FORT SMITH — Fort Smith Northside junior point guard Jill Myers usually looks to pass first, but she didn’t do that Tuesday night against Greenwood.
Myers scored 15 points as four Lady Bears scored at least 10 points with their leading scorer in foul trouble during a 66-47 victory at Kaundart-Grizzly Fieldhouse.
“She shoots the ball very, very well,” Fort Smith Northside Rickey Smith said of Myers. “She just doesn’t want to because she passes. I have tostay on her to stay aggressive.”
Myers did just that, scoring 10 second-half points and helping fill in with the Lady Bears’ scoring leader Oliva Hanson only scoring three points because of early foul trouble.
Bria Caldwell scored a team-high 18 points, Myers added 15, Brianna Jackson finished with 13 and Kila Cummings had 10 for the Lady Bears (22-3, 9-2 7A/6ACentral).
Greenwood (17-8, 4-7) cut Northside’s lead to 44-35 heading into the fourth quarter. But Myers helped lead a 14-3 run to start the quarter. She scored a team-high six points in the quarter.
“They made a run in the third period there,” Smith said. “We then hit some key baskets. Myers was a big part of that, and I can’t say enough about her. She just seems to come up with every loose ball.”
Greenwood’s Lundon Williams had a game-high 19 points, while Megan Hartness added 17.
Northside built a 32-24halftime lead with the help of a 12-point first-half performance from Caldwell.
Caldwell helped lead a 12-3 run in the first quarter for a 15-6 lead before Greenwood’s Haleigh Henson hit a three pointer to cut the lead heading into the second quarter.
Caldwell didn’t slow down in the second, starting the quarter with a three-pointer. Jackson’s three-pointer pushed the margin to 21-9 early in the second.
“That’s probably was one Caldwell’s better basketball games,” Smith said. “Not only was she aggressive offensively, but she played well defensively.”
Greenwood then turned to Williams, who helped cut into Northside’s lead by scoring the Lady Bulldog’s final five points of the half. She scored 10 second-quarter points and hit two three-pointers, including one just before halftime.
Sports, Pages 20 on 02/13/2013