Game Report: Little Rock Central vs Conway (2/21)

Preview   The two top teams in the 6A central met up this past Friday. The Conway Lady Wampus Cats came into this matchup 9-0 in conference play, while the Little Rock Central Lady Tigers were 7-2 in conference. Conway was looking to sweep the season series against the Tigers this season and avenge their loss in the 2024 6A championship game. For Central, they had not beaten Conway in the regular season since January 17, 2023, and they hoping solidify their #2 position in the conference standings.   Recap   Despite the fact that this game was in Conway, Central looked to be in control for much of the game, especially in the first few minutes. They opened up on a 6-0 run, and their defense was the most spirited I have seen this season. Conway never goes away though, and they worked their way back and took the lead. The lead went back and forth in that quarter (and for much of the game), with the Tigers holding on to a 12-11 advantage heading into the second quarter.   Central's defense continued to shock the Wampus Cats. They could not find any rhythm offensively, and they never found the bottom of the bucket from beyond the arch. Fouls were also being called on what seemed like every other possession for both teams. Multiple players from both Conway and Central had at least two personals before the half ended.   Central remained in the lead coming out of the half, up 28-20, and right out of the break, [player_tooltip player_id='1060888' first='Alexis' last='Montgomery'] drained a 3-pointer for her first basket of the game, giving the Tigers their first double-digit advantage of the game. However, Conway would still not go away. They would hold the Tigers to 12 points in the quarter, while scoring 14 of their own. The Wampus Cats started finding a lot of success on the fastbreak, as at least one player would leak out in transition early. You could call it "cherry-picking" if you want, but it worked like a charm (the San Antonio Spurs used to do it too).   Little Rock Central still managed to hold on to a lead heading into the final period of play. The fourth quarter was their best period of play offensively, as they logged 21 points. Conway also had their best quarter in the fourth, scoring 22. It had been a free throw duel for much of the game, and that did not stop in this period. Both teams were fighting just to hang on to the basketball, as both defenses were hunting for turnovers. Though Conway outscored Central in the second half, they still could not get close enough from retaking the lead. The Tigers held out and upset the #1 team in Arkansas, along with being the #22 team in the country according to SportsCenter NEXT.   Key Performances from Little Rock Central Players    It had been a while since Taylor Day-Davis had scored in double-digits, but she finally got back over the hump at the right time.   Day-Davis was active on the offensive end right out of the gate, finishing the night with 15 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks. She also had not recorded a double-double in nearly a month.   The senior is an excellent 3-point shooter who can get going quickly, which is exactly what happened. She scored 3 triples on the night, helping the Tigers spread out their offense. Day-Davis was not finding her stroke in the paint, but she was taking advantage of opportunities at the charity stripe.   Day-Davis' work on the other side of the ball helped Central come away with the victory. Without her defensive rebounding, Conway would have been in a better situation to score off putbacks, which they do regularly. She also made nice passes, setting up her teammates either in transition or down low.   Taylor Day-Davis, one of Central's team leaders continued to show her worth on Friday. She played hard on both sides of the ball, continuing to prove that she is one of the best two-way players in the conference.     [player_tooltip player_id='465505' first='Ky' last='Wilson'] is another player who has been ultra consistent for the Tigers this season. She started off the night slow, but she picked things up in the second half, helping lead her team to victory.   Wilson had 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists against the Wampus Cats. A good chunk of her scoring came at the free throw line, and after starting the game 2/4 from the charity stripe, she cleaned her play up, making 7 straight.   Wilson also scored in transition, but she was dishing assists extremely well, making sure her teammates were involved in the gameplan. On the glass, Wilson pulled down 3 offensive rebounds, scoring off of second-chance opportunities as well.   [player_tooltip player_id='465505' first='Ky' last='Wilson'] is another player who can carry the Tigers when they need it most.    <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/ameriya-gaston/">[player_tooltip player_id='465535' first='Ameriya' last='Gaston']</a>- Central's senior center was in foul trouble throughout the second half, but that is fine considering all of her other teammates and the Conway players also had the same problems. Despite the adversity, Gaston still came through, making big shots down low as she finished with 9 points along with 7 rebounds and 1 block. She had 2 offensive rebounds in the first quarter, helping set up that 6-0 run after the tip. Conway kept her off the offensive glass the rest of the game, but she still found a way to make an impact on the defensive boards.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/elyse-williams/">[player_tooltip player_id='884753' first='E'lyse' last='Williams']</a>- The junior guard has played some of her best ball over the last three games. On Friday, she had 7 points, 2 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block. She knocked down her lone 3-point attempt, which was an in-rhythm, catch-and-shoot three in the left corner in the second half. Along with her guard teammates, she harassed the Conway ball-handlers coughing up those 2 steals.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/chloey-rei-brown/">[player_tooltip player_id='467464' first='Chloey-Rei' last='Brown']</a>- The senior floor general came off the bench in this game as head coach Marlon Williams wanted to mix things up against the #1 team. Brown performed nicely as Central's sixth-man, finishing the night with 6 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals. This was one of her best rebounding performances of the season, and she was another player who hounded the Conway guards every time she was on the floor.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/alexis-montgomery/">[player_tooltip player_id='1060888' first='Alexis' last='Montgomery']</a>- Montgomery got her first start at point guard in conference play this season. The junior is expected to be Central's starting point guard next season, and this matchup with the #1 team in the state was a challenging, yet positive opportunity for her. She finished the night with 3 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. Montgomery protected the ball well, and she did not take too many unnecessary risks. Considering her foe, the junior had a solid performance.   Key Performances from Conway Players    [player_tooltip player_id='1090347' first='Traniyah' last='Weston'] was the most consistent Wampus Cat in their game against Central. She played like the #6 player in the sophomore class, outplaying some of her senior teammates.   Weston had a team-high 16 points to go along with 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. I was surprised that she only had 1 steal, because she probably had double-digit deflections and forced a number of turnovers because of her defensive pressure.   Weston was also Conway's go-to ball-handler throughout the night. She facilitated the offense well and she initiated contact on her drives, forcing the officials to consistently call fouls.   I was very impressed with Weston's performance against Central, as she played with a level of maturity that most other underclassmen guards do not exhibit.     It was the young stars who dominated Friday's contest, with Weston running the offense, and [player_tooltip player_id='1090383' first='Kylie' last='Johnson'] being the primary benefactor of the sophomore's assists.   Johnson had 15 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals against Central. Most of her scoring came on the fastbreak, where she continuously leaked out in transition. It did not fail, Johnson was scoring easy baskets at will, making her an easy target for assists.   [player_tooltip player_id='1090383' first='Kylie' last='Johnson'] took advantage of Central's late transition defensive reaction. The remaining teams on their regular season schedule and the future playoff opponents need to realize just how deadly this freshman can be when you do not account for her play in transition.    <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/emerie-bohanon/">[player_tooltip player_id='465513' first='Emerie' last='Bohanon']</a>- The #1 player in the class of 2025 struggled to find her shot from outside. She missed all of her 3-point attempts, but she still managed to come away with 11 points, thanks to her drives and free throw line conversions. She also added 2 rebounds and 1 steal to her total. Despite her lack of success from outside, you have to like her confidence from beyond the arch, not hesitating to let it fly at any point in the game. This also shows just how much her coaching staff believes in her 3-point shooting ability.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/samyah-jordan/">[player_tooltip player_id='465492' first='Samyah' last='Jordan']</a>- [player_tooltip player_id='465492' first='Samyah' last='Jordan'] had 22 points against the Tigers in their earlier meeting in January, but she did not have that same offensive success on Friday. Despite that, Jordan's work on the defensive end was still remarkable. The all-American nominee had 9 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 steals in the game. The Central guards hounded Conway's ball-handlers, but they repaid the favor. Jordan was pouncing on loose balls, destroying passing lanes, and picking pockets all night. Even though she was not finding much success offensively, it did not hinder her play on the other end.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/alivia-cox/">[player_tooltip player_id='1056381' first='Alivia' last='Cox']</a>- The senior continues to impress me with her energy and effort that she brings with her in every game. She fouled out late in the game, but she made her statement throughout the game, finishing with 3 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals. All of her boards were on the offensive end, never giving up on a play.   Review   Conway suffered its first in-state loss of the season, and just their second overall loss. Though being upset at home, they still hold on to the top spot in the conference, as well as in the state. As long as they win out (which they will no doubt do) they will have the top seed in the 6A playoffs.   For Central, this win helps propel them in the state standings, as well as helping them hold down the #2 spot in the conference. They also need to win out this regular season to solidify a top playoff seed.

Preview