Rogers Heritage Senior Relishes Opportunity To Play

Lacey Murray, center, of Rogers Heritage and the Lady War Eagles combined for 20 wins during Murray’s sophomore and junior years, but could equal that total this season with a win tonight against Fort Smith Southside at the Class 7A State Tournament.
Lacey Murray, center, of Rogers Heritage and the Lady War Eagles combined for 20 wins during Murray’s sophomore and junior years, but could equal that total this season with a win tonight against Fort Smith Southside at the Class 7A State Tournament.

— Lacey Murray still remembers her sophomore season like it was yesterday.

Murray and her Rogers Heritage teammates managed just eight wins, but they got to watch the Class 7A State Tournament since it was played at War Eagle Arena.

They set a goal then to do more than just be spectators before they were finished at Heritage.

Fast forward two years and the Lady War Eagles will achieve that goal at 7 p.m. today when they take on Fort Smith Southside in the first round of the Class 7A State Tournament at Bulldog Arena in Fayetteville.

The road has been rough at times, Murray admitted.

“We think about how crazy it was coming from sophomore year when we could barely win a game to now where we’re winning a lot,” Murray said.

Class 7A State Tournament

at Fayetteville

GIRLS

Wednesday’s Games

GAME 1: C4 North Little Rock vs. W5 Fayetteville, 1 p.m.

GAME 2: W3 Rogers High vs. C4 Cabot, 4 p.m.

GAME 3: W4 Rogers Heritage vs. C5 Fort Smith Southside, 7 p.m.

Thursday’s Games

GAME 4: C3 West Memphis vs. W6 Bryant, 1 p.m.

GAME 5: W1 Bentonville vs. Winner Game 1, 4 p.m.

GAME 6: C2 Fort Smith Northside vs. Winner Game 2, 7 p.m.

Friday’s Games

GAME 7: C1 Little Rock Central vs. Winner Game 3, 4 p.m.

GAME 8: W2 Springdale Har-Ber vs. Winner Game 4, 7 p.m.

Saturday’s Games

GAME 9: Winner Game 5 vs. Winner Game 6, noon

GAME 10: Winner Game 7 vs. Winner Game 8, 6 p.m.

Championship

at Barton Coliseum, Little Rock

GAME 11: Winner Game 9 vs. Winner Game 10, date and time TBA

The Lady War Eagles combined for 20 wins during Murray’s sophomore and junior years, but they could equal that total this season with a win tonight.

The Lady War Eagles (19-8) will be the No. 4 seed out of the 7A/6A-West Conference, and Heritage girls basketball coach Kevin Ramey acknowledged this year’s senior class has been a cornerstone for the program, which is only in its fifth season.

“They’ve been the pioneers who have paved the way,” Ramey said. “They are awful special to us.”

Heritage endured a challenging time last season, as six players suffered season-ending knee injuries. Ramey stressed to the remaining players they would have to pitch in to make up for the injured players, Murray said.

The message was the same a week ago when senior point guard Brittany Ward re-injured her knee and would miss the rest of the season.

Murray has answered the call late in the season, Ramey said.

The 5-foot-9 forward said she endured a shooting slump during the middle of conference play, but got through it to finish strong.

“I went through a rough patch,” Murray said. “It made me not want to shoot because I was afraid I was hurting the team.”

But that’s changed the last couple of weeks, Ramey said.

Murray has more confidence and has regained her form as one of the Lady War Eagles’ top 3-point threats.

“We don’t like her to hesitate,” Ramey said. “We want her to catch it and shoot it, and that’s what you’ve seen the last few games.”

Murray keyed Heritage’s 55-51 win over Siloam Springs in the regular-season finale on Friday. She scored 15 of her game-high 22 points in the second half as the Lady War Eagles rallied from a four-point halftime deficit.

Murray drained back-to-back 3-pointers, including one at the third-quarter buzzer to give Heritage a 39-37 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Murray said there will likely be some nerves prior to tonight’s state tournament game, but that’s normal.

“I have nerves in pickup games,” Murray said with a laugh.

But Ramey said he just wants his team to go play and enjoy the first state tournament game in the school’s short history.

“They get to see the rewards for those seniors who committed all that time to us,” Ramey said. “Everything now is just icing on the cake.”

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