By: Jackie Bacon

Harding Academy Girls Basketball

SEARCY, Ark. Coach Rusty Garner told his Harding Academy girls basketball
team to slow down the tempo against Perryville on Tuesday, Nov. 18, a strategy
that proved to be successful as the Lady Wildcats secured a 40-34 victory.
Last time we played them, we had a track meet, which we thought was to our
favor, Garner said. Tonight it just felt like the grind was to our advantage
because I thought our kids were really good defensively.
The Wildcats saw their largest lead of the game after a 3-pointer from point
guard Riley Rose that put Harding Academy up 31-21 with 2:22 remaining in the
third quarter. Rose ended the night with eight points, three assists and two
steals.
Mustangs Head Coach Terry Smith called a timeout after the 3-pointer from
Rose so he could stop the momentum from the Wildcats 7-0 run.
Rose is a key player for the Wildcats and Smith recognized his teams need for
overcoming her ability to control the game.
With Riley on the floor, honestly the tempo of the game is wherever she wants
it to be, Smith said. So if she wants to go fast, theyre going fast. If she wants
it to be slow, then theyre slowing down.
After the timeout, the Mustangs had a run of their own as they closed the gap
and brought the score to 31-27 by the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter got off to a slow start. Nine seconds into the quarter, there
was a scary moment for the Wildcats as Rose dove on the ground for a loose
ball and aggravated a recent back injury.
Tonight in the flukiest play of the game, Riley winds up on top of the basketball
facing the sky, Garner said. Ive never seen any kid wind up in that position
and of course our kid with the bad back winds up rolling along the top of the
basketball.
Rose was out of the game for two minutes as the trainers evaluated her back.
While she was out, the Wildcats displayed a strong defensive effort and
maintained the score at 31-27.
The scoring stalemate in the fourth quarter ended with 5:04 left after Perryville
center Whitney Woods hit a free throw.

By: Jackie Bacon

With 2:13 left, Mustangs forward Cali Lankford hit two free throws to draw her
team within three points of Harding Academy, who led 35-32. Lankford was the
leading scorer for Perryville with 20 points.
The Mustangs tried to press at the end of the game, but the Wildcats handled it
well and controlled the last two minutes of the game.
Usually people dont press us, so it was a bit of a curveball, Rose said.
Theres always room to improve on everything and we might as well learn it in a
game rather than in practice.
Perryville only gained the led once the entire game, which took place early in the
first quarter when they went up 8-6. The Wildcats then tied it 8-8 with a layup
from junior forward Ally Newby and went up 9-8 with a free throw from senior
shooting guard Haley Smith. There was never a lead change or tie from then on.
Smith had a strong performance for Harding Academy as she earned a doubledouble with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
All in all, Garner was happy with his teams ability to shut down Perryvilles
explosive offense.
Perryville scored 68 in their first game and 75 Saturday night, so to hold them
to 34 was something I was really pretty pleased with, Garner said.
Harding Academy is back in action on Monday, Nov. 24 against Clinton.