They made it look as easy as taking candy from a baby. Elizabeth Krug swiped six of Heber Springs’ 10 steals in the first four minutes against Marianna-Lee as the Lady Panthers jumped out to a 15-0 lead and breezed to an 84-27 victory over the Lady Trojans in 2-4A Conference play Friday night at the Panther Den.
Heber improved to 15-6 overall and 6-2 in league play, which is good for second in the conference standings.
Krug scored from left block off an assist from Jena Kelley then Krug picked a steal that led to a turnaround jumper from Brooke Blankenship. Heber pushed its lead to 6-0 when Blankenship used a ball fake to find room for short jumper then Krug gathered another steal and hit a jumper from right elbow off an assist from Katie Dixon.
Kelley found Krug for an easy bucket in transition and Krug scored on another breakaway layup as Heber’s lead grew to 12-0 then Dixon came away with a steal and found Kelley for two.
After Kelley converted a steal by Krug into a free throw, Marianna finally broke through when Lachrissa Lucky notched a stick back. Blankenship fired back with a bucket from right block off an assist from Krug but Kim Arnold answered with a driving layup.
Kelley split two defenders for a layup and Hali Tury stole the ensuing inbounds pass and scored but Arnold made a runner in the lane before Rylie Gachot turned an offensive rebound into a free throw and Chrissy Willen turned a steal by Kelley into another free throw, giving Heber a 23-6 lead entering the second quarter.
Heber outscored the Lady Trojans 31-5 in the second as Blankenship and Krug each scored a pair of baskets in the paint and Dixon swiped a steal and scored before Krug made a pull up bank shot from right side, extending the Lady Panthers’ lead to 37-7.
After Kelley drove the lane for two, she found Krug for a layup out of the set offense then Kelley hit Krug again on a fast break for a bucket.
Leading 43-7, Kelley picked a steal and finished with a layup then Magen LaRosa sank two straight jumpers in the paint before Kayla Denton hit a pair of free throws for Marianna.
Tara Stevenson turned an offensive rebound into a free throw then she got a putback in transition but Arnold made a 15-foot pull up jumper from right baseline before Gachot countered with an 18-foot jump shot from right wing at the buzzer, pushing Heber’s lead to 54-11 at halftime.
Marianna turned down an offer by the officials to keep the clock running in the third quarter and the Lady Panthers kept hammering away as Dixon drained consecutive 3-pointers sandwiched between a bucket from Kenyata Turner.
Arnold followed with a runner in the lane before Kelley drilled a 3-pointer from right wing off an assist from Krug and Morgan Fires got a stick back. Gachot followed with another stick back but Denton got a rebound bucket before Stevenson scored inside and Gachot used a ball fake to get free for a short jump shot.
Leading 71-17, LaRosa scored underneath off an inbounds play and Taylor Hinton added a free throw but Arnold made a driving bank shot before LaRosa turned an offensive rebound into a pair of free throws. Turner made a runner at the buzzer, leaving Heber with a 76-21 lead entering the final eight minutes of play.
With the clock running continuously due to mercy rule, Heber outscored the Lady Trojans 8-6 in the final stanza. Marianna scored the first six as Arnold drove coast-to-coast for a layup, Turner drove left side for another chip shot and Arnold hit a fade away jumper from right baseline.
Heber responded with eight straight as LaRosa sank two free throws and Hinton swiped a steal and scored then LaRosa used a quick spin move for a bucket before Hinton dropped a pair from the stripe, setting the final at 84-27.
Arnold paced Marianna with 15 points and Turner added six.
Eleven Lady Panthers reached the scoring column as Krug led the way with 18 points while Blankenship, LaRosa and Kelley followed with 12 apiece. Dixon added eight and Gachot finished with seven.
After traveling to Southside Batesville on Tuesday, the Lady Panthers return home for a 2-4A Conference tilt against Stuttgart on Friday night.