1 0-0 3, Addi Pershall 1 1-3 3, Kaylin Osnes 0 2-2 2, Tabor Lewis 1 0-0 2. Totals
3-Point Goals -- Flippin 5 (Hodges 2, Leininger, Benedict, Greenhaw). Lincoln 3 (Snodgrass 2, Riherd).
Fouled out: Lewis
Mark Humphrey/Enterprise-Leader Lincoln head girls basketball coach Emilianne Cox fearlessly stands next to senior Lily Riherd during an inbounds play in front of the Lady Wolves' bench that was hotly contested by Flippin. Cox coached well into the third trimester of a pregnancy with two weeks left before her due date. Lincoln reached the second-round of the District 3A-1 girls basketball tournament at West Fork on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2023, before losing, 56-50, to end its basketball season.
Mark Humphrey/Enterprise-Leader The pregnant belly of Lincoln head girls basketball coach Emilianne Cox is obvious from this side view while coaching against Flippin in the second round of the District 3A-1 girls basketball tournament at West Fork on Tuesday, Feb. 14. This will be the second child for Cox and her husband Brendon. Their firstborn is now 18 months old.