Fast Start Key For Farmington

— Farmington showed Friday sometimes basketball games can be more about how you start than how you finish.

The Lady Cardinals came out hot in the first quarter and again out of the lockerroom in the third quarter. In between was a second period filled with too many turnovers and fourth period which saw Ozark pick up the offensive pace. But Farmington’s big lead out of the gate — and ability to extend on that lead out of the half — were more than enough to hold off the Lady Hillbillies in a 61-47 win Friday in 4A-1 Conference play.

“I think Ozark was able to step up their urgency and we turned it over a little, and that allowed them to get back into the game,” Farmington coach Brad Johnson said. “But I thought in the first quarter we came out and played really well and again in the third quarter we played well.”

Farmington (10-2, 3-0 4A-1) hit eight of its first 10 field goal attempts and built a commanding, 24-9 lead after the first eight minutes. But Ozark used its size advantage inside to chip away before half, pulling to within 33-24 at intermission.

In the third quarter, it was more defense than offense as Farmington held Ozark (7-5, 1-2) without a field goal for nearly seven minutes during an 11-0 run.

“We had kids who were effective defensively there,” Ozark coach Bret Nagel said. “But it got to their legs there a bit and we just couldn’t hit some shots.”

Rene Scheyder scored 20 points to go along with six rebounds to lead Farmington, with Tichina Scale adding 11 points and Tiffany Rhame contributing 10.

Olivia Melton paced Ozark with 15 points and Whitley Baker added seven points and nine rebounds.

The Lady Cardinals return to action after Christmas at the Alma Tournament, beginning Dec. 27.

FARMINGTON 61, OZARK 47

Ozark 9 15 7 16 — 47

Farmington 24 9 13 15 — 61

Ozark (7-5, 1-2): O. Melton 15, Baker 7, Heffington 5, Ree 4, L. Melton 3, L. Helmert 3, Shaffer 3, Allred 2, Flegel 2, A. Helmert 2, Agulier 1.

Farmington (10-2, 3-0): Scheyder 20, Scales 11, Rhame 10, Maxwell 9, Blackburn 4, Duchanois 4, Sigmon 3.

Boys

Farmington 69, Ozark 24

No matter who was on the floor Friday, Farmington kept the defensive intensity up and kept pouring it on Ozark all night long.

The Cardinals overcame early foul trouble to two starters, holding Ozark to six field goals before intermission. Farmington then blew the game wide open with a late third-quarter run that poured over into the fourth, when the mercy rule was finally enforced.

“We play our zone pretty well and we’re pretty long and tall so it can be hard to make the passes around us,” Cardinals coach Beau Thompson said. “I was actually pleased with how much we we up at half, because we were in some foul trouble there.

“But tonight we just went to our bench early, then the guys got going there in the third and early in the fourth.”

Even with the clock running, Farmington kept it going, outscoring Ozark 21-0 in the final quarter.

Chase Garner led the Cardinals with 20 points.

FARMINGTON 69, OZARK 24

Ozark 6 8 10 0 — 24

Farmington 13 12 23 21 — 69

Ozark (2-1): Radley 7, White 6, Richard 4, Simpson 3, Yell 3, Wade 1.

Farmington (8-3, 3-0): Garner 20, Dellett 12, Brackett 8, Mueller 8, Barnes 7, Stevens 5, Mueller 5, Oxford 2, Ryan 2.

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