Consistent Play Pays Off For Fayetteville

File Photo Michael Woods Alexa Howard, left, of Fayetteville and Springdale High's Chasidee Owens scramble after a loose ball Jan. 4 in Fayetteville. Howard is one of six seniors Fayetteville must replace next season.

File Photo Michael Woods Alexa Howard, left, of Fayetteville and Springdale High's Chasidee Owens scramble after a loose ball Jan. 4 in Fayetteville. Howard is one of six seniors Fayetteville must replace next season.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

— One loss shouldn't always define an entire basketball season.

Fayetteville, despite a steady march through the 7A/6A-West Conference to earn the top seed at the Class 7A Tournament, had its girls basketball postseason cut short. Fayetteville lost to host Conway 61-51 in the first game the Lady Bulldogs played in the tournament after receiving a first-round bye, ending a triumphant return to the top of the 7A-West on a sour note.

FAYETTEVILLE LADY BULLDOGS SCHEDULE

Date^Opponent^Result/Time

Nov. 19^at Conway^L, 65-39

Nov. 26^at Fort Smith Northside^L, 70-48

Conway Wampus Cat Invitational

Dec. 12^West Memphis^W, 55-54

Dec. 14^Hot Springs^W, 51-37

Dec. 20^at Fort Smith Southside^W, 54-49

Mountain Home Tournament

Dec. 26^North Pulaski^W, 85-24

Dec. 27^Greenwood^W, 57-52

Dec. 28^North Little Rock^W, 53-38

Bulldog Classic, Fayetteville

Jan. 2^Mountain Home^W, 50-26

Jan. 3^Little Rock Hall^L, 61-42

Jan. 4^Springdale High^L, 44-43 (OT)

Jan. 10^Rogers Heritage*^W, 41-24

Jan. 13^Van Buren*^W, 53-27

Jan. 17^Rogers High*^W, 54-32

Jan. 21^at Siloam Springs*^W, 58-52

Jan. 24^Springdale High*^W, 59-47

Jan. 28^at Springdale Har-Ber*^L, 44-34

Jan. 31^at Bentonville*^W, 44-35

Feb. 7^Rogers Heritage*^W, 58-39

Feb. 11^at Van Buren*^W, 42-37

Feb. 14^at Rogers High*W, 49-38

Feb. 18^Siloam Springs*^W, 63-47

Feb. 21^at Springdale High*^W, 41-35

Feb. 25^Springdale Har-Ber*^W, 48-45

Feb. 28^Bentonville*^W, 54-38

March 8^vs. Conway at Class 7A Tournament^L, 61-51

-* 7A/6A-West Conference game

Lady Bulldogs coach Vic Rimmer chooses to view the season's final game in a different light.

In Fayetteville's first game of the season, Conway had its way with the Lady'Dogs in a 65-39 win at Buzz Bolding Arena. Over the next three and half months, Fayetteville (20-6, 13-1) developed into a team that would win the 7A/6A-West by four games and push Conway neck and neck into the fourth quarter before eventually bowing out. Conway claimed the Class 7A state title Thursday with a win over Fort Smith Northside.

"I think it did a lot for our kids to see the progress we made," Rimmer said. "We start out the year playing at Conway and at (Fort Smith) Northside, and we lost those games, not even close. I think the progress we made, going to the Mountain Home Tournament and beating Greenwood and North Little Rock, gave us some confidence. And what I liked about our conference play the most was the consistency.

"I don't know that we wowed anybody, but I enjoyed the fact that we won some games without (DaShundra) Morgan on the floor. We kept the ship upright and we just kept up the consistency. At the end I thought we gave Conway as good a game as we could. The fact it was on the road and as talented as they are, and the fact they'd beaten us by 25 earlier, I hope that gives us some residual effect going to the offseason."

Morgan, Fayetteville's top scoring threat, missed five games in conference play with a bone bruise in her right knee. But the Lady Bulldogs didn't miss a beat, winning all five games. Fayetteville would then win its final eight games of the regular season upon Morgan's return.

Winners of just 12 conference games the previous two seasons combined, Fayetteville won 13 of 14 this year. Along with Morgan, fellow sophomores Pink Jones and Lauren Krissman made big contributions. Senior Alexa Howard was a veteran presence in the starting lineup. Fellow senior Mollie Brewer gave Fayetteville a three-point attack. And Fayetteville's talented junior class -- which gained plenty of experience the year before -- developed into the backbone of the team.

Sydney Crockett provided scoring, Lauren Schuldt was a top defender in the post, and Jaylah Prude, Ellie Breden and Falon Hanson provided depth off the bench.

"(Lauren) Schuldt just became a defensive anchor back there. She did some huge stuff for us back there," Rimmer said. "Pink Jones, in her first year playing point guard, as a sophomore year, starting for Fayetteville High. Her progress was tremendous.

"Of course Sydney Crockett andMorgan were just phenomenal at times scoring the basketball. And something that doesn't get mentioned at times were our seniors. Alexa Howard started for us, but some of our seniors didn't get to play a lot, and they were very supportive in our decisions to play those younger kids. That has a lot to do with those young kids having success, knowing they have the support of those older kids. That was a big key to our season."

The nucleus to this Fayetteville team returns next year. Just as they did this season, the Lady Bulldogs are sure to set their goals high. Even with a bright future ahead, Rimmer doesn't want to short what was accomplished in the present.

"The conference championship is a huge deal," Rimmer said. "There's no way to look at that, in my eyes, and not consider that a big deal. Anytime you win the 7A-West it's a big deal. So hopefully how we ended can carry over and give us some hope going into next year."

Sports on 03/18/2014