A season that started with so much promise for the Rogers High girls basketball team is slowly slipping away.
Springdale used a key second-half run, and the Lady Bulldogs then held on to defeat the Lady Mounties 54-49 in the 7A/6A-West Conference opener Friday night. The Lady Mounties have now lost four of their last five games, and their streak of making an eighth straight trip to the Class 7A State Tournament is in jeopardy.
It was also a tough night for the Mounties as Springdale ran away for a 79-49 victory.
PLAY OF THE NIGHT: Lady Mounties senior McKinzie James completed a threepoint play that came at the end of a 9-0 run, allowing Rogers to cut Springdale’s 52-40 lead to 52-49 with 1 minute, 7 seconds remaining. But the Lady Mounties couldn’t get any closer as several 3-point attempts over the final minute missed their mark.
PLAYERS OF THE GAMES: Zach Jones was one of three Mounties players in double figures with 14 points. Hunter Hill and Keifer Holt both had 13 points. James led Rogers with 13 points while Cassandra Trexler finished with 11.
NOTABLE: Lady Mounties leading scorer Taylor Strickland was held to less than 10 points for the second time this season against Springdale.
THE LINGO: “We had nine guys play in their fi rst varsity game tonight, so the jitters of that as well and tough environment. Once it got 10, 11, 12, 13 points, then it just kind of snowballed on us. We didn’t do a good job of getting back in transition defense.” - WAYNE HERREN Rogers High boys coach
“They got a couple stickbacks, they hit threes where we didn’t get to. I thought they shot the three really well. They didn’t really shoot the two well, but they were awesome from the three. That probably broke our back. I thought that they did things that they had to do to win games, whether it be off ensive rebounding, whether it be making free throws orhitting open shots.
“I thought we had a horrible time shooting the ball tonight. I think we were 17-of-50 from the floor. We just didn’t have a good night.” - PRESTON EARLY Rogers High girls coach
UP NEXT: Rogers has a pair of home games this week as Siloam Springs visits Tuesday while Fayetteville comes to town Friday. Both games will be big tests for the Mounties and Lady Mounties.
Sports, Pages 9 on 01/06/2013