SUBIACO – The Heber Springs Lady Panthers didn’t go away without a fight against Dardanelle in Tuesday’s quarterfinal game at the 4-4A Conference Basketball Tournament.
Dardanelle (8-10) went on a 13-3 scoring run, beginning with one minute left in the third quarter to 3:45 remaining in the game, and defeated the Lady Panthers 46-36.
Heber Springs, which lost its 12 consecutive game, finished the season at 10-15. The Lady Panthers’ last win came against Nemo Vista at the Mount Vernon-Enola Holiday Tournament in late December.
Jaylea Hooten and Addison Hudspeth led Heber Springs each with eight points. Hudspeth and Savannah Stout each made two 3-pointers. Hope Turney and Madison Clemons each had a 3-pointer.
Karlie Cursh scored a game high 17 points for Dardanelle. Bethani Walter contributed nine points.
The Lady Sand Lizards led throughout the first half with a 4-2 lead after the first quarter and 17-12 at halftime.
But momentum shifted to the Lady Panthers early during the third quarter. Stroud hit back-to-back 3-pointers for an 18-17 lead. Dardanelle regained the lead on two free throws by Cursh. Heber Springs then recaptured the lead on Hudspeth’s 3-pointer.
The Lady Sand Lizards pulled within one and later took the lead for good on Grace McIntyre’s 3-pointer with one minute to go in the third quarter.
Savannah Williams scored during closing seconds for a 29-25 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Dardanelle put the game away by completing the 13-3 scoring run and led by as much as 15 points, 46-31, with 48 seconds left.
Heber Springs 2 10 13 11 –36 Dardanelle 4 13 12 17–46 HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (36): Jaylea Hooten 8, Addison Hudspeth 8, Savannah Stout 6, Molly Smith 4, Sophie Stone 4, Madison Clemons 3, Hope Turney 3. DARDANELLE SCORING (46): Karlie Cursh 17, Bethani Walter 9, Grace McIntyre 6, Jayden Vazquez 6, Savannah Williams 4, Audry Rowan 2, Elizabeth Earnest 2.
Heber Springs’ Jaylea Hooten drives for a lay-up against Clarksville’s Macy Weathers. Hooten was fouled on the play. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
HEBER SPRINGS – Clarksville hit a pair of 3-pointers late in the first quarter and didn’t look back in downing Heber Springs, 47-30, in 4-4A senior girls play.
A Jaylea Hooten free throw for Heber Springs made it a one-point game at 5-4 in favor of Clarksville with 2:11 left in the opening quarter, but Clarksville’s Macy Weathers hit 3-pointers with 1:08 left and at the first-quarter buzzer to make it an 11-4 contest.
Heber Springs (10-13 overall, 0-9 in 4-4A) cut the deficit to under 10 points twice in the second quarter. An Emily Fuller 3-pointer at the 5:59 mark made it 14-7 and a Hooten three-point play with 1:01 left in the half cut the Clarksville (8-13, 5-4) lead to 9 at 21-12. But the visiting Panthers, again hit a pair of 3-pointers to close out the quarter with a 27-12 halftime lead.
Fuller paced Heber Springs with 8 points while Clarksville’s Kenleigh Rieder led all scorers with 14 points. The visiting Panthers led 38-19 at the end of three quarters.
Heber Springs travels to Pottsville Tuesday for its regular-season finale.
Heber Springs’ Sophia Stone looks to drive past Dardanelle’s Jayden Vazquez in senior girls action Tuesday night at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
HEBER SPRINGS – Dardanelle outscored Heber Springs 21-7 in the second half and cruised to a 41-24 4-4A victory over the Panthers in senior girls play at the Panther Den.
Dardanelle (6-10 overall, 5-4 in the 4-4A) led 20-17 at the half and got 10 points from Karlie Cursh in the third quarter to take a 30-21 lead into the final stanza.
Heber Springs (10-12,0-8) was held scoreless in the third quarter before a Madison Clemons free throw with 2:32 to play in the quarter.
With the loss, the Panthers can do no better than a six seed in the upcoming district tournament at Subiaco Academy. However, with only six teams in the conference, Heber Springs will only need one win to qualify for the regional tournament at Farmington.
The Panthers will play their final home game on Saturday at the Panther Den against Clarksville. The senior boys tip things off at 2 p.m. followed by the senior girls contest.
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (24): Jaylea Hooten 9, Sophia Stone 11, Molly Smith 3, Madison Clemons 1.
DARDANELLE SCORING (41): Karlie Cursh 17, Grace McIntyre 3, Savannah Williams 3, Audry Rowan 4, Bethani Walter 12, Elizabeth Earnest 2.
Heber Springs’ Molly Smith and Pottsville’s Rylie Boley wait for the officials call after a tie-ball situation during Monday’s 4-4A senior girls contest at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
HEBER SPRINGS – Pottsville blew open a close game in the third quarter to down Heber Springs, 45-27, in 4-4A senior girls action Monday night at the Panther Den.
Heber Springs (10-11 overall) remains winless in 4-4A play (0-7) and have not won a game since a 45-39 victory over Nemo Vista on Dec. 28 at the Mount Vernon-Enola tournament.
For Pottsville, the Apaches improved to 13-6 overall and more importantly kept pace with Morrilton for a share a of the conference lead at 6-1 in the 4-4A.
Monday night it was close for two quarters as Pottsville led 7-6 at the end of the first quarter and the Panthers managed to tie things up at 13-all at the half after a Hope Turney 3-pointer.
Pottsville opened the second half with a 5-0 run before Savannah Stout hit a jumper to make it 18-15 with 5:23 left in the third quarter.
A 10-0 run by the Apaches made it 28-15 at the 3:00 mark of the third quarter. A pair of Molly Smith free throws stopped the bleeding, but Pottsville would manage a 31-17 advantage at the end of three quarters.
Heber Springs returns to action Tuesday when they host Dardanelle (5-10, 4-4) at the Panther Den.
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (27): Hope Turney 3, Jaylea Hooten 8, Addison Hudspeth 3, Molly Smith 5, Savannah Stout 2, Madison Clemons 3, Sophia Stone 3.
POTTSVILLE SCORING (45): Rilee Underwood 11, Rylie Boley 6, Lindsey Aday 13, Layla Stroud 11, Tori Daniel 2, Annleigh Pennington 2
Heber Springs’ Hope Turney goes up for a shot during second-half action against Morrilton Tuesday night at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
HEBER SPRINGS – Heber Springs was held to five points in the first and four quarters and fell to Morrilton, 46-24, in 4-4A senior girls action.
The Panthers were held scoreless in the first quarter but was able to hold the Devil Dogs to six points in the same time frame.
The two teams battled in the second quarter with 10 points each as Heber Springs got points from four players (Molly Smith, Jaylea Hooten, Hope Turney and Sophie Stone).
Hooten would make the front end of a one-and-one before adding a three-point play to pull the Panthers to within a basket at 16-14 with 4:37 left in the third quarter.
Morrilton would answer with a 7-0 run over the next 1:26 on a pair of baskets by Cheyanne Kemp and a 3-pointer by Grace Brown.
A Hooten field goal and a Madison Clemons 3-pointer would keep Heber Springs close to start the fourth quarter trailing, 29-19.
Morrilton would outscore the Panthers, 17-5, in the fourth quarter to take control.
Morrilton, which has won 12 out of its last 13, improves to 12-3 overall and 2-0 in the 4-4A.
Heber Springs fell to 10-6 overall and 0-2 in conference. The Panthers will travel to Dardanelle (2-9, 1-2) looking for their first conference win. The Sand Lizards have lost four straight.
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (24): Hope Turney 1, Madison Clemons 3, Jaylea Hooten 12, Sophie Stone 6, Molly Smith 2
MORRILTON SCORING (46): Knyah Clemons 2, Cheyanne Kemp 17, Grace Brown 13, Jennifer Hartman 2, Kamryn Reel 8, Johnna Brockman 2, Jeniah Johnson 2.
The Quitman senior girls basketball team after winning the Mount Vernon-Enola Holiday Classic Tournament on Thursday. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
MOUNT VERNON – Three Lady Bulldogs finished in double figures as Quitman claimed the championship trophy of the Mount Vernon-Enola Holiday Tournament.
Senior Silver Mulliniks led the way with 22 points followed by Taylor Hooten with 16 and Katelyn Black with 10.
Quitman (13-1) trailed for less than 60 seconds on the night. After jumping out to a 5-0 advantage on a 3-pointer by Hooten and a pair of free throws by Mulliniks, Mount Vernon-Enola (19-2) would answer at the 4:39 mark of the first quarter. Baskets by Olivia McClelland, A.J. Person, Jaley Belote and Dessie McCarty would spark an 8-0 run and give the Lady Warhawks an 8-5 lead with 2:41 left in the first quarter.
Mulliniks and Hooten would close out the quarter with 3-pointers for Quitman as the Lady Bulldogs led 11-8.
Quitman would hit 10 3-pointers on the night and Black would drill one of those for the Lady Bulldogs to make it a 15-8 contest with 6:47 left before the half.
Mount Vernon-Enola would pull within one at 14-13 at the 2:30 point of the second quarter after a Ally Mendoza 3-pointer, but Hooten would answer on the other end with a 3-pointer of her own to push Quitman’s advantage back to four points.
After leading 20-16 at the break, McCarty would pull the Lady Warhawks back to within two points at 20-18 with 7:14 to play in the third quarter, but Hooten would hit a 3-pointer, a pair of free throws and a field goal over the next 1:14 to push the Lady Bulldogs advantage to nine at 27-18.
Mount Vernon-Enola would make it a six-point game twice the rest of the way. The first time at 34-28 with 1:56 left in the third quarter after a McClelland basket and the last time with 7:06 left in the contest after a three-point play by McClelland made it 41-35.
Quitman would close the contest on a 12-4 run as Mulliniks had 8 during that stretch.
Hooten finished with four 3-points on the night and Mulliniks had three.
Quitman returns to conference action on Monday, Jan. 10, at Bigelow.
With only one senior and one junior on the roster, all of the scoring for Mount Vernon-Enola was handled by sophomores, led by McCarty’s 14 points.
The Warhawks will face Wonderview in conference play on Friday (Jan. 7).
MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT
at Mount Vernon-Enola High School
SENIOR GIRLSDecember 28th
Game 1 - Mount Vernon-Enola vs. Concord (10 a.m.)
Game 3 - Morrilton Sacred Heart vs. Conway Christian (12:30 p.m.)
Game 5 - Heber Springs vs. Nemo Vista (3 p.m.)
Game 7 - Quitman vs. Midland (5:30 p.m.)
December 29th
Game 9 - Loser Game 1 vs. Loser Game 5 (10 a.m.)
Game 11 - Loser Game 3 vs. Loser Game 7 (12:30 p.m.)
Game 13 - Winner Game 3 vs. Winner Game 7 (3 p.m.)
Game 15 - Winner Game 1 vs. Winner Game 5 (5:30 p.m.)
December 30th
Game 17 - Loser Game 9 vs. Loser Game 11 (10 a.m.)
Game 19 - Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 11 (12:30 p.m.)
Game 21 - Loser Game 13 vs. Loser Game 15 (3 p.m.)
Game 23 - Winner Game 13 vs. Winner Game 15 (5:30 p.m.)
SENIOR BOYSDecember 28th
Game 2 - Concord vs. Morrilton Sacred Heart (11:15 a.m.)
Game 4 - Nemo Vista vs. Conway Christian (1:45 p.m.)
Game 6 - Heber Springs vs. Quitman (4:15 p.m.)
Game 8 - Mount Vernon-Enola vs. Midland (6:45 p.m.)
December 29th
Game 10 - Loser Game 6 vs. Loser Game 8 (11:15 a.m.)
Game 12 - Loser Game 2 vs. Loser Game 4 (1:45 p.m.)
Game 14 - Winner Game 2 vs. Winner Game 4 (4:15 p.m.
Game 16 - Winner Game 6 vs. Winner Game 8 (6:45 p.m.)
December 30th
Game 18 - Loser Game 10 vs. Loser Game 12 (11:15 a.m.)
Game 20 - Winner Game 10 vs. Winner Game 12 (1:45 p.m.)
Game 22 - Loser Game 14 vs. Loser Game 16 (4:15 p.m.)
Game 24 - Winner Game 14 vs. Winner Game 16 (6:45 p.m.)
Heber Springs’ Jaylea Hooten drives for a basketball against South Side Bee Branch’s E. Thomas (35) late in the fourth quarter at the Panther. Hooten made the lay-up and a drew a foul on the play. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
HEBER SPRINGS – South Side Bee Branch’s final 12 points all came from the free-throw line as the Hornets held off Heber Springs, 44-36, in nonconference senior girls action at the Panther Den.
The win by South Side Bee Branch avenged a 47-41 victory by Heber Springs on Dec. 4 on a neutral court in Conway.
On Tuesday, a cold second quarter doomed the Panthers (8-2) as they were outscored 12-4 in the stanza to trail at the half 18-11.
Heber Springs, which trailed 26-18 at the end of the third, went on an 8-1 run midway through the fourth quarter to pull within three at 29-26 after a 3-pointer by Sophie Stone and a three-point play by Jaylea Hooten with 4:11 left.
After a pair of free throws by South Side’s Jewel Walley, the Panthers would make it a 2-point game at 31-29 with three minutes left. Stone would hit the front end of a one-and-one while Hooten would stick the rebound back up for two.
Brinkley Smith would have an answer for the Hornets on their next possession when she drilled a 3-pointer from the corner to make 34-29.
From that point on, South Side Bee Branch (10-10) would hit 12-of-14 over the final 2:08 to hold on for the win.
On the night, the Hornets hit 21-of-25 (84 percent) while Heber Springs was 1o-of-17 (58.5 percent).
Hooten led all scorers with 19 points.
Heber Springs will open conference play Friday night at Ozark (7-3).
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (36): Madison Clemons 1, Jaylea Hooten 19, Addison Hudspeth 4, Sophie Stone 7, Savannah Stout 3, Molly Smith 2
SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH SCORING (44): Erin Holland 2, Brinkley Smith 7, Marli Huddleston 4, Mollie Leonard 7, Jewel Walley 8, Emily Walley 13, Maggie Bradford 2, Emily Thomas 3
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HASKELL – With Heber Springs’ leading scorer Jaylea Hooten held to four points, a trio of Panthers stepped up finishing in double figures in helping lead Heber Springs to a 49-43 nonconference victory over Benton Harmony Grove.
Addison Hudspeth paced Heber Springs with 16 points as the Panthers were tied at 9-all at the end of the first quarter and led 24-13 at the break.
Savannah Stout finished with 12 and Hope Turney added 11 to round out the trio that scored in double figures.
The Cardinals got back into the contest in the third quarter outscoring Heber Springs 18-8, thanks in part to four 3-pointers in the quarter by senior Kallyn Sussamon.
Sussamon scored a game-high 20 points, including nailing six of the seven 3-pointers made by Harmony Grove on the night.
Heber Springs dropped 11 3-pointers led by Stout with four, Turner and Hudspeth with three and Emily Fuller with one.
The Panthers outscored the Cardinals, 17-12, in the final quarter.
Heber Springs’ Lindsay Southerland dribbles past South Side Bee Branch’s Jewel Walley in senior girls action the Family Activities Center in Conway. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
CONWAY – Heber Springs got 16 points from Addison Hudspeth as the Panthers downed South Side Bee Branch, 47-41, in a consolation contest of the St. Joseph Tournament at the Family Activities Center.
Heber Springs led 14-10 at the end of the first quarter and 23-17 at the break.
The game remained tight throughout the third quarter as a Molly Smith basket gave the Panthers a 29-21 advantage with 5:45 left in the third quarter, before Marli Huddleton field goal capped a 6-0 run that put the score a 29-27 with 2:22 remaining in the stanza.
Hudspeth would go on a 5-0 run with a 3-pointer, one of three on the afternoon, and a short jumper with 59 seconds left pushed the Heber Springs advantage back to seven at 34-27.
Mollie Leonard hit a pair of free throws for the Hornets and Jewel Walley drilled a 3-pointer at the buzzer to make it 34-31 heading into the final quarter.
Junior Jaylea Hooten would take over in the fourth quarter scoring seven points, including the only two field goals for Heber Springs in the quarter, to fuel a 7-2 run that saw the Panthers increase their advantage to 41-33 with 4:48 left.
South Side Bee Branch (7-9) would make it a six-point contest with less than a minute to go but Heber Springs would salt the game away from the free-throw line. The Panthers finished the quarter 9-of-15 from the line and 11-of-20 on the afternoon.
“The game was a little closer than I wanted it to be,” Heber Springs coach Spencer Gay said, “but I was proud of the effort and was really proud of the girls fixing some ball-handling problems we’ve had.”
Heber Springs came into the tournament with an undefeated record but suffered their first loss of the season in the pool-play opener to Mayflower.
“That game was tough,” Gay said. “I don’t want to harp on that because winning two out of three (in the tournament) was pretty big time for us. I was proud of that.”
The first-year Panther coach would later add that the loss could benefit Heber Springs when they get into conference play.
“They played us a style that we are going to see later down the road,” Gay said. “I saw a (ball-handling) problem. Our kids saw a problem and they’ve worked every day since to fix it. It’s not going to happen overnight, but a month from now, but you are going to see a different team.”
The win improved Heber Springs to 7-1 on the season.
“I am ecstatic where we are,” Gay said. “I think it says a lot about the kids.”
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (47): Hope Turney 1, Jaylea Hooten 15, Addison Hudspeth 16, Sophie Stone 4, Molly Smith 8, Emily Fuller 3.
SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH SCORING (41): Brinkley Smith 2, Marli Huddleston 3, Mollie Leonard 8, Jewel Walley 13, Emily Walley 14, Maggie Bradford 2.
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