COVE -- Greenland is headed back to a place it hasn't been in two years, and Coach Alan Barton can't get there soon enough.
The Lady Pirates scored 39 points inside and slowed Harding Academy's offense Monday to pull away for a 66-49 victory in the semifinals of the Class 3A girls basketball state tournament.
Senior forward Kiana Thompson scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Greenland (32-2), which will play for its sixth state championship when it takes on Valley Springs (36-5) at 5:15 p.m. Thursday at Summit Arena in Hot Springs. Valley Springs defeated Jessieville 71-61 in the other semifinal.
Junior forward Victoria Crown added 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 blocked shots for the Lady Pirates and junior guard Sarah Wright added 14, including 4 three-pointers.
"We're going back, and we're certainly happy about it," Barton said. "We missed it last year, and according to all the rankings it was supposed to be Valley Springs and Greenland. But, like I always tell the girls, we take it one game at a time.
"It just so happens that the championship game is the next one for us."
Senior guard Riley Rose had 19 points and six assists for Harding Academy (29-4), which shot 20 of 42 from the floor but was outrebounded 30-19. Senior forward Hayley Smith finished with 13 and junior guard Alley Davis had 12.
Harding Academy started fast, hitting its first four shots in the first quarter. But the Lady Wildcats missed their last seven of the period and found themselves playing catch up.
Rose's layup with 2:02 left in the quarter gave the Lady Wildcats a 14-11 lead, but they didn't manage another field goal until 3:44 remained before halftime. Greenland outscored Harding Academy 20-2 during the stretch to seize control.
Wright's three-pointer, her third of the half, gave the Lady Pirates a 31-16 lead in the second quarter. Greenland also withstood a mini-run from Harding Academy late in the period and took a 36-23 lead into halftime.
The Lady Pirates, who made 24 of 55 from the floor, kept the Lady Wildcats on their heels in the second half and didn't allow them to creep any closer than 12 over the game's final 16 minutes.
VALLEY SPRINGS 71, JESSIEVILLE 61
Valley Springs (36-5) hit 11 three-pointers and led from start to finish as it advanced to the championship game.
Payton Tennison scored 22 points to lead four Valley Springs players with at least 10 points. The junior also had six rebounds and five assists for the Lady Tigers, who will play for their first state title since winning it all in 2011. Ashlynn Taylor scored 17 points, Emmalee Taylor had 13 and Ashton Harner finished with 11.
Sophomore forward Kellie Lampo had 40 points and 16 rebounds for Jessieville (23-10), which trailed 38-24 at halftime and 60-43 early in the fourth before making a late run. Madison Hair had 10.
Sports on 03/10/2015