1A and 3A Top Performers Help Teams Advance

All of the State Tournaments are well underway in all classes. I attended two opening-round games and witnessed some excellent play. The first game was a 3A clash between the <strong>Lamar Warriors </strong>and the <strong>Drew Central Pirates. </strong>Lamar came away with a 55-30 win. Dominate performances; <strong>[player_tooltip player_id="306136" first="Karley" last="Williams"],</strong> Lamar-Karley, a 5’8” junior swing forward is a rebounding machine. She plays much bigger than her size with excellent footwork and strength to get to the open spot on the floor. She can hit the three, but she’s most effective in the paint. <strong>Morgan Cochran, Lamar-</strong>Morgan can play both the point and swing guard positions. Another junior, she is an excellent free throw shooter and also leads the team in assists. She’s quick and stays low to reduce turnovers. She’s the team leader on the floor. <strong>Kori Sanders, Lamar-</strong>Kory was probably the best athlete on the floor. Just a freshman, she shares the point guard position with Morgan Cochran. Lori’s basketball IQ is impressive. She anticipates very well on defense. Kori doesn’t score much because her team has plenty of scorers. Keep this player on your list of future high school stars. You’ll read plenty about her in the next few years. <strong>Lamar </strong>plays fast and will go deep in the tournament <strong>Edriana Hunter, Drew</strong> <strong>Central</strong>-Edriana is a junior swing guard the is quick and very strong to the basket. <strong>Sayveiona Durden, Drew Central-</strong>Sayveiona is just a sophomore. She can get to the basket and, at 5’8” play multiple positions. <strong>Drew Central’s </strong>season is over but look for these players to lead the team to another State Tournament appearance next year. The second game was in Morrilton. This was a 1A match between the <strong>Sacred Heart Rebels </strong>and the <strong>Dermott Rams. </strong>Sacred Heart escaped a second-half Dermott run by winning 55-33. Top performers; <strong style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">Ayla Hoelzeman, Sacred Heart-</strong><span style="font-size: 1rem; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;">This is a 5’10 freshman that will capture your attention. She displays excellent footwork around the basket and doesn’t miss the mid-range jumper. Ayla is a quality rebounder that can also block shots. She’s got a high ceiling potential if she can get stronger in the paint. As a freshman, the sky is the limit with this athlete.</span> <strong>Rylee Oliver, Sacred Heart-</strong>Rylee is the point guard and team leader. As a senior, her court vision is excellent and, can get the ball inside to her bigs. If she can protect the ball, her team can advance. <strong>Emma Dold, Scared Heart-</strong>Emma plays exclusively inside. She displays good hands and can catch and shoot from close range. At 5’10”, she can rebound and hit the outlet for fast-break opportunities. <strong>Elisabeth Rowe,</strong> <strong>Dermott-</strong>Elisabeth is a swing guard the can hit the three. she gets out on the break and can finish. <strong>Za’Kiah Tyler, Dermott-</strong>Za’Kiah is a space-eater inside. She picks up rebounds and loose balls down low and converts them to points. She’s a 5’11 post that can fill up the middle. Second and third-round action will be very competitive in all classes of State Tournament play. Stay tuned! Bobby Brown &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;