Caught in a defensive struggle, Heber Springs finally broke out with 16 points in the fourth quarter but it was too late as Stuttgart’s Junior Lady Ricebirds pulled out a 29-26 victory in 2-4A Conference play on Wednesday at the Panther Den.
Stuttgart scored the only three points of the first quarter as Mari Bednar turned an offensive rebound into a free throw and Diamond Dukes followed her own miss for two.
Heber broke its drought in the second quarter when Courtney Reed made a midrange jumper from right baseline but Chelsea Richards fired back with a bank shot in transition before Grace Bodron hit a pull up jumper on a fast break off an assist from Mecayla Ramer, leaving the Jr. Lady Panthers with a 5-4 deficit.
Bednar responded with a jump shot in the lane before Heber used a quick 4-0 spurt to claim the lead as Reed buried an 18-foot jumper from left wing and Devrie Attendorn drove the left side for a layup.
With Heber leading 8-7, Stuttgart’s Tiffany Gipson countered with a tough driving layup in traffic, plus the contact. Gipson completed the 3-point play, giving the Jr. Lady Ricebirds a 10-8 advantage at intermission.
The two teams traded baskets early in the third quarter as Cassandra Hogan hit a short jumper off an assist from Gipson but Attendorn answered by driving left side for a layup before Deysia Mitchell followed her own miss for two on a fast break, leaving Heber with a 14-10 deficit.
Mariah Allen pushed Stuttgart’s lead to seven with a 3-pointer from right wing off an assist from Raegan Raper and Allen added a free throw before Richards scored from left block off an assist from Gipson.
Bednar got a stick back following a steal by Madison Simpson as the Jr. Lady Ricebirds took a 22-10 lead to the final six minutes of play.
In the opening minute of the fourth, Attendorn used a ball fake to get free for a jumper from charity stripe but Raper answered with a fade away jumper from right baseline before Skylar Johnson made a pair from the line for Heber.
But Mitchell followed her own miss for a basket, plus the foul and she completed the 3-point play as Stuttgart’s lead ballooned to double digits at 27-16 before Lexis Massey drove the lane for a layup and Johnson hit Mary Lawrence in transition for another bucket, leaving Stuttgart with a 27-20 lead with 1:08 remaining.
After Bednar made a free throw, the Jr. Lady Panthers kept clawing away as Johnson made a bank shot from right side then Massey and Simpson traded free throws before Johnson nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer, setting the final at 29-26.
Bednar paced Stuttgart with six points and Mitchell chipped in five.
Johnson led Heber with seven points and Attendorn followed with six.
Heber Springs, Ark. —
