ROGERS -- With a roster of 10 sophomores, Rogers High girls basketball coach Preston Early said before the season started that several sophomores would have to step in and fill key roles for the Lady Mounties
Guard Elise Randels is doing just that for the Lady Mounties.
Elise Randels
School: Rogers High
Class: Sophomore
Position: Guard
Height: 5-10
Notable: Is the Lady Mounties second leading score with nine points a game. … Is averaging five rebounds and two blocked shots a game. … Scored 17 points in Rogers’ win Friday against Springdale High.
After starting 7A-West Conference play with six straight losses, Rogers put together four solid quarters in a 41-37 victory Friday against Springdale High.
Randels helped lead the charge.
She scored a season-high 17 points, and the 5-foot-10 guard hit two critical free throws with 9.6 seconds left to give the Lady Mounties their final four-point margin of victory.
"Elise has to score for us," Early said. "Everybody has roles for us, and Elise is a scorer. She has to get those type of attempts, and she has to have that look in her eye. Elise has to be aggressive. Against Springdale, she had the right mind set and that allowed her, and us, to be successful.
"We have to have that type of production from her."
Randels has been a regular starter for Rogers, and she is averaging nine points, five rebounds and two blocked shots a game. Randels missed two free throws with 32.6 seconds that could have upped the Lady Mounties lead to two possessions against Springdale. But she made the most of a second chance with the game on the line
"Everyone was really excited Friday, and we played so well together," Randels said. "It was nerve wracking going to the free throw line late in the game, but we do a lot of free throws in practice. I just tried to stay confident, and I told myself, 'They are going to go in.'"
Rogers has had five sophomores on the court at times this season, and Early is hoping the Lady Mounties have turned the corner with the back half of the conference slate beginning Friday.
"At times, the sophomores have been reluctant to step up," Early said. "What turned the tide against Springdale is that we had some kids embrace where they are and what we need from them. Elise was one of them. I thought her teammates did a good job of setting her up, and she capitalized on some big opportunities.
"It's tough on young kids to come in and get adjusted to the speed of the game, the intensity level and the talent level in 7A-West games. Sometimes, it takes kids a little while to get their legs under them. We have learned lessons the hard way."
Randels said getting into the win column for the first time in conference play has given her and the Lady Mounties a boost of confidence going into the second half of the schedule.
"You can't get stuck thinking about the losses and the bad things that have happened," Randels said. "If you do, you will fall back into those traps. We just have to look ahead and be positive about everything. We have a lot of talent on this team, and we have to keep looking for wins.
"I think we have a lot of confidence now."
Sports on 02/03/2015