Heber Springs’ Ellie Riddle with a pass against Shirley in senior girls nonconference action at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
Playing back-to-back basketball games didn’t slow down the Heber Springs Lady Panthers.
After Monday’s double overtime win at Guy-Perkins, the Lady Panthers (4-3) moved above the .500 mark on the season with an 63-18 non-conference win against Shirley at the Panther Den Tuesday.
Sophomore Jaylee Hooten and senior Ellie Riddle combined for 33 points. Hooten led the Heber Springs’ scoring with 19 points and Riddle contributed 14 points. Sophomore Hope Turney had nine points.
Alyssa Gatlin scored seven points for Shirley.
“I was curious to see how the players’ legs were after playing the night before at Guy,” Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle said. “They played a lot of minutes. Sometimes, the more you play, a team can get into a better rhythm. We picked up where we finished the Guy game against Shirley. We were moving well, and our shots were falling better. It was good to see them playing consistency.”
Riddle said the team’s full-court press slowed Shirley down and created scoring opportunities.
“Our press confused and caused them to rush their shots,” he said. “We got a lot of rebounds and into our transition game for easy buckets.”
Coach Riddle also said Ellie Riddle and Hooten continued to lead the offense.
“Ellie is finding more of a groove with her shot,” the coach said. “Jaylee is starting to play well and doing a better job of driving into the lane and making shots. Other players are playing their roles.”
Riddle said Kylie Carr continues to play well. Carr scored 16 points at Guy after Ellie Riddle and Hooten fouled out.
“We need players to do that;,” coach Riddle said. “Ellie and Jaylee will not score 20 or more every game. Kylie is an unselfish player. It was her time to shine. She plays that way all of the time in practice. If she hadn’t, we might not have won the game (at Guy).”
Hooten and Riddle combined for 16 of Heber Springs’ 21 points during the first quarter. The Lady Panthers led 21-6 going into the second quarter. Heber Springs didn’t slow down and went on a 18-4 scoring run and built a 39-10 lead by halftime. The Lady Panthers led 51-12 going into the fourth quarter.
“The two wins will give us momentum,” Riddle said. “We lost games to tough teams (Batesville and Greenbrier).”
Heber Springs will host Conway St. Joseph at 6 p.m. Tuesday.
Heber Springs’ Kylie Carr goes up for a shot against Greenbrier at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
Greenbrier post Alexandria Newland proved too much for the Heber Springs defense to contain during Thursday’s non-conference basketball game at the Panther Den.
Newland scored 12 of her game-high 22 points during the second half in Greenbrier’s 48-40 win against Heber Springs.
“You can’t lose where No. 44 (Newland) is on the floor when she puts up shots because she will go after the rebound,” Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle said. “We lost her a couple of times. She posts up well and has a good touch on her shot.”
Sophomore post Jaylee Hooten and senior guard Ellie Riddle combined to score 33 of Heber Springs’ 40 points. Hooten had 10 of her 18 points during the first half. Riddle contributed 15 points, eight points coming during the first two quarters.
“Jaylee played more aggressively, and we need her to do that every game,” coach Riddle said. “Ellie had a good game, handled the ball well and made a few shots. She is doing what a senior should do and a good team leader.”
Greenbrier took a 5-2 lead early in the first quarter. Hooten scored back-to-back field goals as Heber Springs pulled ahead, 6-5. Heber Springs maintained control during the remainder of the quarter and led 14-7 going into the second quarter.
Greenbrier seized the momentum and went on a 9-2 scoring run and tied the game at 16-16 midway through the second quarter. The lead changed five times during the next four minutes as Greenbrier emerged with a 22-20 advantage at halftime.
Heber Springs trailed by 11 points late in the third quarter. Sophie Stone and Hooten scored field goals as Greenbrier’s lead was reduced to 40-31 going into the fourth quarter.
“We played a great first quarter,” Riddle said. “Greenbrier turned it on during the second quarter and evened the score. Greenbrier began hitting its shots in the third quarter that it had missed earlier in the game.”
Riddle said Greenbrier’s conditioning and stronger physical play were determining factors, especially during the fourth quarter.
“Kylie (Carr) started because she is more of a physical player,” Riddle said. “She helped on the inside. Lili (Chaney), Brandi (Meredith) and Hope (Turney) came off the bench and played well. That is what we are going to need this season to be more successful.”
Riddle said playing more physical will be one of the areas that the team needs improvement before starting conference play.
“You got to play physical and not get tired,” Riddle said. “We didn’t do that or enough to win the game. We need to get in better physical condition.”
Heber Springs (2-3) is scheduled to play at Guy-Perkins on Monday and will host Shirley on Tuesday in nonconference games. Both games are set to start at 5 p.m.
“We need a bounce-back week,” Riddle said. “We played better against Greenbrier, and I hope that momentum will carry over to those games going into Thanksgiving.”
Heber Springs’ Madison Clemons gets past a Batesville defender in action Tuesday night at the Panther Den. PHILIP SEATON PHOTO
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
University of Missouri commit Isabella Higginbottom scored a game-high 23 points and led the Batesville Lady Pioneers to a 78-44 win against the Heber Springs Lady Panthers in a nonconference basketball game at the Panther Den Tuesday.
Batesville began the game with a 9-0 scoring run and held the Lady Panthers scoreless until Jaylee Hooten made 2-of-2 free throws with 4:14 left in the first quarter. Heber Springs was outscored 11-8 for the remainder of the quarter and trailed 20-10 going into the second quarter.
The pace picked up during the second quarter when the Lady Pioneers outscored Heber Springs 26-18 for a 46-28 halftime lead. Batesville’s lead increased to 68-40 going into the the fourth quarter.
Ellie Riddle led the Lady Panthers with 16 points. Hooten contributed 10 points. Taylor Rush scored 14 points for the Lady Pioneers, while London Cuzzort and Olivia Everretts each had 12 points.
Heber Springs (2-2) will host Greenbrier in a nonconference game at 6 p.m. Thursday.
Batesville 20 26 22 10–78 Heber Springs 10 18 12 4–44 Batesville scorers — Isabella Higginbottom 23, Taylor Rush 14, London Cuzzort 12, Olivia Everretts 12, Kayla Ward 6, Anna Ezell 5, Sophie Poole 4, Belen Sanchez 2. Heber Springs scorers — Ellie Riddle 16, Jaylee Hooten 10, Hailey Bresnahan 9, Sophie Stone 3, Madison Clemons 2, Olivia Norton 2, Hope Turney 1, Kylie Carr 1.
Heber Springs needed almost eight minutes to shake off its inexperience against Bald Knob in the basketball season opener.
The Lady Panthers took the lead for good at 12-11 less than two minutes left in the first quarter and pulled away to 58-36 win in a girls’ high school nonconference basketball game at the Panther Den on Monday.
Heber Springs led 17-11 after the opening quarter and then outscored Bald Knob 41-25.
Sophomores Madison Clemons and Jaylee Hooten led the Lady Panthers with 18 and 16 points, respectively. Senior Ellie Riddle, the only returning player with high school game experience, contributed 13 points.
“The slow start could be attributed to first-game jitters,” Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle said. “We were unsure how we played at times during the first quarter and our inexperience showed. We fouled too much. For the most part, when things didn’t start out smooth and you still win, you have to be happy with that.”
Riddle said he was pleased with three players scoring in double figurers, but the team will need production from other players off the bench to be successful this season.
“Ellie will play a different role than the past two seasons,” Riddle said. “Madison can score, but we will need to get her the ball in the right spots. We need other players, like Oliva Norton, Brandi Meredith and Kylie Carr, to come off the bench and make contributions.”
Bald Knob led 11-4 midway through the first quarter before the Lady Panthers made their move. Hailey Bresnahan connected on a 3-pointer and Hooten scored as Heber Springs pulled to within two points.
Clemons hit a 3-pointer for a 12-11 lead as the Lady Panthers never trailed again. Clemons connected on a 3-pointer and Riddle scored for a 17-11 lead going into the second quarter.
The Lady Panthers outscored Bald Knob 7-6 during the second quarter for a 24-17 halftime lead.
Heber Springs gained its first double-digit lead at 30-20 midway through the third quarter. The Lady Bulldogs didn’t go away and pulled to within six points. The Lady Panthers finished by scoring six unanswered points and took a 40-28 into the fourth quarter.
It will be a busy week as the Lady Panthers were scheduled to play at Newport Tuesday and will host Central Arkansas Christian on Thursday.
“We need to get into game shape and the best way is to play games,” Riddle said. “I’m glad we are playing three games this week. You can work on conditioning in practice, but it’s hard to simulate it in a game. The best way to improve conditioning is playing games. We will get there. I’m just exciting that the team is playing.”
Heber Springs’ Ellie Riddle (left) drives past a Dardanelle defender during Tuesday action at the Panther Den. MICHELLE McCARTY PHOTO
January 14, 2020
By LARRY “SCOOP” McCARTY
It didn’t take long for the Heber Springs Lady Panthers to establish control against Dardanelle at the Panther Den Tuesday.
Libby Stutts and Ashley Spanel each made 3-pointers during the opening two minutes as the Lady Panthers coasted past Dardanelle 47-29 in a 4-4A Conference basketball game.
Heber Springs (3-1 in conference, 12-5 overall) built a 15-0 lead by the end of the first quarter.
Dardanelle (0-4 in conference, 2-16 overall) didn’t score until 5:21 remaining in the first half.
The Lady Panthers led 29-8 at halftime and took a 38-14 lead into the fourth quarter.
Stutts paced a balanced Heber Springs attack with 13 points. Jillian Herring scored nine points and Spanel had eight points.
Abby Apple led Dardanelle with eight points.
“Dardanelle is not having a good year, but it can play and make the game ugly,” Heber Springs coach Jamey Riddle said. “I’m glad we played with a lot of intensity to start the game. The players knew Dardenelle’s record, but they didn’t play that way against them. We made more shots than our last game. We did a good job of running our offenses.”
Riddle said the team improved in two areas from previous games.
“We did a better job of rebounding and played good defense by holding them scoreless in the first quarter and eight points for the first half,” he said. “We used different presses to speed the game up. We wanted to keep the ball from getting inside.”
Riddle said Spanel’s shooting was a pleasant surprise.
“We don’t rely on Ashley to score a lot of points, but she is capable of making shots,” he said. “It was good to see her do that.”
Heber Springs will face one of its toughest challenges this season by playing conference leader Clarksville (5-0 in conference, 9-9 overall) on the road at 6 p.m. Friday.
“We welcome the opportunity to upset a team at the top of the conference standings,” Riddle said. “We can do that if we will play with the same intensity against Dardanelle.”
HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
RECORD: 12-5
4A-4 RECORD: 3-1
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 - 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 70, DeWitt 34 *
December 27 - Pea Ridge 49, Heber Springs 44 *
December 28 - Mayflower 58, Heber Springs 37 *
January 7 - Pottsville 49, Heber Springs 45 ^
January 9 - Heber Springs 70, Newport 51
January 14 - Heber Springs 47, Dardanelle 29 ^
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)
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)
Heber Springs couldn’t overcome a sluggish second quarter Friday night at Marshall and as a results suffered a 70-52 nonconference setback in senior girls action.
The loss drops the Lady Panthers to 7-2 on the season.
Heber Springs will look to bounce back tonight (Dec. 16) at White County Central in another nonconference contest.
Against the Bobcats, Heber Springs and Marshall were tied at 14-all at the end of the first quarter before the Bobcats outscored the Panthers, 19-4, in the second quarter. Heber Springs also trailed 47-30 at the end of three.
HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS
BOXSCORESDecember 7 at Conway St. Joseph Tournament
CONSOLATION CHAMPIONSHIPWONDERVIEW SCORING (43): Angel Olds 13, Emmy Lou Duvall 12, Audrey Ward 10, Alexis McClaven 6, Taylor Zimmerman 2
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (44): Jillian Herring 12, Ellie Riddle 12, Ashley Spanel 10, Claudia Newberry 6, Hailey Bresnahan 2, Mary Shearer 2
December 5 at Conway St. Joseph Tournament
South Side Bee Branch 4 12 7 11 - 34
Heber Springs 10 20 16 7 - 53
SOUTH SIDE BEE BRANCH SCORING (34): Briana Yount 12, Hannah Mauldin 9, Mary Payne 6, Maggi Huddleston 5, Abi Shepard 2
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (53): Claudia Newberry 12, Jillian Herring 11, Libby Stutts 10, Ellie Riddle 8, Lili Chaney 5, Hailey Bresnahan 4, Mary Shearer 2, Kylie Carr 1
December 3 at Conway St. Joseph Tournament
Conway St. Joseph 11 10 10 16 - 47
Heber Springs 12 15 8 9 - 44
CONWAY ST. JOSEPH SCORING (47): Lilly Hill 13, Emily Briggler 10, Brooklyn Kordsmeier 10, Savannah Mooney 9, Elizabeth Chandler 3, Ashleigh Mallett 2
HEBER SPRINGS SCORING (44): Libby Stutts 16, Jillian Herring 12, Claudia Newberry 12, Ellie Riddle 2, Mary Shearer 2
HEBER SPRINGS SENIOR GIRLS
2019-2020 SCHEDULE/RESULTS
RECORD: 7-2
4A-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 - Marshall 70, Heber Springs 52
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’ 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)
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