King Helps Lady Mounties To Key Win

Taylor Strickland, center, of Rogers High pushes into Springdale Har-Ber’s Tayleah Neal while driving along the baseline Friday in Springdale.
Taylor Strickland, center, of Rogers High pushes into Springdale Har-Ber’s Tayleah Neal while driving along the baseline Friday in Springdale.

— Taylor Strickland delivered at crunch time Friday for Rogers High in the Lady Mounties 61-58 overtime win at Springdale Har-Ber.

Strickland’s 3-pointer sent the game to overtime, and she made all six free throw attempts in the extra period, including four the final 14.1 seconds.

The steady play from sophomore Callie King can’t be overlooked either. With Strickland and McKinzie James on the bench in foul trouble in the first half, King scored nine points the final 2 minutes, 7 seconds of the first half as Rogers grabbed a 31-24 lead. King hit two long jumpers the final 27 seconds before halftime. She added a 3-pointer late in the third to finish with 12 points.

That Figures

0 — Field goals allowed by the Mounties during an 18-3 run against the War Eagles

70 — Points Strickland needs to break the Lady Mounties career scoring record

The win puts Rogers (14-7) at 5-2 at the halfway point of the conference season. They get league-leader Bentonville (6-1) and Heritage (5-2) at home the second half of the conference schedule.

The Mounties fell 59-51 to Har-Ber but their 48-40 win at Rogers Heritage Tuesday keeps them in the state tournament picture.

PLAY OF THE WEEK: With time running down in the first half against Heritage, Mounties guard Keifer Holt made a steal and layup to give the Mounties a 18-13 lead at halftime. Holt’s basket capped a 9-0 run and was part of a 18-3 run that continued after halftime and put Rogers in front 27-16.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK: Strickland scored 24 points against Har-Ber, including a 12-of-12 effort at the free throw line and she has scored 444 points this season. That total leaves her 70 points shy of the career scoring record at Rogers.

Mounties junior Hunter Hill had 17 points against Har-Ber.

NOTABLE: The Mounties victory Tuesday kept them undefeated against Heritage on the War Eagles home floor. ... The Lady Mounties have won 11 straight against Har-Ber.

THE LINGO: “The steal by Keifer right before halftime was huge, a momentum builder going into halftime. That was one of the plays of the game. We talked about getting to the rim, getting to the free throw line. Our guys showed great heart, courage and character.”

Wayne Herren

Rogers High boys coach

UP NEXT: Rogers is off until Friday when they begin the second half of the conference schedule at home against Springdale High. The Bulldogs defeated the Mounties 74-49 while the Lady Bulldogs stunned the Lady Mounties 54-49.

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