SILOAM SPRINGS — Springdale Har-Ber showed perseverance — and a little guts — on the road Friday at Siloam Springs.
The Lady Wildcats saw their 10-point lead in the first half evaporate in the second half, and the Lady Panthers even took a brief one-point lead in the fourth quarter.
SPRINGDALE HAR-BER 53, SILOAM SPRINGS 49
Springdale Har-Ber 18 12 6 17 — 53
Siloam Springs 11 11 10 17 — 49
Springdale Har-Ber (10-6, 1-0): Schalk 16, Neal 10, Wright 10, McCarver 7, Weber 6, Redmond 4.
Siloam Springs (7-5, 0-1): Cameron 22, Miller 12, Gay 6, Owens 4, Pippin 3, Stock 2.
But Har-Ber got the lead back just as quickly and held on for a 53-49 win at Panther Activity Center in the 7A/6A-West Conference opener.
“Anytime you can get a road win, it’s good because it’s not easy,” said Har-Ber girls basketball coach Sandy Wright. “I thought Siloam played really well.”
Two free throws from sophomore Baily Cameron gave Siloam Springs (7-5, 0-1) a 40-39 lead with 6 minutes, 7 seconds left in the game. But Har-Ber’s Bailey Schalk answered with a basket to get the lead back.
Siloam Springs tied the game 43-43 on a 3-pointer from Bailee Owens, but Har-Ber took the lead for good on its next possession when Tayleah Neal scored inside.
Haley McCarver added a 3-pointer and Paige Redmond scored in transition as Har-Ber built its lead up to 51-44 with 2:44 left.
“We had a chance to capitalize right there at the end, and we didn’t,” said Siloam Springs coach Brett Sanders. “They fought back. We’ve just got to get over that little hump right there.”
Har-Ber opened up a 25-15 lead in the second quarter after a Neal basket inside. Neal and Schalk combined for 21 of Har-Ber’s 30 first half points as the Lady Wildcats led 30-22 at halftime.
Both got in foul trouble in the second half with Schalk fouling out in the fourth quarter. Schalk, a sophomore, led the team with 16 points, while Neal and Caylee Wright each had 10.
Cameron led Siloam Springs with 22 points, while Morgan Miller had 12.