Lincoln Girls Get First New Year Win

LINCOLN -- The Lincoln girls basketball team picked up a much needed, 46-39, nonconference victory over Eureka Springs at home in Wolfpack Arena on Monday, Jan. 9, 2023.

The Lady Wolves (5-14, 0-4) lost their first two games of the new year against West Fork (42-36) and Bergman (88-19), but rebounded nicely to stop the skid at two.

Lincoln coach Emilianne Cox hailed the turnaround.

"I would definitely say our shooting was a lot better than it has been, which is big because coming back from a Bergman loss playing a nonconference game on a Monday, I would rather play a game than just practice against a 2-3 zone, which is what we will see Tuesday [versus Flippin]," Cox said.

Sophomore Makayla Quinn tossed in nine points to pace the Lady Wolves. Both she and Lily Riherd hit 3-point shots in the contest. Riherd's triple gave Lincoln an 11-7 lead on an inbounds play underneath the Lady Wolves' basket. Kaylin Osnes followed with a steal and layup, providing Lincoln a six-point cushion.

The Lady Highlanders' Naudia Lamar scored in the lane and Kaylie Partee beat the shot-clock with a trey, cutting the lead to 13-12. Osnes broke their flow by hitting a free-throw line jumper and Lincoln held onto a 15-12 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

The Lady Highlanders began the second quarter with a 7-2 run over a 2:11 span of the period to capture leads of 17-15 and 19-17. Brandessa Armar finished a drive and Kaylie Partee busted a 3-pointer. Zella Pomeroy slid down the baseline, taking a feed from Osnes in the post, to tie the game for Lincoln before Kaylie Partee's offensive rebound led to Lamar's bucket.

Following that Osnes dove on the floor, coming away with a steal laying flat on her face. Cox alertly called time-out to preserve possession.

That set up an 8-2 Lady Wolves' lead to close out the first half. Quinn was left open and drained a trifecta from the left wing. In short order she added a free throw, then stole the ball and sailed in for a left-handed layup as Lincoln matched its biggest lead of the half of six points.

Madison Partee banked a shot home but the Lady Highlanders missed the front end in a bonus situation and trailed Lincoln, 25-21, at the half.

A 5-0 mini run late in the third period led to Lincoln's largest lead of the game. Lena Skogen made a free throw, Addie Pershall banked in a one-handed runner and Riherd got the bounce on a baseline pull-up jumper to push the lead to 37-26 with less than a minute remaining in the third.

Eureka Springs generated an 8-0 run to temporarily stifle Lincoln's momentum over a 2:42 period of the third and fourth quarters. Katie Farrar was fouled in the act of shooting a 3-pointer and made all three charity shots. Armar took a steal in for an easy bucket. Lyla Emmick added two free throws and Lamar chipped in a putback, slicing Lincoln's lead to 37-35 with 5:41 left in the fourth quarter.

The next seven points belonged to the Lady Wolves as they found ways to answer and score in crunch time. Senior Saylor Stidham's only basket of the game loomed large. Quinn snared an offensive rebound and Stidham knocked down a triple to start the run. Tabor Lewis, also picked a good time to score all four of her points. A steal triggered a fast-break and Lewis finished with a bank shot. She added a pair of free throws in the closing seconds.

Eureka Springs missed four straight free throws. Brinkley Moreton made them pay by throwing a lob from the wing to Skogen, who scored in the post. Lincoln led 44-35 at that juncture and held on over the last two minutes for a 46-39 win.

"Knocking down some big shots and playing smart at the end of the game is what we need," Cox said.

Armar led Eureka Springs with 11 points.

Lincoln 46, Eureka Springs 39

Eureka Springs^12^9^10^8^--^39

Lincoln^15^11^11^9^--^46

Lincoln (5-14, 0-4): Makayla Quinn 3 1-2 9, Lily Riherd 3 0-1 7, Addie Pershall 2 1-2 6, Lena Skogen 2 2-4 6, Kaylin Osnes 3 0-0 6, Tabor Lewis 1 2-2 4, Saylor Stidham 1 0-0 3, Zella Pomeroy 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 6-11 46.

Eureka Springs (10-10, 3-3): Brandessa Armar 4 3-7 11, Katie Farrar 2 3-9 8, Naudia Lamar 3 0-0 6, Kaylie Partee 2 0-0 6, Lyla Emmick 1 2-4 4, Madison Partee 1 0-0 2, K. Edwards 1 0-0 2. Totals 14 8-11 39.

3-Point Goals: Lincoln 6 (Riherd 2, Quinn 2, Stidham, Pershall). Eureka Springs 3 (Farrar 2, K. Partee).