FAYETTEVILLE — Coach Debbie Sharp knew that Siloam Springs couldn’t match Rogers High basket-for-basket, so the longtime coach decided to try and shut down the Lady Mounties potent inside attack.
The strategy worked.
Siloam Springs held Rogers scoreless for 7 minutes, 45 seconds in the second half as the Lady Panthers rallied to defeat the Lady Mounties 49-42 in the finals at the Lady Bulldogs Classic on Saturday.
Almost half of the Lady Mounties scoring came on seven 3-pointers, but they also missed 17 shots from behind the line, and Sharp said that was the key to the victory.
“We are different this year, we don’t have the explosiveness to jump out and match people this year,” Sharp said. “We wanted to take away what Rogers did. The scouting we did and the shot chart we had was at the rim or 3s and we wanted to take that away.
“Rogers is so explosive with the shooters they have, and we didn’t do everything right. But our kids kept answering. “
Lindsey Larkin led three Siloam Springs (4-2) players in double figures with 16 points. Makenzie Sharp added 11, while Emery Rakestraw scored 10. Ashlin Stock hit four free throws in the final minute and finished with six points.
Lydia Wilkerson hit five 3-pointers and finished with 15 points for Rogers (4-1). Taylor Strickland scored 24 points in Rogers’ win Friday in the semifinals but was held to 11 points, including just three in the second half. Rogers senior Sarah Grace Groves also had 11 points.
“Siloam outplayed us and they out-coached us,” Rogers coach Preston Early said. “We struggled shooting the ball and we failed to adjust.”
West Fork 49, Fayetteville 39
Melissa Jones scored 25 points and Sydney Franklin added 16 as West Fork won the consolation bracket.
Fayetteville led 28-26 at halftime, but the Lady Tigers outscored the Lady Bulldogs 8-5 in the third for a 34-33 lead.
Kaden Self was 5 of 6 from the free-throw line for the Lady Tigers.
Brittany Austin led a balanced Fayetteville attack with eight points, while Turquoise Early finished with seven points.