CONWAY -- Shorthanded Conway managed to top North Little Rock, again.
Senior 6-7 center Blake Bradshaw scored 22 points as the Wampus Cats snapped a three-game losing streak with a 68-60 victory over the Charging Wildcats in a 7A-Central Conference contest at Buzz Bolding Arena. It was Conway's third victory over North Little Rock in as many tries this season.
Sophomore Caleb London, Conway's leading scorer, played only sparingly and 6-2 junior Terry Clardy, the team's second leading scorer, did not play at all. Both were suffering from the flu.
"North Little Rock is not who I would choose to play after a three-game losing streak," Conway Coach Brian "Salty" Longing said. "I have no explanation for this."
Conway (14-8, 5-4) led 36-27 at the half and outscored North Little Rock 15-8 in the third quarter. The Charging Wildcats managed to draw only as close as 65-60 in the final minute.
Sophomore Moses Moody led North Little Rock with 18 points, while junior Collin Moore added 13.
Junior Kylen Milton scored 12 points for Conway.
Bradshaw, however, was clearly the star Tuesday.
"Offensively, Blake carried us," Longing said. "And we had to have it, too. I might have given him four minutes of rest tonight. And he was guarding Moody on the [defensive] end. He'll sleep well tonight."
North Little Rock Coach Johnny Rice said his team never showed any "defensive intensity" in the first half.
"The whole first half we didn't play with any pride," Rice said. "They did whatever they wanted to whenever they wanted to. Bradshaw is a good player, but we played him terribly. He torched us."
Sports on 02/07/2018