SPRINGDALE — When she found out her Lady Wildcats would return to the Mansfield (Texas) Invitational Tournament this season, Springdale Har-Ber coach Sandy Wright rejoiced.
Wright took the Lady Wildcats to Mansfield two seasons ago and received four adequate tests before 7A-West Conference play began. She eagerly expects the same kind of challenge this year, beginning today when Har-Ber opens the tournament at 11:30 a.m. against Canyon, Texas (16-0), ranked No. 1 in Class 4A.
“We’ll see some great competition down there,” Wright said. “It’s a 32-team tourney, and you definitely want to have a decent team to go there. I didn’t think we needed to travel that far last year, but I think these girls are ready for it this year.
“They do a really nice job with the tournament down there. We’re excited for it.”
The Lady Wildcats (6-4) are guaranteed at least four games at the tournament and could play five if they advance far enough.
Wright said she hoped her team would bounce back from its poor performance last Friday in a 58-37 home loss to Jenks, Okla. Har-Ber shot only 28 percent from the floor that night and didn’t play with any semblance of defensive intensity, either.
“We almost looked like we had jet lag coming off of semester tests,” Wright said. “That’s no excuse, but that’s kind of what it looked like.”
She also said Har-Ber would need more balanced scoring to leave Mansfield with some victories.
“(Micayla) Patterson is going to have to score more for us, and she’s capable of doing that,” Wright said. “Also, Caroline (Eubanks) needs to stay out of foul trouble. Halee Castleman and Jessica Olson have been pretty consistent, but we could even use more scoring from them, as well.”