SILOAM SPRINGS — Rogers Heritage appeared to be poised to finish the first half of 7A/6A-West Conference at worst tied for first place, after a big win over crosstown rival Rogers High on Tuesday.
Siloam Springs had other ideas Friday night.
Bailey Cameron and Morgan Miller formed a nice 1-2 punch to knock the Lady War Eagles out of first place with a 64-53 win at the Panther Activity Center.
Siloam Springs (10-8, 3-4 7A/6A-West) never trailed after the first quarter as the inside-outside combination of Cameron and Miller combined for 35 points.
The Lady Panthers led by seven at halftime and sophomore Mayse Pippin drained a 3-pointer from the left wing to push the lead to double digits less than two minutes into the second quarter. Siloam Springs never really looked back.
Heritage got no closer than eight the rest of the way.
Cameron, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, scored a team-high 18, but she got plenty of help as Miller, a 5-9 junior, added 17. Pippin also chipped in 10.
Siloam Springs girls basketball coach Brett Sanders said his team, which has just one senior, is starting to develop confidence and cohesion.
“We shot it pretty well,” Sanders said. “Morgan’s a catalyst for us and she knows that. She’s starting to accept her role more and more.”
Heritage coach Kevin Ramey admitted his team looked flat, but wouldn’t use the big win over the Lady Mounties as an excuse.
“Siloam Springs looked much better prepared tonight and they just whipped us,” Ramey said. “Morgan Miller and Bailey Cameron were unstoppable tonight. We had no answer for either one of them. Those two controlled the game.
“We didn’t play well, but they got contributions from a lot of people. We didn’t like our shot selection and that kinda fed the fire a little bit. I think we wanted it to come too easy tonight.
Brittany Ward scored a game-high 23 points for the Lady War Eagles and Ashley Ward added 11, but the picked up her third foul in the second quarter and fouled out midway through the second half.
Heritage now slips into a second-place tie with Rogers at the midway point of league play. Siloam Springs is now alone in sixth place. Tuesday night is an open date for all conference schools.
Heritage 7 15 13 18 — 53
Siloam Springs 9 20 16 19 — 64
Rogers Heritage (15-5, 5-2): B. Ward 23, A. Ward 11, Sara Geisen 7, Lundy 4, Britton 4, Jobst 3, Murray 1.
Siloam Springs (10-8, 3-4): Cameron 18, Miller 17, Pippin 10, Lopez 8, Owens 8, Gay 3.