OZARK — Meagan Henley wasn’t ready to end her high school basketball career, and Shiloh Christian’s girls lived to play a few more days as a Class 4A school because of it.
The senior guard scored eight of her 12 points during a furious fourth-quarter comeback Thursday as the Lady Saints claimed a 48-41 victory against Dover in the Class 4A North Region Tournament.
Shiloh Christian (19-9), which heads to Class 5A status next season, ended the game with a 13-0 run in order to earn an opportunity to defend its title in next week’s state tournament. The Lady Saints never led until Henley’s stickback put them ahead, 42-41, with 1 minute, 47 seconds remaining, and Shiloh never let it go.
“The girls still believed,” Shiloh Christian coach Mat Stewart said. “I don’t think they believed in the coach the whole time, but they believed in themselves.
“To have a girl that has been there and done that before in Meagan Henley. She just put it on her shoulders. We got some big shots from girls who hadn’t played in two years, and they kept on fighting.”
Shiloh Christian made its first move after Dover (18-10) built a 28-12 halftime lead and opened the second half with a quick bucket by Carlee Williams for its biggest cushion. Cameron Harris and Taylor Huffman combined to score the next 10 points and pulled the Lady Saints within 30-22 on Huffman’s 3-pointer with 6:09 left in the third quarter.
Dover was still in control when Williams’ 3-pointer made it a 39-30 game with 1:36 remaining in the third. That bucket, however, turned out to be Lady Pirates’ last one, and that allowed Shiloh to make its comeback.
“We got a little leg-tired at the end,” Dover coach Irvin Fairfield said. “We gave up some offensive rebounds, and Shiloh got a little warmer from the field. They hit a couple of 3s and stretched us out a little bit, then we gave up some drives to the basket.”
Christian Reed also had 12 and Harris added 10 for Shiloh, which returns to action at 4 p.m. today against 4A-1 Conference rival Prairie Grove. Williams led Dover with 19 points, while Lena Little added 12.
SHILOH CHRISTAIN 48, DOVER 41
Shiloh 4 8 20 16 — 48
Dover 14 16 9 2 — 41
Shiloh Christian (19-9): Henley 12, Reed 12, Cam. Harris 10, Huffman 8, Roe 3, Cal. Harris 2, Jones 1.
Dover (18-10): Williams 19, Little 12, Worsham 5, Sinyard 3, Meador 2.
Farmington 57, Dardanelle 39
Rene Scheyder scored 10 of Farmington’s first 13 points, and the Lady Cardinals used a fast start to put away Dardanelle in Thursday’s other girls first-round game.
Scheyder finished with 18 points for the Lady Cardinals (22-6), whose coach Brad Johnson was going against his alma mater for the first time in his career. Farmington set the tone early as it jumped out to a 17-5 lead in the first quarter, and the margin never dropped below eight points.
Lexie Lewis added 13 points for Farmington, which plays Pottsville in a 7 p.m. semifinal game today. AlleaBelle Gongola paced Dardanelle (17-10) with 15 points.
Boys
Waldron 77, Shiloh Christian 57
Waldron had four players in double figures and used a 16-0 run in the second half to blow the game open in Shiloh’s last game as a Class 4A school.
Darian Harris’ 3-pointer pulled Shiloh (18-11) within 37-33 with 4:49 left in the third quarter, but Waldron (21-8) ended that quarter with 13 straight points. Dylan Brown ended the run with three more points in the fourth quarter and gave the Bulldogs a 53-33 cushion.
Brown finished with 22 points to lead Waldron, followed by Ryan Harrison with 21, Taylor Bunting with 12 and Hunter Ball with 11.
Harris led Shiloh with 23 points before fouling out, while Taylor Thompson added 10 before he was ejected with two technical fouls with 1:18 remaining. Shiloh coach Brent Hester was ejected moments earlier after he was called for two technical fouls.
Berryville 49, Pottsville 30
Berryville outscored Pottsville 25-12 in the fourth quarter as the Bobcats earned a semifinal game today against 4A-1 Conference foe Gravette.
Sophomore Austin Carr had 21 points for Berryville (19-9) and was the only player in double figures. Colten Moore led Pottsville (21-8) with nine points.
Class 4A North Region
At Ozark
Girls
First Round
Wednesday
Prairie Grove 59, Booneville 26
Pottsville 38, Ozark 36
Thursday
Shiloh Christian 48, Dover 41
Farmington 57, Dardanelle 39
Today
Prairie Grove vs. Shiloh Christiain, 4 p.m.
Pottsville vs. Farmington, 7 p.m.
Boys
First Round
Wednesday
Gravette 62, Dardanelle 61 (OT)
Clarksville 91, Pea Ridge 73
Thursday
Berryville 49, Pottsville 30
Waldron 77, Shiloh Christian 57
Today
Gravette vs. Berryville, 5:30 p.m.
Clarksville vs. Waldron, 8:30 p.m.