SPRINGDALE — If nothing else, Springdale Har-Ber made sure it will enter the Class 7A Basketball State Tournament with a bang.
The Lady Wildcats, stuck in a five-game losing streak before Friday’s regular-season finale, got things corrected in a big way against Rogers Heritage.
From start to finish, Har-Ber (13-16, 5-9 7A-West Conference) had the upper hand on the Lady War Eagles and relied on an overpowering advantage inside the post in a 55-19 Homecoming win in Wildcat Arena.
“We definitely were hoping for a momentum shift because we’ve had some struggles lately,” Lady Wildcats coach Sandy Wright said. “Just going into state with the win helps.”
Caroline Eubanks and Summer Morgan, one day removed from a combined 30-point, 19-rebound effort in a 61-52 loss to Rogers High, were back at it against Heritage (6-20, 2-11).
With a definite size edge against the Lady War Eagles, Har-Ber went to its two post players to take control in building a 20-3 lead after one quarter.
“They dominated us and it snowballed quickly,” Heritage coach Kevin Ramey said. “We never could get into a rhythm, and we’re disappointed in the way we played.
“But like I told coach Wright, they came out and played very well and we just were never able to keep up.”
Just past halftime, the Har-Ber lead was already more than 30 points, and with the sportsmanship rule fast approaching, the Lady Wildcats were deep into their bench.
“Summer and Caroline played well again, and we had a lot of people contribute,” Wright said. “I’m still disappointed in our record for this season, but there’s nothing we can do about that now. And now it’s a new season at state.”
Har-Ber will be the No. 5 seed from the 7A-West at the state tournament next week at Rogers Heritage. It will face Conway, the No. 4 seed from the 7A-Central, at 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Girls Prep Basketball
7A-West Conference
SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 55
ROGERS HERITAGE 19
Heritage 3 3 11 2 — 19
Har-Ber 20 15 15 5 — 55
Heritage (6-20, 2-11): R. Johnson 4, A. Ward 4, Murray 3, A. Johnson 3, Lundy 2, B. Ward 2, Whitlow 1.
Har-Ber (13-16, 5-9): Eubanks 16, Morgan 14, Olson 11, Wright 6, Wolf 5, Neal 2, Dickard 1.