CONWAY -- It took North Little Rock a while, but the Lady Charging Wildcats defeated Conway for the third time this season Tuesday night
The Lady Charging Wildcats, the state's No. 1 overall team, overcame an eight-point halftime deficit to beat Conway 58-50 at Buzz Bolding Arena.
North Little Rock (14-1, 1-0 7A-Central) trailed 22-14 at halftime, but outscored Conway (13-4, 0-1) 44-28 in the second half to win its 7A-Central Conference opener. North Little Rock committed 24 turnovers in the game.
"Our energy was a lot better in the second half," North Little Rock Coach Daryl Fimple said.
Sophomore guard Kennady Tucker led North Little Rock with 22 points. Junior guard Amber Hawkison scored 13 points and made 2 three-pointers while junior forward Yo'Myris Morris added 12 points.
Conway extended its 22-14 lead in the third quarter to 28-14, but North Little Rock took a 33-32 lead on Hawkison's layup with 2:15 left in the quarter. Savannah Lowe, who led Conway with 15 points, hit a three-pointer that gave her team a 35-33 lead. The Lady Wampus Cats went into the fourth quarter with a 39-35 advantage.
However, North Little Rock took over in the fourth quarter.
Tucker's three-point play with 5:13 left tied the game at 42-42. Morris' two free throws put North Little Rock on top 44-42 with 4:20 remaining.
The Lady Charging Wildcats stretched their lead to 50-42 on Tucker's basket.
North Little Rock was 15 of 23 from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter and 29-47 overall.
North Little Rock defeated Conway for the third time this season and fourth time overall, dating back to last season's Class 7A state final in Hot Springs. The Lady Charging Wildcats defeated the Lady Wampus Cats in the finals of the Heavenly Hoops Tournament at Mount St. Mary in November 76-67 and the Dandra Thomas Tournament on Conway's home floor in December 61-60.
Tuesday's victory against the Lady Wampus Cats was important, Fimple said, because it was a conference game.
"It's a long road," Fimple said. "This conference is pretty amazing. Night in and night out, it's going to be unreal. It's big to steal a road game from them [Conway]. We got that momentum going."
NORTH LITTLE ROCK (58)
Hawkison 4 3-5 13, Brown 3 1-2 7, Morris 3 6-10 12, Tucker 3 15-22 22, Tillman 0 3-4 3, Sadler 0 0-2 0, McGee 0 1-2 1. Totals 13 29-47 58.
CONWAY (50)
Smith 1 4-4 6, Evans 4 0-0 10, Lowe 6 0-0 15, Banks 3 2-7 8, Higgins 2 4-5 9, Wells 0 2-2 2, Lewis 0 0-2 0. Totals 16 12-20 50.
North Little Rock (14-1) 4 10 21 23 -- 58
Conway (13-4) 13 9 17 11 -- 50
Three-point goals -- North Little Rock 3 (Hawkison 2, Tucker 1); Conway 6 (Lowe 3, Evans 2, Higgins 1). Team fouls -- North Little Rock 20, Conway 33. Fouled out -- Brown, Smith, Evans, Banks.
Sports on 01/11/2017