SILOAM SPRINGS -- Siloam Springs' seniors stepped up to the free-throw line in the final minutes and one by one calmly punched the Lady Panthers' ticket to the state championship game.
Siloam Springs hit 12 consecutive free throws and 14 of 16 in the final 2 minutes, 7 seconds to finish off a 59-48 victory over Little Rock Parkview to clinch their 6A state championship game berth.
How they scored
6A girls semifinals
Siloam Springs 59, LR Parkview 48
Siloam Springs^9^15^14^21^—^59
LR Parkview^14^12^6^16^—^48
Siloam Springs (18-11): Cameron 23, Owens 12, Pippin 10, Gay 5, Jones 4, Cox 3, Stewart 2.
LR Parkview: (17-11): Brady 14, Ready 12, Batch 8, Davis 7, Wilson 4, Junior 3.
Greenwood 55, Jonesboro 48
Greenwood^9^11^20^15^—^55
Jonesboro^12^11^5^20^—^48
Greenwood (28-2): Branum 16, Hartness 12, Elkins 8, Henson 8, Goodner 5, Clements 4, Jewell 2.
Jonesboro (13-18): Taylor 12, Perry 9, Hatchett 8, Steele 8, Johnson 6, Smith 3, McCullough 2.
"That's what you expect from your seniors," Siloam Springs coach Tim Rippy said. "Free throws always play a big role in the outcome of games, but that was unbelievable. Give credit to those kids."
Siloam Springs will now play 7A/6A-Central rival Greenwood in the state title game at 7 p.m. on Friday at Bank of the Ozarks Arena in Hot Springs. Greenwood won both regular season games by 30 and 33 points.
It'll be Siloam Springs' fifth appearance in a state title game. The Lady Panthers won the title in 1999 and finished as state runner-up in 1997, 2002 and 2009 -- all under former coach Debbie Sharp.
Siloam Springs senior Baily Cameron led the Lady Panthers with 23 points, while Bailee Owens scored 12 and Mayse Pippin 10 as the Lady Panthers rallied from a 10-point deficit in the first half.
"We came together and agreed we weren't going to give up that easily," Cameron said.
"We obviously started out a little shaky," Rippy said. "(Parkview) started out hot. We talked about staying the course and stressed getting the ball inside to our bigs. We said before the game that tonight might be the night we had to overcome adversity. Our kids really handled that situation well."
The Lady Panthers responded and cut the Parkview lead to 26-24 at halftime but pushed past the Lady Patriots in the third quarter to take a 38-32 lead, highlighted by Taylor Gay's steal and score and a 3-pointer from the wing.
Parkview pulled within 38-36 early in the fourth quarter, but Cameron answered with a pair of free throws and a three-point play to get the lead up to 43-36 with 5:41 left.
Parkview twice cut the lead to three points after free throws from Natalia Ready and a basket by Morgan Brady.
The Lady Panthers answered with a basket from Owens off a feed from senior Rachel Jones to make it 45-40.
Cameron started the string of free throws for Siloam Springs, while Jones hit four and Owens hit 7 of 8. Mayse Pippin split a pair.The Lady Panthers made 20 of 27 free throws but 15 of 18 in the fourth quarter.
Parkview, meanwhile, missed six of its final eight shots from the field. Brady led Parkview with 14 points, while Ready had 12.
"We just couldn't put the ball in the hole," said Parkview coach Lahoma Howard. "That's all it was."
Greenwood 55, Jonesboro 48
After a cold-shooting first half, top-seed and defending state champion Greenwood got hot in the second half and rallied past the Lady Hurricane.
Greenwood did not hit a 3-pointer in the first half and trailed Jonesboro 23-20. The Lady Bulldogs came out the second half and hit four straight baskets, including two 3-pointers from Brittany Branum and another from Peyton Clements as Greenwood pulled ahead 31-25.
Branum hit another 3-pointer in the quarter and converted a traditional three-point play as well, scoring 12 of her game-high 16 in the third. Sydnie Henson also canned a trey in the third as Greenwood outscored Jonesboro 20-5 in the third.
"Our kids fought hard and hit some shots in the second half," said Greenwood coach Clay Reeves, who's won three state titles at Greenwood in 2010, 2012 and 2014. "We played more like we normally played and things worked out for us. ... Bottom line we hit some shots. That's what makes a difference."
Megan Hartness added 12 points for Greenwood (28-2), which is going for its fourth state title under Reeves.
Starr Taylor led Jonesboro (13-18) with 12 points. The Lady Hurricane beat Sheridan on Saturday and upset top-seed Little Rock Hall to reach the semifinals.
Sports on 03/11/2015