Game Report: Greers Ferry Westside vs Calico Rock (1/16)

Preview   The Calico Rock Lady Pirates traveled just over an hour to Brady-Hipp Arena in Greers Ferry to face the Westside Lady Eagles. The Pirates entered the evening with a 2-4 record in 1A-2 play, while the Eagles possessed a 7-0 conference record.    Both 1A-2 schools failed to make the 1A state tournament last season, but Westside has emerged as the best team in the classification this season, alongside Earle High School. They are making a strong case for being in the postseason, and they are early favorites to win out the conference.    Calico Rock is still looking to be more competitive in conference play, so the latter part of their season will be important if they want to have the chance to make the 1A playoffs.   Recap   The Lady Pirates came into the matchup with only 7 players. Westside seemed to be at full strength, and it showed throughout the night. The Lady Eagles immediately showed their physicality, especially in the paint, grabbing multiple offensive rebounds on their first couple of possessions.    The Eagles gave themselves extra offensive opportunities with their second-chance efforts, and it opened up their shooters. Westside made several 3-pointers late in the 1st, propelling them ahead.   Greers Ferry entered the second quarter in the lead, with a score of 23-6. The threes continued to fall in the second period. Additionally, Westside started running out on the fastbreak, scoring several points in transition. The Eagles went into halftime with a 44-13 advantage.   Finally, the Eagles started to slow down just a bit, scoring just 12 points in the third. Calico Rock put up 10 in the quarter, as they were finally able to hit some shots and stopped turning the ball over as much.   Westside entered the final period with a 56-23 lead. The lack of depth for the Lady Pirates continued to hurt them, as their key players were losing energy towards the end of the game. The final score was 65-34, in favor of the Eagles who successfully defended their home court.   Key Performances from Westside Players    [player_tooltip player_id='1091189' first='Lainee' last='Gentry'] was the primary Eagle who was connecting from deep in the first half. Once she had established her rhythm from outside, it was clear that she was not going to miss.   Gentry scored 13 points on 3/4 shooting from beyond the arch. She was lethal off the catch, but showed that she can also hit the defense with a pump fake and hit a dribble pull-up from mid-range.    [player_tooltip player_id='1091189' first='Lainee' last='Gentry'] was also one of the many Eagles who made a huge impact on the defensive end by applying tight pressure against the Pirate guards. It appeared to me that Gentry might be the best 3&D player in the 1A classification.      Seeing a guard outrebound the other team on the offensive glass is rare, but [player_tooltip player_id='1091211' first='Whitley' last='Goodson'] made it happen against the Pirates.   Goodson posted 14 points and grabbed numerous boards, especially in the first half. She might have outrebounded Calico Rock on the offensive boards by herself in those first two quarters. Goodson put herself in perfect position every time down the floor, using her strength to push the opposition out of her way.    Inside, Goodson was scoring at will. Whether it was off the glass or off a cut, she was finishing over taller defenders with ease. She also forced multiple turnovers, streaking down the court to score in transition.    [player_tooltip player_id='1091211' first='Whitley' last='Goodson'] made Calico Rock hurt from the opening possession until she was subbed out for the final time in the game. She will be very important for Westside later in conference play, as they hope to remain undefeated in the 1A-2.     Ashlyn “Big Country” Cossey held it down in the middle for Greers Ferry last night. She made plays on both ends of the floor, and she was impressive all around.   Cossey finished with 8 points, with half of them coming from the free throw line. For a post player, Cossey is an excellent foul shooter, going 4/4 on the evening. Also for a big, she is a talented passer. She made sure to get her teammates involved, finding them on several open looks on the inside and the outside. In addition to the several assists she racked up, she had a big game on the backboard.   Cossey crashed the offensive and defensive glass hard. She had the height advantage over the Pirates, but she also had the effort advantage, outworking the opposition for every rebound.   [player_tooltip player_id='1092578' first='Ashlyn' last='Cossey'] is a highly underrated member of this Westside team, and I imagine she will continue to be this team's anchor.     [player_tooltip player_id='1092577' first='Kately' last='Cornett'] had one of her team's better two-way performances against Calico Rock.   Cornett was highly disruptive on the defensive end. She broke up passes, picked pockets, and played hard on-ball defense through every quarter she played in. You could argue that she had the best defensive performances amongst all of the Eagles last night.   On offense, she put up 9 points, knocking down a three off the catch in the third quarter. Like Goodson, Cornett ran hard in transition, making herself an easy target for her teammates to find on the break. If the fastbreak defense collapsed on her, then she would flip it back to her teammates in an instant, showing her high basketball IQ.   [player_tooltip player_id='1092577' first='Kately' last='Cornett'] is an excellent player who makes an impact on both sides of the basketball. I will be interested in how she can continue to impact this team throughout the rest of the season.     [player_tooltip player_id='1051642' first='Addie' last='Overturff'] was a nearly-unstoppable scorer at Shirley High School, but now as a senior leader at Greers Ferry Westside, she makes more plays for others.   Overturff finished with 4 assists on the evening, making the correct reads and threading passes with accuracy. Whether she was passing up ahead or finding her open teammates, she helped facilitate Westside's efficient offense.   On the scoring front, Overturff only had 4 points, but both field goals came in the third quarter. She used her tall frame to position herself inside, and once she received a pass, she could simply shoot over the defense. The senior also had a solid handle.   [player_tooltip player_id='1051642' first='Addie' last='Overturff'] is a complete player for the Lady Eagles. She is one of the better facilitators in the 1A classification, and she is highly versatile.    Key Performances from Calico Rock Players    [player_tooltip player_id='1183256' first='Grasyn' last='Sanders'] was just about the only Pirate who had any success on the offensive end. She was coming into this matchup as one of the conference's best juniors, and she played well in the loss.   Sanders is a good slasher, as she forced her way inside throughout the evening. She was able to draw contact on a couple of her drives, but she seemed to be able to find a way to finish over defenders.   On the perimeter, Sanders made her mark, especially in the second half. She had tired legs, playing practically the entire game except for the last minute or so, but she still knocked down a couple of triples.    The Eagles knew that [player_tooltip player_id='1183256' first='Grasyn' last='Sanders'] was the main offensive focal point, but that did not stop her from going for 14. Sanders needs help from her teammates. Many of her makes were from heavily contested shots, and you cannot rely on a player to make circus shots every night.    [player_tooltip player_id='1192812' first='Kaidence' last='Cook']- Cook is a freshman starter for the Pirates, and she was able to come in and make an impact. On defense, Cook broke up several passes and started the fastbreak. She also crashed the glass on both ends, scoring several second-chance points.   Review   Westside was in complete control of this game all night. Calico Rock fought hard to try to stay competitive, but the Eagles were hitting their shots and grabbing every board if they missed. Westside had the height, depth, and home court advantage, and their defense was stifling.    Calico Rock falls to 9-12 overall, 2-5 in conference play. Westside improves to 24-3, 8-0 in the 1A-2. I will say that this Eagle team is truly one of the best teams in Arkansas, despite being a 1A school. They are well-coached and can find production from everyone in their starting lineup. They even have some players off their bench who have bright futures. I look forward to keeping up with both teams for the rest of the season.

Preview