Prairie Grove turned to Lacey Beeks in the final seconds of a tie game with Ozark in the 4A-1 District Tournament at Farmington.
Getting the ball to Beeks in a pressure situation was commonplace for the Lady Tigers, who relied heavily on the senior forward this season. But she was stranded well away from the basket after the Lady Hillbillies made a defensive switch during a timeout.
All-NWA Media Player of the Year
Lacey Beeks
School: Prairie Grove
Height: 5-8
Notable: Averaged 16.1 points and 7.8 rebounds as a senior. … Shot 46 percent from the field and 88 percent from the free-throw line. … Made game-winning 3-pointer in district tournament against Ozark. … Younger sister of Arkansas starting pitcher Jalen Beeks.
Beeks was not deterred and did what top playmakers do in tough situations. She pulled up and made a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left to give Prairie Grove a 46-43 victory. Prairie Grove then beat conference champion Farmington the following night to win the district title.
"We thought Ozark was going to be in a man-to-man," Beeks said of her game-winning shot. "The plan was to set a screen for me to drive to the basket or kick it out for a shot. But they were in a zone, so I just pulled up and shot it."
Beeks' ability to make clutch plays earned her NWA Media Girls Player of the Year for schools Class 5A and below.
"Lacey Beeks is a great all-around player," Lincoln girls coach Deon Birkes said. "She's a penetrator, she's a rebounder, and a 3-point shooter. When you think you've got one thing stopped, she'll do something else to beat you."
Beeks averaged 16.1 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, which faced a rebuilding year with only four seniors on the team. The Lady Tigers still had a successful season with a 21-9 record, including 11-3 in 4A-1 Conference play and another trip to the state tournament.
"Everybody we played knew Lacey was our go-to player this year, but she still did an excellent job," Prairie Grove coach Kevin Froud said. "She's a 4.0 student who made herself into a great player with her work ethic. Her facial expression never changes. But she's going to do everything she can to be successful, on or off the basketball court."
Beeks (5-foot-8) was a starter last year when Prairie Grove beat Brookland and Valley View to advance to the state championship game in Class 4A against Malvern. She led Prairie Grove with 13 points against Malvern, but it wasn't enough as the Lady Leopards claimed the title with a 33-32 victory.
She took over the scoring load this year from Justyne Huber, a three-time all-state player who started as a freshman at Arkansas-Fort Smith. Callie Robinson, Macie Kultgen and Abbey Smith were the seniors on a Prairie Grove team that included one junior, eight sophomores and four freshmen.
"It was a lot of pressure at the beginning, but I became used to it as we played more games," Beeks said. "I was proud that our team looked to me as a leader."
Beeks made a game-winning free throw against Waldron to clinch the Lady Tigers' berth in the Class 4A state tournament at Lonoke. Beeks had 16 points and 6 rebounds in the state tournament against Brookland, but it wasn't enough in a 59-52 defeat in overtime to the Lady Bearcats.
"The thing I'll remember most is my teammates and how we were a family," said Beeks, who plans to attend Arkansas and study medicine, possibly. "Especially with the seniors, we bonded together and stuck up for each other no matter whether we won or lost. A lot of people had their doubts about us, but I think we had a good year and proved people wrong."
Sports on 03/22/2014