NLR holds off Lady Panthers in conference showdown, 44-39
By Mark Buffalo/Sports Editor
Friday, January 20, 2012 2:20 PM CST
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| Cabot’s Elliot Taylor attempts a free throw in the fourth quarter against North Little Rock on Friday. Taylor was playing with a broken nose, which she suffered late in the third quarter. (Mark Buffalo) |
NORTH LITTLE ROCK — In a battle for first place in the 7A/6A-Central conference, the North Little Rock Lady Charging Wildcats drew first blood, literally, with the Cabot Lady Panthers, winning 44-39 Friday at North Little Rock Arena.
The game was a physical battle, which North Little Rock won.
Cabot junior forward Elliot Taylor was hit by an inadvertent elbow from North Little Rock’s Lexus Williams with 1:54 left in the third quarter. Taylor’s nose was broken, but she returned to the lineup in the fourth quarter, scoring five points and grabbing three rebounds in the final seven minutes.
“It was over to the side of her face,” Cabot coach Carla Crowder said of Taylor’s nose. “The trainer [Jason Cates] set it back for her. She is a pretty tough cookie.
“Then she wanted to come back in and play. I know Elliot well enough and the trainer said it was fine.”
That was not enough to lift Cabot (13-5 overall, 2-1 in 7A/6A-Central) to a victory, even though the Lady Panthers had their chances late.
North Little Rock (15-2, 3-0) led 39-34 with 1:26 left in the game. Cabot pulled to within three when Laci Boyett rebounded a missed 3-pointer by Micah Odom and scored with a minute left.
The Lady Charging Wildcats then made two of four free throws to lead 41-36 with 44.6 seconds left.
Cabot then pulled to within two on a 3-pointer by Melissa Wolff with 38.4 seconds left.
North Little Rock then turned the ball over with 33.1 seconds left. Cabot returned the favor two seconds later, which led to a Wolff fouling North Little Rock’s Xena King with 29.7 seconds left. King hit one of two free throws to give her team a 42-39 lead.
Cabot had a chance to tie the game but Maddie Smith missed a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left. Cabot then fouled Kaprecia Slocum with 14.4 seconds left. She hit both free throws to seal the victory for North Little Rock.
Slocum led North Little Rock with 15 points. Williams had 14.
Wolff led Cabot with 11 points. She also had eight rebounds. Taylor had eight points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Boyett added eight points. Jaylin Bridges scored five. Smith had three. Wacker had two points and five rebounds.
North Little Rock led 14-7 after one quarter. Cabot pulled to within one at 15-14 on a 3-pointer by Smith with 4:10 left in the first half. The Lady Charging Wildcats scored the last six points of the half to lead 21-14.
North Little Rock pushed its lead to 23-14 early in the second half. Cabot responded with an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to 23-22 with 3:58 left in the third quarter. Wacker scored off a rebound to start the run. Van Enk hit a short jumper. Boyett then scored four in a row to account for the streak.
North Little Rock then stretched its lead by to seven points at 31-24 after three quarters.
“We’re going to have to play better and execute,” Crowder said. “I thought our defense did a pretty good job. I thought we rebounded decently. We can always rebound a little better.”
Lady Panthers 66, Belles 38
The Cabot Lady Panthers routed Mount St. Mary of Little Rock 66-38 on Jan. 10.
Cabot led 19-11 after one quarter and 34-18 at halftime.
The Lady Panthers put the game away in the third quarter, outscoring the Belles 22-10.
Melissa Wolff led Cabot with 17 points. Laci Boyett added 15 and Elliot Taylor had 12. Maddie Smith scored seven. Ally Van Enk had six. Jaylin Bridges and Sydney Wacker scored four points each. Sarah Fowler added a free throw.
