Heber Springs junior Ellie Riddle looks to get past Pea Ridge’s Blakelee Winn during semifinal action of the Cowboy Chevrolet Heber Springs Holiday Classic. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
December 27, 2019
BY LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
The Heber Springs Lady Panthers appeared on path through three quarters for a berth in the Steve Landers Cowboy Chevrolet-Heber Springs Holiday Basketball Classic championship game.
But Pea Ridge regained its shooting eye and held the Lady Panthers without a field goal until two minutes remaining in the game and advanced to the finals with a 49-44 win at the Panther Den Friday.
The Lady Blackhawks (12-2) will play Southside Batesville for the tournament championship at 6:30 p.m. today. Heber Springs (10-3) will meet Mayflower in the third-place game at 4 p.m.
HUSTLE AWARD FOR PEA RIDGE/HEBER SPRINGS GAME: Heber Springs’ Jillian Herring
“Two good teams were playing and we came up one scoring run short,” Heber Springs head coach Jamey Riddle said. “We would make a scoring run, and then Pea Ridge would have a scoring run. We couldn’t get that scoring run in the fourth quarter and Pea Ridge did. We took good shots, but they would not go in.”
Libby Stutts and Jillian Herring each scored 16 points for the Lady Panthers. Blakelee Winn led Pea Ridge with 13 points. Aidan Dayberry scored 11 points and Allisa Short had 10 points.
Claudia Newberry and Stutts started the game with field goals. Herring made a 3-pointer as Pea Ridge, which trailed 7-0, took a timeout early in the first quarter. Heber Springs maintained the lead and took an 11-8 advantage into the second quarter.
The lead changed three times during the second quarter. A three-point play late in the quarter gave Pea Ridge the lead 21-20 at halftime.
Heber Springs dominated the third quarter. The Lady Panthers went on a 20-8 scoring run and led 40-29 going into the fourth quarter.
“We didn’t want to go ice cold late in the game,” Riddle said. “Ellie, Jillian and Ashley (Spanel) took good shots. We didn’t do a good job of rebounding the misses. I don’t believe we had a single offensive rebound in the fourth quarter. You can’t rely on one shot.”
Riddle anticipates a tough game against Mayflower.
“Mayflower didn’t play well against Southside (Batesville) in the semifinals,” he said. “I expect them to be ready for us. It should be a good game. I’m hoping we will come out and play with a lot of energy. We need to have a great game.”
Hailey Bresnahan, who is one of the first players off the bench, didn’t play because of an injured knee. Bresnahan will be examined again next week to determine when she may return.
“We held Hailey out because it’s important to her ready for the conference games,” Riddle said. “Hopefully, she will get healed by then.”
Heber Springs’ Ashley Spanel launches a 3-pointer against DeWitt Thursday night at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
December 26, 2019
BY LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
The Heber Springs Lady Panthers dominated from the opening tip-off to the final buzzer and defeated DeWitt 70-34 in the quarterfinals of the Steve Landers Cowboy Chevorlet-Heber Springs Holiday Basketball Classic Thursday.
Heber Springs scored the game’s first 14 points and finished the opening quarter on a 15-7 scoring run. The Lady Panthers led 29-8 going into the second quarter and built their lead to 47-22 by halftime.
Heber Springs took a 64-32 lead into the fourth quarter.
Game MVP Heber Springs’ Claudia Newberry
Hailey Bresnahan came off the bench and scored 16 points for the Lady Panthers. Claudia Newberry and Jillian Herring each had 14 points.
Carrington Holliman led DeWitt with 12 points and Abby Noblin had 10 points.
“I told them before the opening tip not to do more than expected,” Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle said. “They ran hard, played hard and let the game come to them and settled in. We got a good lead, but we didn’t want to play soft and did what was needed by playing good defense and making shots.” Riddle said he liked how the players came off the bench and contributed.
Game Hustle Award DeWitt’s Carrington Holliman
“The girls played well,” he said. “Hailey made shots and Mary (Shearer) got some rebound. It was good to see any rest from the time off.”
Heber Springs (10-2) will meet Pea Ridge in the semifinals at 6:30 p.m. today.
“Pea Ridge will be a tough game and one of the best teams we played so far,” Riddle said. “The five starters are capable of being the leading scorer in any game. We need to play good defense and shoot well to win.”
Heber Springs’ Mary Shearer and Ozark’s Summer Joy fight for the basketball during 4A-4 action at the Panther Den on Friday. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
December 20, 2019
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
Improved accuracy at the free-throw line paid dividends for the Heber Springs Lady Panthers at the Panther Den Friday.
The Lady Panthers made 14-of-18 free throws during the fourth quarter and defeated Ozark, 55-42, in a 4-4A Conference basketball game.
Libby Stutts hit 6-of-8 at the free-throw line during the fourth quarter. Ashley Spanel made 4-of-4 and Hailey Bresnahan converted 3-of-4 attempts. Ellie Riddle was 1-of-2 at the line.
The Lady Panthers made 25-of-33 free throws for the game. Jillian Herring led Heber Springs with 16 points. Ellie Riddle added 11 points and Stutts had 10 points. Carter Crane scored 17 points for Ozark and Mary-Grace Ree had 10 points.
“Our free-throw shooting was very big in winning the game,” coach Jamey Riddle said. “We had not been shooting free throws well. We also did what was needed during the final three games to win. We outplayed them in the last three quarters.”
Heber Springs switched its full-court press at the start of the second quarter and it led to success.
The Panther trailed 13-8 after the first quarter and reduced it to 22-19 by halftime.
“The full-court press we started was not working and I decided to make a change,” Riddle said. “We contained them better and kept the ball from Ozark’s big girl. We wanted to speed up the game.”
Heber Springs tied the game at 24-24 two minutes into the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Herring.
The Lady Panthers, who outscored Ozark 20-7 during the third quarter, gained a double digit lead and took a 39-29 lead into the fourth quarter.
Ellie Riddle and Claudia Newberry committed their fourth personal fouls late in the third quarter, but strong play off the bench helped to increase the lead. Riddle and Newberry returned with two minutes to play in the game.
“Mary Shearer has a lot of playing time and a senior that you can count on playing well,” Jamey Riddle said. “She goes hard for rebounds and does what we need to help the team succeed. Hailey gave us good minutes, made free throws and got defensive rebounds.”
Riddle also credited Herring and Stutts, especially for their play during the fourth quarter.
“Libby and Jillian waited for their time and got good shots in the fourth quarter,” Riddle said. “We were able to create one-on-one opportunities for them to drive.”
Heber Springs (2-0 in conference, 9-2 overall) is one of three teams (Morrilton and Clarksville) undefeated in conference play.
“We had to win at home because it will be tough at Ozark,” Riddle said. “We must win the home games. We got a big road win at Dover.”
Heber Springs will return to action at 6:30 p.m. Thursday against DeWitt at the Steve Landers Chevorlet-Heber Springs Holiday Tournament.
“We didn’t play well at the St. Joseph Tournament and hope to play well at our tournament,” Riddle said. “We will take the approach of a end-of-the-season tournament. We would like to win the tournament.”
On Dec. 16, Heber Springs traveled to White County Central and came away with a 51-31 nonconference victory.
Heber Springs led 30-14 at the half and 41-23 at the end of three quarters.
Ellie Riddle (13) and Claudia Newberry (11) each finished double figures in scoring for the Panthers.
HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS BOXSCORES
December 20 vs. Ozark
Ozark 13 9 7 13 - 42
Heber Springs 8 11 20 16 - 55
OZARK SCORING (42): Carter Crane 17, Mary-Grace Ree 10, Kelsee Barnett 5, Briley Burns 4, Summer Joy 3, Tanner Richard 3.
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (55): Jillian Herring 16, Ellie Riddle 11, Libby Stutts 10, Ashley Spanel 5, Hailey Bresnahan 5, Claudia Newberry 4, Mary Shearer 4.
December 16 at White County Central
White County Central 8 6 9 8 - 31
Heber Springs 21 9 11 10 - 51
WHITE COUNTY CENTRAL SCORING (31): Jaidyn Koerdt 6, Abigail Mullins 6, Makayla Baker 5, Hailey Jackson 4, Ashlyn Mullins 4, Destiny Clark 4, Kalista Altom 2
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (51): Ellie Riddle 13, Claudia Newberry 11, Jillian Herring 9, Ashley Spanel 7, Libby Stutts 6, Hailey Bresnahan 2, Kylie Carr 2, LiLi Chaney 1.
HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
RECORD: 9-2
4A-4 RECORD: 2-0
November 12 - Heber Springs 55, Nemo Vista 31
November 19 - Heber Springs 70, South Side Bee Branch 45
November 21 - Heber Springs 67, Riverview 27
November 26 - Heber Springs 56, Clinton 54 (OT)
December 3 - Conway St. Joseph 47, Heber Springs 44 #
December 5 - Heber Springs 53, South Side Bee Branch 34 #
December 7 - Heber Springs 44, Wonderview 43 #
December 10 - Heber Springs 59, Dover 56 ^
December 13 - Marshall 70, Heber Springs 52
December 16 - Heber Springs 51, White County Central 31
December 20 - Heber Springs 55, Ozark 42 ^
December 26 - Heber Springs vs. DeWitt *
December 27 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
December 28 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
January 7 - Pottsville ^
January 9 - at Newport
January 14 - Dardanelle ^
January 17 - at Clarksville ^
January 21 - Morrilton ^
January 24 - Dover ^
January 28 - at Pottsville ^
January 31 - at Ozark ^
February 4 - at Dardanelle ^
February 11 - at Morrilton ^
February 14 - Clarksville (Senior Night) ^
February 17 - 4A-4 District at Dardanelle
(# - Denotes Conway St. Joseph Tournament)
(^ - Denotes 4A-4 conference contest)
(* - Denotes Steve Landers' Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Tournament at Heber Springs)
The Heber Springs junior girls improved to 8-4 overall, but more importantly 1-1 in 4A-4 play, with a 21-7 victory over Ozark Friday night at the Panther Den.
Heber Springs led 4-3 at the end of the first quarter, but outscored the Hillbillies, 9-0, in the second quarter to take a 13-3 lead in the half.
The Panthers led by eight after the third quarter before shutting out Ozark in the final quarter to claim the win.
Heber Springs was playing without one of its top scorers, Sophia Stone, but Jaylea Hooten picked up in her place scoring 12 points while Addison Hudspeth added four.
The Panthers are off until January when they will host Pottsville on Jan. 7 in a 4A-4 contest at the Panther Den.
The Heber Springs Junior Girls basketball team pose with the runner-up trophy from the Heber Springs Junior High Tournament on November 23 at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
December 19, 2019
The Heber Springs junior girls basketball team will look to even its 4A-4 conference record on Friday when they host Ozark at the Panther Den beginning at 4 p.m.
It will be the Panthers final game of the year before returning to action on Jan. 7 at home against Pottsville.
Heber Springs (7-4) dropped its conference opener on Dec. 10 at Dover, 43-33, as Sophia Stone finished with 15 points. The Panthers led 21-18 at the half, but were outscored 25-12 in the second half, including 12-3 in the final quarter.
Heber Springs started the season 2-0 before dropping a 60-49 decision to Dover on Nov. 14 at the semifinals of the Marshall junior high tournament. The Panthers also led at the half during that contest, 29-24. Stone had 20 points in a losing effort while Jaylea Hooten finished with 13.
The Panthers bounced back defeating the host, Marshall, in a consolation contest at the tournament, 40-25, on Nov. 16 as Hooten had 13 points in the win.
Heber Springs would down South Side Bee Branch, 44-22, on Nov. 19 and Riverview, 46-13, on Nov. 21 as Stone had 19 points in the win over South Side Bee Branch.
On Nov. 23, the Panthers hosted a one-day junior high tournament at the Panther Den. Heber Springs won its opener, 62-10, over the Cabot South 8th-Grade team as Addison Hudspeth finished with 17 points.
In the championship game, Heber Springs used a 6-0 run to close out the first half to take a 16-15 advantage into the half against Conway Blue, even pushing its lead to 22-16 after a Sophia Stone lay-up with 2:27 left in the third quarter. But Hooten picked up her fourth foul and had to set the remainder of the quarter as the Wampus Cats used their size to re-take the lead and win the title.
Heber Springs dropped a 48-40 contest to Clinton on Nov. 26 as Hooten had 15 points in the loss.
The Panthers won their last game on Dec. 12 with a 52-31 victory at South Side Bee Branch. Hooten had 24 points in the win, including 12 points in the third quarter, while Stone and Rylee Harrod each finished with 10.
HEBER SPRINGS BOXSCORES
JUNIOR GIRLS
December 12 at South Side Bee Branch
South Side Bee Branch 2 9 8 12 - 31
Heber Springs 10 12 16 14 - 52
SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH SCORING (31): Walley 21, Smith 3, Thurney 2, Linn 2, Smith 2, Duncan 1
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (52): Jaylea Hooten 24, Sophia Stone 10, Rylee Harrod 10, Riley Bailey 4, Madison Clemons 2, Molly Smith 2
December 10 at Dover
Dover 14 4 13 12 - 43
Heber Springs 7 14 9 3 - 33
DOVER SCORING (43): A. McCrotty 29, A Reams 12, S. McClendon 2
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (33): Sophia Stone 15, Madison Clemons 9, Jaylea Hooten 3, Hope Turney 3, Rylee Harrod 3
November 26 at Clinton
Clinton 12 14 9 13 - 48
Heber Springs 11 10 12 7 - 40
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (40): Jaylea Hooten 15, Rylee Harrod 8, Sophia Stone 8, Madison Clemons 7, Hope Turney 2
November 23 at Heber Springs Tournament
Conway Blue 10 5 11 9 - 35
Heber Springs 5 11 6 7 - 29
CONWAY BLUE (35): K. Brown 11, A. Corley 6, S. Ingraham 4, K. Beckwith 4, K. Harper 4, A. McMillen 3, B. Ferguson 2, J. Davis 1
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (29): Sophia Stone 13, Madison Clemons 4, Rylee Harrod 4, Riley Bailey 4, Jaylea Hooten 2, Hope Turney 2
November 23 at Heber Springs Tournament
Cabot South 8th-Grade 0 2 8 0 - 10
Heber Springs 25 10 11 6 - 62
CABOT SOUTH SCORING (10): Cresswell 4, Stark 2, Dolling 2, Gourke 2
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (62): Addison Hudspeth 17, Sophia Stone 15, Lindsey Southerland 8, Molly Smith 6, Jaylea Hooten 6, Hailey Poore 4, Hope Turney 3, Rylee Harrod 2, Riley Bailey 1
Other November 23 Heber Springs Tournament Junior Girls Results: Conway Blue 52, Batesville 26; Batesville 43, Cabot South 8th-Grade 10.
November 21 at Heber Springs
Riverview 0 7 4 2 - 13
Heber Springs 19 9 12 6 - 46
RIVERVIEW SCORING (13): Hale 9, Munoz 2, Rayson 1, Rojas 1
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (46): Jaylea Hooten 10, Sophia Stone 8, Hope Turney 7, Lindsey Southerland 4, Marin McKenzie 4, Madison Clemons 2, Riley Bailey 2, Cristina Garcia 2, Addison Hudspeth 2, Hailey Poore 2, Molly Smith 2, Rylee Harrod 1.
November 19 at Heber Springs
South Side Bee Branch 8 6 4 4 - 22
Heber Springs 16 2 12 14 - 44
SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH SCORING (22): E. Walley 11, A. Zimmerson 4, J. Walley 4, B. Smith 2, E. Thornley 1
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (44): Sophia Stone 19, Rylee Harrod 7, Jaylea Hooten 6, Hope Turney 6, Madison Clemons 2, Addison Hudspeth 2, Molly Smith 2
November 16 at Marshall Tournament
Marshall 8 9 0 9 - 25
Heber Springs 10 6 11 13 - 40
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (40): Jaylea Hooten 13, Sophia Stone 9, Rylee Harrod 7, Madison Clemons 2, Hope Turney 2, Cristina Garcia 2, Addison Hudspeth 2, Molley Smith 2, Marin McKenzie 1
November 14 at Marshall Tournament
Dover 13 11 18 18 - 60
Heber Springs 15 14 14 6 - 49
DOVER SCORING (60): McCrotty 20, Reams 13, Young 13, Hodge 8, McClendon 5, Perea 1
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (49): Sophia Stone 20, Jaylea Hooten 14, Rylee Harrod 6, Cristina Garcia 3, Madison Clemons 2, Hope Turney 2, Riley Bailey 2
HEBER SPRINGS JUNIOR GIRLS BASKETBALL
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTSCOACH: Jamey Riddle
OVERALL RECORD: 7-4
4A-4 RECORD: 0-1
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 - Ozark #
January 7 - Pottsville #
January 9 - at Newport
January 14 - Dardanelle #
January 16 - Mount Vernon-Enola
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)
DOVER – The Heber Springs Lady Panthers withstood a barrage of 3-pointers and opened the Conference 4-4A basketball schedule by defeating Dover, 59-56, Tuesday.
Ellie Riddle led the Lady Panthers (1-0 in conference, 7-1 overall) with a game-high 22 points. Jillian Herring had 15 points. Libby Stutts and Claudia Newberry each scored 10 points.
Amelia Besterfeldt (19 points) and Kaylee Singleton (11 points) each made three 3-pointers for Dover (0-1 in conference, 5-4 overall). Avery Reichert made two 3-pointers.
“I knew Dover was small in size and could shoot the three,” Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle said. “We tried to spread our defense out and get a hand in their faces. Dover shot the ball well. We dug down, and we made stops and shots when it was needed to win the game.”
Riddle liked his team’s balanced scoring.
“One of the good things about this team is either of the five starters can be the leading scorer,” he said. “That can be good and lead to success.”
Riddle told the team before the start of the game that it was important to start the conference season with a win.
“I told them it will start with this game,” Riddle said. “If we have the desire of winning the conference championship, we needed a win.”
The Lady Panthers responded, but it was not easy.
“We won a tough game on the road,” Riddle said. “We switched defenses to try and throw them out. We made them rush some shots, and we were able to get rebounds. We played with a lot of fire in the first half. Dover came back and made shots in the second half.”
Heber Springs led 11-9 midway through the first quarter before gaining its first double digit lead. The Lady Panthers finished with a 14-4 scoring run and took a 25-13 lead into the second quarter.
Dover gained ground with three 3-pointers and reduced Heber Springs’ lead to 38-30 by halftime. The Lady Panthers took a 53-42 lead into the fourth quarter. Dover pulled to within 58-56 with less than a minute left in the game. Herring made 1-of-2 free throws, while Heber Springs held the Lady Pirates in the final seconds.
The Lady Panthers will play road games against Marshall on Friday and at White County Central on Tuesday.
“Those will be two tough games before hosting Ozarks (Dec. 20) in conference play,” Riddle said. “Both schools are having good seasons.”
HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
RECORD: 7-14A-4 RECORD: 1-0
November 12 - Heber Springs 55, Nemo Vista 31
November 19 - Heber Springs 70, South Side Bee Branch 45
November 21 - Heber Springs 67, Riverview 27
November 26 - Heber Springs 56, Clinton 54 (OT)
December 3 - Conway St. Joseph 47, Heber Springs 44 #
December 5 - Heber Springs 53, South Side Bee Branch 34 #
December 7 - Heber Springs 44, Wonderview 43 #
December 10 - Heber Springs 59, Dover 56 ^
December 13 - at Marshall
December 16 - at White County Central
December 20 - Ozark ^
December 26 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
December 27 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
December 28 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
January 7 - Pottsville ^
January 9 - at Newport
January 14 - Dardanelle ^
January 17 - at Clarksville ^
January 21 - Morrilton ^
January 24 - Dover ^
January 28 - at Pottsville ^
January 31 - at Ozark ^
February 4 - at Dardanelle ^
February 11 - at Morrilton ^
February 14 - Clarksville (Senior Night) ^
February 17 - 4A-4 District at Dardanelle
(# - Denotes Conway St. Joseph Tournament)
(^ - Denotes 4A-4 conference contest)
The Heber Springs Lady Panthers won two of three games at the Joe Mallett Classic and hope the momentum carries over to Tuesday’s Conference 4-4A basketball opener at Dover.
Heber Springs (6-1) lost to host Conway St. Joseph, but the Lady Panthers finished strong by defeating South Side Bee Branch and Wonderview, the defending 1A state champions.
“We had a great tournament,” Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle said. “It was good to play a team like St. Joseph for the first game. We didn’t shoot well after the Thanksgiving break, but it still was a good game. We beat South Side for the second time this season and Wonderview was a good game for us, too. We had a good tournament against tough competition. I’m pleased how we played overall.”
Heber Springs started the season with four wins before its first loss. Riddle said the defeat taught his team valuable lessons, which can be used to play better in the future.
“Sometimes it’s better to get a loss early in the season,” he said. “The team learned you have to be ready for every game. We adjusted our full-court press against St. Joseph and did a good job of doing it. We played our regular full-court press against South Side, and it worked in that game. We shot well against Wonderview We found a way to win the last two games.”
Riddle said the Lady Panthers benefited from the overtime win at Clinton before Thanksgiving and that helped in preparing for the tournament.
“Clinton was a great atmosphere,” he said. “We overcame foul trouble with our bench players playing well. We did a good job of handling Clinton’s pressure defense. We made shots and got rebounds. We were glad to come out on top.”
Heber Springs will look to continue the momentum from the first seven games against Dover.
“We play those games to get ready for the conference schedule,” Riddle said. “The situations we faced will help to prepare us. But we must shoot free throws better. Our free-throw shooting helped to win the Clinton game. If we had made more free throws, the Wonderview game would not have been as close. “
(PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This story was posted after Heber Springs’ opening 4A-4 conference game on Tuesday. The Lady Panthers won 59-56. McCarty will have story later on MarkedTime.com about Tuesday’s win by the Panthers.)
HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
RECORD: 7-14A-4 RECORD: 1-0
November 12 - Heber Springs 55, Nemo Vista 31
November 19 - Heber Springs 70, South Side Bee Branch 45
November 21 - Heber Springs 67, Riverview 27
November 26 - Heber Springs 56, Clinton 54 (OT)
December 3 - Conway St. Joseph 47, Heber Springs 44 #
December 5 - Heber Springs 53, South Side Bee Branch 34 #
December 7 - Heber Springs 44, Wonderview 43 #
December 10 - Heber Springs 59, Dover 56 ^
December 13 - at Marshall
December 16 - at White County Central
December 20 - Ozark ^
December 26 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
December 27 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
December 28 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
January 7 - Pottsville ^
January 9 - at Newport
January 14 - Dardanelle ^
January 17 - at Clarksville ^
January 21 - Morrilton ^
January 24 - Dover ^
January 28 - at Pottsville ^
January 31 - at Ozark ^
February 4 - at Dardanelle ^
February 11 - at Morrilton ^
February 14 - Clarksville (Senior Night) ^
February 17 - 4A-4 District at Dardanelle
(# - Denotes Conway St. Joseph Tournament)
(^ - Denotes 4A-4 conference contest)
Heber Springs was knocked into the consolation bracket of the Joe Mallett Classic with a 47-44 setback to the host Conway St. Joseph.
Heber Springs will face South Side Bee Branch Thursday at 7 p.m. in consolation contest at the tournament. The Lady Panther defeated the Lady Hornets, 70-45, in game last month at the Panther Den.
If Heber Springs wins on Thursday, they would play in the consolation championship game at noon on Saturday in Conway.
In a played over the Thanksgiving break on November 26, the Lady Panthers traveled to Clinton and claimed a 56-54 overtime victory.
Jillian Herring and Ellie Riddle each finished with 17 points on the night to pace Heber Springs.
The Lady Panthers trailed, 38-36, but outscored the the Lady Yellowjackets, 17-15, in the fourth quarter thanks in part to six points in the quarter by Herring.
Neither team managed a field goal in the extra period but Ellie Riddle hit a pair of free throws in the overtime period while Hailey Bresnahan added another. Heber Springs was 3-for-8 in the overtime period from the line while Clinton was 1-of-4.
Aly Bramlett paced the Yellowjackets with 19 points.
Heber Springs 12 9 15 17 3 – 56 Clinton 15 13 10 15 1 – 55 CLINTON SCORING (55): Aly Bramlett 19, Madison Speer 8, Lacey Belle McJunkins 5, Haven Stoltzfus 5, Livie Dufrene 2, Ashley James 2. HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (56): Jillian Herring 17, Ellie Riddle 17, Libby Stutts 8, Ashley Spanel 6, Mary Shearer 5, Claudia Newberry 2, Hailey Bresnahan 1.
HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
RECORD: 4-1
November 12 - Heber Springs 55, Nemo Vista 31
November 19 - Heber Springs 70, South Side Bee Branch 45
November 21 - Heber Springs 67, Riverview 27
November 26 - Heber Springs 56, Clinton 54 (OT)
December 3 - Conway St. Joseph 47, Heber Springs 44 #
December 5 - vs. South Side Bee Branch #
December 10 - at Dover ^
December 13 - at Marshall
December 16 - at White County Central
December 20 - Ozark ^
December 26 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
December 27 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
December 28 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
January 7 - Pottsville ^
January 9 - at Newport
January 14 - Dardanelle ^
January 17 - at Clarksville ^
January 21 - Morrilton ^
January 24 - Dover ^
January 28 - at Pottsville ^
January 31 - at Ozark ^
February 4 - at Dardanelle ^
February 11 - at Morrilton ^
February 14 - Clarksville (Senior Night) ^
February 17 - 4A-4 District at Dardanelle
(# - Denotes Conway St. Joseph Tournament)
(^ - Denotes 4A-4 conference contest)
The Heber Springs Lady Panthers avoided a slow start and remained undefeated on the season with a 67-27 rout of Riverview in a non-conference basketball game at the Panther Den Thursday.
Heber Springs completed a 3-game homestand and appeared ready for its first road test when the Lady Panthers travel to Clinton on Tuesday.
“I told the players after the game not to be into a false sense of security from the last three games,” Heber Springs head coach Jamey Riddle said. “Our next game will not be like these games. It will be a new challenge at Clinton.”
The Lady Panthers came out firing and quickly gained control against Riverview. Libby Stutts started a 16-0 scoring run by making a 3-pointer and Ellie Riddle scored two field goals. Claudia Newberry converted a jumper and later sank 1-of-2 free throws. Jillian Herring capped the surge by making a pair of 3-pointers.
Riverview didn’t score until almost three minutes left in the first quarter.
Heber Springs finished the quarter strong as Ashley Spanel and Herring made 3-pointers for the 22-6 lead going into the second quarter.
“We fouled too much early in the game against Southside Bee Branch,” Jamey Riddle said. “We did a better job of trapping on the first pass and waiting to go for the steal on the second pass in this game. We converted our layups and made good things happen.”
Herring, who made three 3-pointers, led the Lady Panthers with 14 points. Ellie Riddle and Hailey Bresnahan each had 13 points. Newberry scored 12 points.
Heber Springs had its only scoring lull early in the second quarter. Riverview scored five consecutive points and held the Lady Panthers scoreless until midway through the quarter.
Newberry scored with 4:31 left in the first half, giving the Lady Panthers a 24-11 lead. The Lady Panthers closed out the quarter on a 17-7 scoring run and for a 41-18 halftime lead.
“We had that one cold period and couldn’t set up in our fullcourt press,” Riddle said. “When we can’t do that, it is more difficult for us to score.”
Heber Springs returned for the second half and left little doubt. The Lady Panthers outscored Riverview 18-4 during the third quarter and took a 59-22 lead into the fourth quarter.
“After the period when we couldn’t score, we picked up the pace late in the first half and played well in the second half,” Riddle said. “We got steals and kept rolling.”
The coach expects a tougher time against Lady Yellowjackets on Tuesday.
“We got good play from everyone,” Riddle said. “The players know the competition will be tougher at Clinton. We need to play well in our first road game and see how we will respond.”
Tuesday’s game is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. following the junior high school games.
HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
RECORD: 3-0
November 12 - Heber Springs 55, Nemo Vista 31
November 19 - Heber Springs 70, South Side Bee Branch 45
November 21 - Heber Springs 67, Riverview 27
November 26 - at Clinton
December 2 - at Conway St. Joseph Tournament
December 10 - at Dover ^
December 13 - at Marshall
December 16 - at White County Central
December 20 - Ozark ^
December 26 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
December 27 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
December 28 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
January 7 - Pottsville ^
January 9 - at Newport
January 14 - Dardanelle ^
January 17 - at Clarksville ^
January 21 - Morrilton ^
January 24 - Dover ^
January 28 - at Pottsville ^
January 31 - at Ozark ^
February 4 - at Dardanelle ^
February 11 - at Morrilton ^
February 14 - Clarksville (Senior Night) ^
February 17 - 4A-4 District at Dardanelle
(^ - Denotes 4A-4 conference contest)
Heber Springs’ Hailey Bresnahan drives past at a South Side Bee Branch defender Tuesday night at the Panther Den. PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE MCCARTY
November 19, 2019
By LARRY “SCOOP” MCCARTY
A week between games temporarily slowed down the Heber Springs Lady Panthers against South Side Bee Branch at the Panther Den Tuesday.
Heber Springs (2-0) tied the game at 13-13 late in the first quarter, then took and lead before pulling away to a 70-45 non-conference basketball game.
The Lady Panthers gained the lead on Ashley Spanel’s field goal with 49 seconds left in the first quarter. Ellie Riddle increased it to 17-13 before South Side connected on a 3-pointer and trailed 17-16 going into the second quarter.
Heber Springs went on a 25-7 scoring run during the second quarter and led 42-23 at halftime. The Lady Panthers took a 61-34 lead into the fourth quarter.
Claudia Newberry was one of four Heber Springs players who scored in double figures with 16 points. Hailey Bresnahan had 11 points, while Libby Stutts and Spanel each chipped in 10 points.
“That is why it’s important to practice with consistency,” Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle said. “We worked on what was needed during practice, so we will play well in the next game. South Side played well in the first quarter.”
Riddle liked how his team recovered from its slow start.
“We played fine and consistent and I liked how the players responded,” he said. “It changed late in the first quarter when we changed our defense to put more pressure on South Side’s 3-point shooters. Ellie came off the bench and gave the team a spark, and we also picked up our tempo.”
Riddle praised Newberry for her performance.
“Claudia performed well and I hope that will continue,” Riddle said. “She has improved her offensive moves and did a good job of finishing drives to the basket.”
Heber Springs will host Riverview on Thursday in four games starting with the junior high girls at 4 p.m., followed by the junior high boys. The senior girls’ game is scheduled to start at 6 p.m., followed by the Panthers’ home opener.
“We need to come out and play with the same intensity and fire,” Riddle said. “Riverview will be a good team and a new challenge.”
HEBER SPRINGS 2019-2020 SENIOR GIRLS SCHEDULERECORD: 2-0
November 12 - Heber Springs 55, Nemo Vista 31
November 19 - Heber Springs 70, South Side Bee Branch 45
November 21 - at Riverview
November 26 - at Clinton
December 2 - at Conway St. Joseph Tournament
December 10 - at Dover ^
December 13 - at Marshall
December 16 - at White County Central
December 20 - Ozark ^
December 26 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
December 27 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
December 28 - Cowboy Chevrolet Holiday Classic
January 7 - Pottsville ^
January 9 - at Newport
January 14 - Dardanelle ^
January 17 - at Clarksville ^
January 21 - Morrilton ^
January 24 - Dover ^
January 28 - at Pottsville ^
January 31 - at Ozark ^
February 4 - at Dardanelle ^
February 11 - at Morrilton ^
February 14 - Clarksville (Senior Night) ^
February 17 - 4A-4 District at Dardanelle
(^ - Denotes 4A-4 conference contest)
