Championship Rematch Report: Conway vs LR Central (1/24)

Preview   The Conway Lady Wampus Cats traveled across the Arkansas River to face conference foe Little Rock Central. This game was one of the most anticipated games of the season all across the state. Conway entered last night's matchup as the top team in Arkansas, and the #17 team in the country according to Max Preps. SportsCenter NEXT had them at #23 in the USA.   The Central Lady Tigers entered the game as the #7 team in the state, and both squads were looking to stay undefeated in conference play. Not only that, but this was a rematch of the 2024 6A state title game. Central took home the championship, despite losing to Conway the two times they met up earlier in the regular season. It was the upset of all upsets, as Conway was the clear favorite to win, and now the Lady Wampus Cats were looking better than ever. There was no doubt that they were out for blood.   Recap   Conway opened the game up on a 4-0 run, which was done singlehandedly by [player_tooltip player_id='1090383' first='Kylie' last='Johnson']. Central was having trouble with Conway's disruptive full-court defense, resulting in multiple turnovers. However, the Lady Tigers would end up righting the ship, protecting the ball better, and forcing some turnovers of their own. The quarter ended with Conway ahead by 2.   The Tigers would end up outscoring the Wampus Cats in the second period, scoring 16 compared to Conway's 15, primarily thanks to the superb play of Central's [player_tooltip player_id='1183222' first='Rosebella' last='Onyango']. The back-and-forth play continued, with neither team gaining any sort of edge before halftime. The officials were also letting both teams play at times, which meant neither team was getting consistent whistles. The Tigers would head into the locker room just down 1, optimistic about their chances.   Once the third quarter began, the home Central crowd was hopeful about an upset victory. The Tigers were starting to make a bit of a run, limiting turnovers while capitalizing on the Wampus Cats' mistakes. Unfortunately for that home crowd, the promise the quarter initially brought soon subsided. Conway was coming back around, having turned the corner with around 3 minutes left to play in the period. [player_tooltip player_id='465513' first='Emerie' last='Bohanon'], the top player in the class of 2025, had a slow first half, but she finally started to hit her outside shots and started to get to the free throw line more. [player_tooltip player_id='465492' first='Samyah' last='Jordan'] was also a problem for the entire second half, which pushed the lead back in Conway's favor, entering the fourth up 53-46.   Conway continued to stretch their advantage out, but Central's senior forward Taylor Day-Davis was doing everything in her power to stop that. She had a semi-quiet first half, with [player_tooltip player_id='465505' first='Ky' last='Wilson'] and Onyango doing the majority of the scoring damage. But with those players becoming a larger part of Conway's game plan in the final period, Day-Davis knew she had to take over. The senior earned her buckets, scoring all of her points from mid-range jumpers. Despite the star's late scoring output, it just was not enough.   The Wampus Cats were hitting just about everything, while Central could not make a free throw. Conway's defensive prowess was on full display in the final minute of the game, where the Tigers were doing whatever they could to get a shot off. Conway wiped away any inkling of a Central comeback, coming away with the 69-59 victory in enemy territory.   Key Performances from Conway Players    I was very impressed with [player_tooltip player_id='465492' first='Samyah' last='Jordan']'s performance against the Tigers. She was unstoppable in just about every facet of the game.   The opposition could not keep Jordan from scoring, facilitating, crashing the glass, or picking pockets. She finished with a game-high 23 points, along with 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 steals.   Jordan hit 1 triple and was one of the lone players from either team who was consistent at the free throw line. Aside from that, she was masterful when she was in the lane. She would put on the jets on the perimeter, beating the first line of defense with her lightning-fast first step, and then she would maneuver around the help defense with some fancy moves. The euro-step was Jordan's go-to move. Most of these scoring opportunities came on the fastbreak, but they were not always just chances for her to score.   Jordan is Conway's primary facilitator, and she made sure that she was not the only Wampus Cat putting up points. Jordan was threading the needle in transition, and when she was doubled, she made sure to find the open teammate.   Along with 4 offensive rebounds, [player_tooltip player_id='465492' first='Samyah' last='Jordan'] made her mark on this game. She has played extremely well this season, and she also recently picked up an offer from DI Arkansas-Little Rock. After this performance, I think it is time to revisit her #6 ranking.     Everyone on the court knew that [player_tooltip player_id='465513' first='Emerie' last='Bohanon'] would be the toughest player to stop for Conway (or so they thought). Bohanon took a back seat in the first half, allowing Jordan to take over offensively. However, Bohanon continued to be a threat in other areas of the game, along with being a major offensive factor in half number 2.   The #1 player in the class of 2025 put up 14 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 1 block. She had 9 points in the second half, knocking down 2 shots from beyond the arch. Bohanon also scored most of her other points from the free throw line. She was hitting just 50% of her foul shots at the half, but late in the game, she finally started finding the bottom of the net consistently.   Bohanon only had 3 field goals in the game, but she did a masterful job drawing fouls, especially in a game where the officiating was not exactly consistent. She took 5 trips to the charity stripe, but when she was not able to score inside, she looked to her teammates, involving them in the game.   [player_tooltip player_id='465513' first='Emerie' last='Bohanon'] might be tussling with her teammate, [player_tooltip player_id='465492' first='Samyah' last='Jordan'], for the #1 spot in the class of 2025. They both recently became McDonald's All-American East nominees, so I am interested in seeing how the rest of the season unfolds for the star senior tandem.     [player_tooltip player_id='1090383' first='Kylie' last='Johnson'] pushed Conway ahead initially after starting the game on an individual 4-0 run. Her play in the first half was tremendous, helping the Wampus Cats hold on to their early lead.   Johnson posted 11 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals, and I was most impressed by her rebounding. With 4 boards coming on the offensive end, Johnson was extremely aggressive on the glass, making sure every board she saw was hers and only hers.   The freshman showed some scoring versatility, hitting more than just layups. She could not find the mark from 3, but she hit a catch-and-shoot jumper just inside the arch. Johnson also hit a tough fall-away floater through traffic with her off-hand.   [player_tooltip player_id='1090383' first='Kylie' last='Johnson'] has superstar potential, and the 6A central should be afraid of how she develops.     [player_tooltip player_id='1090347' first='Traniyah' last='Weston'] was one of the toughest players on the court last night. She performed through injury, played hard defense, and impacted her team positively.   Weston was Conway's fourth double-digit scorer with 10. She added 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. She hit 1 3-pointer and 3 free throws in addition to her several fastbreak layups. In regards to her passing, she put passes right on the money, finding shooters as soon as they got open.   Her play on the defensive side was impressive. She did not cause as many turnovers as some of her teammates, but she deflected passes and forced opposing ball-handlers to make some bad decisions.   Most underclasswomen do not play as hard as [player_tooltip player_id='1090347' first='Traniyah' last='Weston'], and they certainly do not play with the same type of toughness. Colleges are going to love her play for the rest of her career.    <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/alivia-cox/">[player_tooltip player_id='1056381' first='Alivia' last='Cox']</a>- Cox did not have the biggest impact on the stat sheet, but she played with infectious energy. She was in foul trouble all night, only playing a fraction of the minutes Conway expected her to play, but she did draw a charge, grab a couple of rebounds, record a couple of assists, and come away with a steal. As I mentioned, her energy was contagious. I had front-row seats as the play-by-play commentator for the Tigers Sports Network, but even I was tempted to get hyped. That entire Wampus Cat team does not play with the same heart without [player_tooltip player_id='1056381' first='Alivia' last='Cox'].   Dekaria Carter- Carter only averages about 2 points and 2 rebounds per game, but there is a reason why she is one of the first players to come off the bench for a team that does not use a large rotation. She finished with 5 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block. The 5'5" senior guard was everywhere, diving for loose balls, grabbing offensive rebounds (she had 3), and playing some hard-nosed defense.   Key Performances from Central Players    Central does not hang around in the second half without the play of Taylor Day-Davis.   The senior forward put up a team-high 20 points, including 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. Most of her scoring came from the mid-range area. Whenever she received the ball around the free throw line, it was a Bar-B-Q chicken alert! It seemed like Day-Davis was 100% from the mid-range and high post areas (she might have missed 1 but she still shot with incredible efficiency), but she was able to score in other ways.   Day-Davis knocked down an important open triple during the third quarter, which was a crucial part of a run Central had been on. She was also one of the few consistent Tigers at the free throw line.   Taylor Day-Davis took over, especially in that fourth quarter, but it was still not enough. Regardless, Coach Marlon Williams and crew can be confident in Day-Davis' ability to create and hit shots in crunch time.     [player_tooltip player_id='1183222' first='Rosebella' last='Onyango'] has had plenty of opportunities to showcase her abilities on the court this season. She stepped in for Central's starting center who was in early foul trouble and contributed as soon as she stepped onto the floor.   Onyango scored a season-high (and probably a career-high) 16 points while also pulling down 6 rebounds. She also added 1 assist, 2 steals, and 1 block.   Onyango could not miss in the post. She started the game 5/5 from the field, with all those makes in the first half. She ended up shooting 8/10 from the floor, with most of her shots being high-percentage looks in the paint.   Speaking with Coach Williams after the game, he had many positive things to say about [player_tooltip player_id='1183222' first='Rosebella' last='Onyango']. He acknowledged the confidence she has been playing with and the trust he places in her, especially late in games. Despite Onyango only being a sophomore, it is clear that she is already becoming a star in the black and gold.     [player_tooltip player_id='465505' first='Ky' last='Wilson'] is one of the Tigers' most trustworthy options on both sides of the ball. She is trusted to score at will while also being tasked with guarding some of the best players from the opposition. She did both tasks well against Conway.   Wilson put up 15 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block. She hit 1 3-pointer, but most of her points were from the interior. The senior pulled down 5 offensive rebounds, providing her and her team with second-chance opportunities. She also cut hard to the basket. Whenever there was a chance for her to cut backdoor, it usually ended in points.   On the other end, Wilson's defense cannot be limited to 3 steals and a block. She played with high activity through all four quarters and she deflected countless passes.   [player_tooltip player_id='465505' first='Ky' last='Wilson'] is a two-way star for the Lady Tigers, and Central is lucky to have two great senior scorers at their disposal.    <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/alexis-montgomery/">[player_tooltip player_id='1060888' first='Alexis' last='Montgomery']</a>- Montgomery did not make a major impact when it came to her scoring, but she did make sure to get her teammates involved in any way she could. She finished the game with 4 assists, the most she has had in conference play. Montgomery is one of Central's primary ball-handlers off the bench, and she might be earning more minutes at point guard after this performance. She also crashed the glass, pulling down 4 rebounds, with 2 of them coming on the offensive end.   [player_tooltip player_id='1183234' first='Alexis' last='Bradford']- The reserve senior forward has been playing well as of late. She had a solid conference outing against Cabot last week, but she followed that game up with multiple conference season-highs. Bradford recorded 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block. 3 of those boards were on the offensive end, and both of her field goals came off of putbacks.   Review   Conway stays #1 in the state, and I am curious where the national outlets will have them ranked. Central still has a convincing overall and conference record, and they played the Lady Wampus Cats better than most other teams in the state this year, so they should not drop out of the top 10.   So far, Conway and Central are #1 and #2 respectively in the 6A central, and I have a feeling they will meet at some point in the postseason. Who knows, maybe they will face each other once again in the state title game.

Preview