Lady Panthers battle, fall one game short of regionals

By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY

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.

Sand Lizards top Panthers in senior girls play

IMG_9814_(2)
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 junior girls get host Ozark at district tourney

January 10, 2020

Heber Springs heads into tonight’s 4A-4 junior girls district tournament having lost its regular season finale to Dardanelle on February 4th, but coach Jamey Riddle likes his team’s chances.

The Panthers will open with the host Ozark at 6:15 p.m. as the No. 4 seed. Ozark defeated Heber Springs in the district title game last season.

“We’ve beat Ozark both times this year,” Riddle said. “We just need to show up and play.”

He added that is something that Heber Springs has done on two out of it’s last three conference road trips, a 52-24 setback to Pottsville on January 28th and a 36-20 loss at Dardanelle on February 4th.

“We went over to Pottsville and laid an egg,” Riddle said. “We just didn’t play very well.”

Against the Sand Lizards, the Panthers trailed 10-2 at the end of the first quarter and 19-7 at the half, and couldn’t overcome the deficit.

“We only lost to by three here (to Dardanelle) in a game that we felt like we should have won,” Riddle said. “We just didn’t get it done.”

The Panthers entered what Riddle called a “little slump” after a big 55-52 win over Dover on January 24th. Heber Springs played a good Mayflower team, one that handed Dover it’s first loss of the season before the Panthers beat them for it’s second, on the road on a Monday before traveling to Pottsville the following day.

“They beat us pretty good, but they only beat us by five here,” Riddle said. “We just didn’t play very well, and we had a few that weren’t feeling very with all of the sickness that was going around.”

A win by Heber Springs and the Panthers would get Pottsville in a semifinal contest at 4 p.m. on Thursday.

“I like our chances and where we are at (in the bracket),” Riddle said. “You never know. Practice has been good in the mornings and this is going to be a new week. You just have to show up and play.”

February 4
HEBER SPRINGS AT DARDANELLE
Heber Springs  2  5  4  9 - 20
Dardanelle    10  9  8  9 - 36
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (20): Sophia Stone 6, Rylee Harrod 4, Riley Bailey 3, Emmie Fuller 3, Molly Smith 2, Cristina Garcia 2
DARDANELLE SCORING (36): Rylea Manning 12, Bethani Walter 10, Kaylee Meredith 4, Karlie Barber-Cursh 4, Avery Robinson 3, Gabby Ganadino 2, Jayden Vasquez 1

January 31
HEBER SPRINGS AT OZARK
Heber Springs  9  10  10  6 - 35
Ozark          6   2   0  7 - 15
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (35): Sophia Stone 14, Jaylea Hooten 10, Rylee Harrod 5, Savannah Stout 2, Molly Smith 2, Marin McKenzie 2
OZARK SCORING (15): No. 10 5, Ree 3, Powell 3, Burns 2, Bailey 1, Woolsey 1
HEBER SPRINGS JUNIOR GIRLS BASKETBALL
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
COACH: Jamey Riddle
OVERALL RECORD: 11-10
4A-4 RECORD: 3-5
November 9 - Heber Springs 27, Greenbrier 16 ^
November 12 - Heber Springs 33, Nemo Vista 27
November 14 - Dover 60, Heber Springs 49 ^
November 16 - Heber Springs 40, Marshall 25 ^
November 19 - Heber Springs 44, South Side Bee Branch 22
November 21 - Heber Springs 46, Riverview 13
November 23 - Heber Springs 62, Cabot South 8th 10 *
November 23 - Conway Blue 35, Heber Springs 29 *
November 26 - Clinton 48, Heber Springs 40
December 10 - Dover 43, Heber Springs 33 #
December 12 - Heber Springs 52, South Side Bee Branch 31
December 20 - Heber Springs 21, Ozark 7 #
January 7 - Pottsville 34, Heber Springs 31 #
January 9 - Heber Springs 40, Newport 21
January 14 - Dardanelle 32, Heber Springs 29 #
January 16 - Mount Vernon-Enola 38, Heber Springs 33
January 24 - Heber Springs 55, Dover 52 #
January 27 - Mayflower 47, Heber Springs 42
January 28 - Pottsville 52, Heber Springs 24 #
January 31 - Heber Springs 35, Ozark 15 #
February 3 - Quitman (Canceled/Flu)
February 4 - Dardanelle 36, Heber Springs 20 #
February 10 - Heber Springs at Ozark $

(^ - Denotes Marshall Tournament)
(* - Denotes Heber Springs Tournament)
(# - Denotes 4A-4 Conference Game)
($ - Denotes 4A-4 District Tournament at Ozark)

Heber Springs junior girls fall to Mount Vernon-Enola

Heber Springs’ Rylee Harrod dribbles past a Mount Vernon-Enola defending in junior girls action at the Panther Den on Jan. 16. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO

January 16, 2020

Sophia Stone finished with 15 points while Jaylea Hooten added 10 in a losing effort as Heber Springs fell to Mount Vernon-Enola, 38-33, in junior girls action at the Panther Den.

The two teams were tied at the half, 20-20, while the War Hawks led 29-26 at the end of the three quarters in the nonconference contest.

Heber Springs pulled to within one at 34-33 with 3:18 left after at Hooten basket but the Warhawks went 4-of-4 from the free-throw line down the stretch to seal the win.

The junior girls return to action on Thursday when they host Marshall.

The Panthers have dropped three out of four contests to start the new year.

On Jan. 14, Stone finished with 16 points as Heber Springs fell to Dardanelle, 32-29, in a 4A-4 contest at the Panther Den.

On Jan. 9 at Newport in nonconference play, it was Hooten who finished with 16 as the Panthers downed the Greyhounds, 40-21.

Stone (15) and Hooten (10) both finished in double figures in a 34-31 setback to Pottsville in the Panther Den on Jan. 7.

JANUARY 16 BOXSCORE
Mount Vernon-Enola  7  13  9  9 - 38
Heber Springs       6  14  6  6 - 33
MOUNT VERNON-ENOLA SCORING (38): Raby 14, A.J. Person 6, Wooley  6, Vaught 6, Kelley 3, Pruitt 2, Jobe 1
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (33): Sophia Stone 15, Jaylea Hooten 10, Rylee Harrod 4, Hope Turney 2, Savannah Stout 2

JANUARY 14 BOXSCORE
Dardanelle        7  8  8  9 - 32
Heber Springs    12  4  4  9 - 29
DARDANELLE SCORING (32): Kaylee Meredith 14, Bethani Walter 8, Pfiefer Flemming 3, Karlie Barber-Cursh 3, Rylea Manning 2, Jayden Vasquez 2
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (29): Sophia Stone 16, Madison Clemons 6, Jaylea Hooten 4, Riley Bailey 2, Hope Turney 1

JANUARY 9 BOXSCORE
Newport        4  5   4  8 - 21
Heber Springs  8  8  16  8 - 40 
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (40): Jaylea Hooten 16, Sophia Stone 8, Addison Hudspeth 6, Madison Clemons 3, Hope Turney 2, Riley Bailey 2, Cristina Garcia 2, Mary Evans 1

JANUARY 7 BOXSCORE
Pottsville    9  7  8  10 - 34
Heber Springs 6 10  4  11 - 31
POTTSVILLE SCORING (34): Garner 8, Pennington 8, Sweeden 8, Cunningham 6, Greathouse 2, Francis 2
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (31): Sophia Stone 15, Jaylea Hooten 10, Madison Clemons 4, Riley Bailey 2
HEBER SPRINGS JUNIOR GIRLS BASKETBALL
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
COACH: Jamey Riddle
OVERALL RECORD: 9-7
4A-4 RECORD: 1-3
November 9 - Heber Springs 27, Greenbrier 16 ^
November 12 - Heber Springs 33, Nemo Vista 27
November 14 - Dover 60, Heber Springs 49 ^
November 16 - Heber Springs 40, Marshall 25 ^
November 19 - Heber Springs 44, South Side Bee Branch 22
November 21 - Heber Springs 46, Riverview 13
November 23 - Heber Springs 62, Cabot South 8th 10 *
November 23 - Conway Blue 35, Heber Springs 29 *
November 26 - Clinton 48, Heber Springs 40
December 10 - Dover 43, Heber Springs 33 #
December 12 - Heber Springs 52, South Side Bee Branch 31
December 20 - Heber Springs 21, Ozark 7 #
January 7 - Pottsville 34, Heber Springs 31 #
January 9 - Heber Springs 40, Newport 21
January 14 - Dardanelle 32, Heber Springs 29 #
January 16 - Mount Vernon-Enola 38, Heber Springs 33
January 23 - Marshall
January 24 - Dover #
January 27 - at Mayflower
January 28 - at Pottsville #
January 31 - at Ozark #
February 3 - Quitman
February 4 - at Dardanelle #
February 10 - District Tournament at Ozark

(^ - Denotes Marshall Tournament)
(* - Denotes Heber Springs Tournament)
(# - Denotes 4A-4 Conference Game)