ROGERS -- Rogers Heritage managed to extend its school-record winning streak to 11 games Friday night, but it needed a fourth-quarter rally to do it.
Senior Seth Stanley scored eight of his game-high 21 points in the fourth quarter to help Heritage claim a hard-fought 49-43 win over Springdale High in the 7A-West Conference boys' opener for both teams in War Eagle Arena.
Stanley's 3-pointer with 3 minutes, 54 seconds left in the fourth quarter gave Heritage the lead for good, then the War Eagles (12-2, 1-0 7A-West) made nine of 11 free throws in the final minutes to put the game away.
Heritage coach Tom Olsen said Springdale, which led for more than three quarters, got the game at a faster pace that the War Eagles wanted early and they trailed by as many 12 in the second half. But his team persevered.
"They hit us right in the mouth early and got it going at the pace they wanted, in the second quarter especially," Olsen said. "They played great tonight. I don't know how our kids pulled this one out. Our kids just kinda hung in there at the end. We got some better shots, made some clutch free throws to get our first conference win.
"We felt like if we could just keep pounding on them as far as moving the ball, sharing the ball and running offense that we could get them to wear down a little bit. I think they wore down just a little, enough for Seth to get some shots. He hit a big three to give us the lead. He's a great player."
Dawson Peek was also in double figures with 11 points for Heritage. Carl Fitch, a 6-5 senior, led Springdale (10-5, 0-1) with 19 points, but none in the fourth quarter. Sophomore Trentez Scales was also in double figures with 14. Scales' layup with 21.4 seconds left pulled the Red'Dogs within 45-43, but they would not score again.
Springdale coach Jeremy Price said his team didn't execute as well offensively in the second half, while Heritage made some defensive adjustments. But he also pointed some officials' calls in the second half, too. Heritage made 12 of 14 free throws, although most of those came in the waning minutes. Springdale shot just one free throw and made it.
"There was a row of whistles that I felt, it made our kids kind of guess," Price said. "It took away our aggressiveness. It made us hesitate a little bit. That allowed them to have more space and they took advantage of that. A lot of the guys that have the ball in their hands for us are young. They've played a lot of basketball, but they're still young. We're going to a learn a lot from this one."
Rogers Heritage 49, Springdale High 43
Springdale 17 11 8 7 -- 43
Heritage 14 5 13 17 -- 49
Springdale (9-5, 0-1): Fitch 19, Scales 14, Donahoo 4, Jibke 3, Boyd 3.
Rogers Heritage (12-2, 1-0): Stanley 21, Peek 11, Olsen 8, Kimball 5, Breedlove 4,
Girls
Springdale High 45, Rogers Heritage 35
Marquesha Davis enjoyed a huge night with 31 points, but the 6-foot senior came up with a pair of huge steals to help the Lady Red Bulldogs pull away late in the 7A-West Conference opener.
Davis scored all 12 of Springdale's points in the fourth quarter, but her steal and three-point play with 1:11 left in the fourth quarter was huge. Her free throw put Springdale up 41-35. She added four free throws in the final minute to set the final score.
Davis finished with seven rebounds, five steals and four blocked shots in addition to her big night offensively.
Springdale coach Heather Hunsucker said having the bigger Davis guard Heritage guard Pam Seiler in the final minutes proved to be key.
"I thought the two steals she came up with were probably the biggest difference-makers in the game," Hunsucker said. "Never take a win in conference for granted, especially on the road. Number two, the execution down the stretch, I told the girls when the game got tight I didn't see panic this year because of the maturity.
"The execution on defense and the execution on what we like to do in late-game situations and obviously making the free throws late were big for us."
Heritage (5-9, 0-1) trailed by as many as 13, but fought back and got within 36-35 on Seiler's 3-pointer. But the Lady War Eagles would not score again.
Seiler was Heritage's only player in double figures with 11, including three 3-pointers.
Springdale High 45, Rogers Heritage 35
Springdale 12 11 10 12 -- 45
Heritage 8 6 11 10 -- 35
Springdale (11-4, 1-0): Davis 31, Vogel 5, James 2, Minchew 2, Sysavanh 2, Conley 2. Gause 1.
Rogers Heritage (5-9, 0-1): Seiler 11, Menke 7, Richardson 6, Dickerson 4, Kinnamon 3, Rohrbough 2, Combs 2.
Preps Basketball on 01/06/2018