Girls Player of Year: Cameron Fills Up Stat Sheet

 STAFF PHOTO JASON IVESTER Baily Cameron of Siloam Springs is the All-NWA Media Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

STAFF PHOTO JASON IVESTER Baily Cameron of Siloam Springs is the All-NWA Media Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Sunday, March 30, 2014

SILOAM SPRINGS -- Coaches in the 7A-West Conference won't have to worry about defending Baily Cameron anymore. That will be the chore of another league.

Bentonville girls basketball coach Tom Halbmaier doesn't mind that. He said in the four times Bentonville has played Siloam Springs the last two years, slowing down Cameron has been the point of emphasis.

All-NWA Media Girls Player of the Year

Baily Cameron

School: Siloam Springs

Height: 5-10

Class: Junior

Notable: Led the 7A/6A-West Conference in scoring averaging 15.9 points in 14 games. … Had a season-high of 30 points on Feb. 7 against Springdale Har-Ber. Scored in double figures in 21 of Lady Panthers’ 28 games. … Led Siloam Springs in overall scoring and rebounding at 13.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. … Shot 54.5 percent from the field. … Was named All-Conference in 7A/6A-West.

"She's a tough kid to play against," Halbmaier said. "With her size and mobility, she's very skilled for a kid that size. She has a knack for finishing around the basket very well.

"Our whole game plan was to know where she was at and contain her. We knew we could not let her go off because that was really going to open up the perimeter shooting."

Cameron, a 5-foot-10 junior post, wound up leading the 7A/6A-West Conference in scoring for the 2013-14 conference season. In recognition for her strong campaign, she was named All-NWA Media Girls Basketball Player of the Year for schools 6A and 7A.

She averaged 15.9 points per game in 14 conference games as the Lady Panthers (18-10) finished fourth in the 7A/6A-West Conference and advanced to the second round of the Class 6A State Tournament.

Cameron scored in double figures in 12 of 14 conference games, including a season-high 30 points against Springdale Har-Ber in a 79-77 loss on Feb. 7.

She proved to be most effective in the post for the Lady Panthers, but also showed the ability to knock down the outside shot.

"Baily was really consistent for us this season," said first-year Siloam Springs coach Tim Rippy. "She was a threat to score with both hands down low and also at the high post knocking down jump shots."

In 28 games this season, Cameron wound up leading the Lady Panthers in scoring and rebounding at 13.2 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. She was an all-conference selection in the 7A/6A-West.

She averaged 12.4 points per game as a sophomore in 2012-13.

Cameron said she doesn't pay much attention to statistics, even though other people would point them out to her.

"During the game I just play and don't really worry about it," she said. "If I score, I score. If I don't it's not a big deal."

Cameron is a two-sport star for Siloam Springs. In volleyball, she was an all-conference middle blocker and could have an opportunity to play both sports at the collegiate level.

Cameron said basketball is her first love though. She's been playing since second grade and playing competitively in the spring and summer for the last several years.

This spring and summer she'll join several of her teammates on the Northwest Arkansas Eagles, a Mid-America Youth Basketball team based in Siloam Springs.

When her senior basketball season rolls around next fall, Cameron will be the focal point for the Lady Panthers again as Siloam Springs moves into the 7A/6A-Central Conference because of the Arkansas Activities Association's realignment of conferences.

"We are very excited that she will be returning next season," Rippy said. "Her potential is unlimited. We expect her to continue to improve and be a dominate presence on both ends of the court."

Sports on 03/30/2014