Rivalry Game Report: LR Central vs North Little Rock (1/7)

Preview   One of the best games in the state of Arkansas was played last night, and it was a historic rivalry game. The Little Rock Central Tigers hosted the North Little Rock Charging Wildcats in an environment that would rival most colleges. These two teams have been rivals for a long time and are only separated by the Arkansas River. And when I say they are "rivals," I mean it in the way that they do not like each other, which offered an electric atmosphere inside of Boone Fitzpatrick Fieldhouse.   I had the great opportunity to be able to call this game as the play-by-play commentator for the Tigers, as the 2nd half of this game offered nothing but excitement. If you have read my bio on this site, you know that I am an alum of North Little Rock High School. I was not necessarily conflicted as to where my allegiance should lie (LR Central signs my paycheck), but I could not get over how two great teams were battling it out in front of my eyes.   The Tigers are coming off their first championship win in program history in 2023/24. During the semifinals of the 6A state tournament last season, they faced North Little Rock, who was primed to go all the way. Though the Wildcats had beaten Central in both of their regular season meetings, it did not matter, as the Tigers would pull away with the victory. North Little Rock was looking for revenge last night.   Recap   Both squads started going back and forth in the 1st quarter, but the Tigers would hit a couple 3-pointers to firmly grasp a 5-point lead. After the 1st period ending with a score of 15-10 in favor of Central, the 2nd quarter was expected to be similar, as both teams were initially feeling out their opponent.   Unfortunately, both teams combined for only 11 points in the 2nd period, with the Tigers holding on to a 19-17 lead over the visiting Wildcats. Shooting woes and countless turnovers haunted both teams at the end of the 1st half, but NLR put together a strong ending to the half, and they sought to carry over their momentum into the 3rd quarter.   The 3rd quarter was another slow period, with defense prevailing on almost every possession. Neither team could get the lid off the basket, but both teams struggled to get a good shot down low, as the starting centers for NLR and Little Rock were having a shot-blocking duel. The defense being played made for an exciting quarter, especially as both teams had multiple fastbreak opportunities but could never capitalize.   In the 4th quarter, the game was still close. However, the Tigers started to break away, slowly but surely. [player_tooltip player_id='465505' first='Ky' last='Wilson'] and Taylor Day-Davis showed up on both ends for Central, making clutch plays every chance they had. North Little Rock still could not hit a shot, and Little Rock Central was forcing turnovers and making plays at the other end. Eventually, the Tigers came away with the 39-33 victory. It was not a pretty win, but the crowd got their money's worth.   Key Performances from Little Rock Central Players    Taylor Day-Davis has been impressive all season long, and she was perhaps the most efficient Tiger in last night's game. Whether it was on offense or defense, Day-Davis was making plays through all 4 quarters for her team.   Day-Davis finished the evening with 13 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. She was able to score inside, outside, and from mid-range. She hit two mid-range jumpers with a high level of difficulty due to the tight defense. Day-Davis had a couple of looks from beyond the arch, cashing in on one. From the interior, the senior was using her strength to move defenders around, absorbing contact as she went up as well.   Outside of 2 offensive boards, all of her other rebounds were on the defensive side. North Little Rock was able to grab several offensive rebounds, but every time Day-Davis was in the paint, she put a stop to that. Day-Davis is a good ball-handler, so once she pulls down the board, she can start the fastbreak and initiate the offense.   Taylor Day-Davis is an elite two-way player, and Little Rock Central would not have been able to win this game if it was not for her.     During Central's game versus Vilonia in early December, [player_tooltip player_id='465505' first='Ky' last='Wilson'] could not find the bottom of the basket. Last night, however, Wilson was hitting the looks that Central fans have come to expect her to hit.   Wilson tied with Day-Davis for most points with 13. She also added 7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block. Wilson was able to hit 2 triples, with one coming late in the 4th quarter to give the Lady Tigers a much needed lead cushion. She was very confident on her shot, and when I talked with her after the game, that confidence showed: "I knew it was money."   Wilson also hit a deep 2-pointer, along with sinking some very important free throws late in the game. 3 of her 7 rebounds were on the offensive end, and she was not shy about crashing the boards, trying to give her team second-chance opportunities.   [player_tooltip player_id='465505' first='Ky' last='Wilson'] and Taylor Day-Davis did what senior leaders are supposed to do: show up in the 4th quarter. The Tigers will be relying on them all season long, and I am sure Wilson's confidence will not seize to exist.     I did not realize until after rewatching the broadcast that [player_tooltip player_id='884753' first='E'lyse' last='Williams'] had a phenomenal performance. She did not score much, but her defense and rebounding became her calling card last night.   The junior guard finished the evening with 6 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 block. Both of her made field goals were from three, not missing any outside opportunity. She also gave Central second chance opportunities when she pulled down 3 offensive rebounds.   Williams' rebounding was a game-changer. North Little Rock is a solid offensive rebounding team, but Williams halted that, making sure the break was starting as soon as she had the ball in her hands. Along with [player_tooltip player_id='467464' first='Chloey-Rei' last='Brown'], Williams helped shut down two of NLR's best perimeter players, making them non-factors on the offensive end.   [player_tooltip player_id='884753' first='E'lyse' last='Williams'] should and will be on the 2026 ranking. She made it known that even if she cannot score at will, she can do anything else to help her team win.     From the 1st quarter until the final buzzer, it was clear that [player_tooltip player_id='465535' first='Ameriya' last='Gaston'] was a defensive juggernaut. I knew that it would be a terrible idea to try to shoot over her, and yet, North Little Rock tried to do so throughout the game. Time and time again, Gaston would send their shot to the floor, very predictable.   Gaston was one of the Tigers plagued by shooting woes, but she did everything else on the floor. She grabbed 5 rebounds, deflected multiple passes, and most notably, blocked 7 shots. Gaston has had similar defensive performances in the past, but she recorded those 7 blocks in limited action, as she fouled out late in the 4th.   Day-Davis and Williams were the main x-factors when it came to defensive rebounding, but on the offensive glass, it was all Gaston. All 5 of her rebounds came on that end. When she had position inside, even the Wildcats' starting center could not keep her off the boards.   [player_tooltip player_id='465535' first='Ameriya' last='Gaston'] showed that when she is on the floor, it is a bad idea to try to shoot over her. However, she needs to be able to stay on the floor. If Gaston can stay out of foul trouble, she will have plenty more games with multiple blocks.    Rosabella Onyango, 6'0" F, SO- Whenever Gaston had to take a break, Rosabella Onyango was the first name to be called off the bench. She played well throughout the game, but when Gaston fouled out, the sophomore forward stepped up in a big way late in the game. Onyango was playing like Central's starting big, blocking shots at will and controlling the boards. She finished with 2 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. She also shot the ball confidently, even attempting to extend her range to the mid-range area and 3-point line.   <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/chloey-rei-brown/">[player_tooltip player_id='467464' first='Chloey-Rei' last='Brown']</a>- Brown did not have a major offensive impact in this game, but I wanted to recognize her defense and her sportsmanship. Brown was the primary defender guarding NLR's top scoring guards. The 3 main guards for the Wildcats only combined for 13 points, with Central's senior guard being the reason for their lack of scoring impact. There was a play in the 2nd half where a Wildcat defend dove to try to strip the ball from Brown. She was unsuccessful, but she hit the floor hard. [player_tooltip player_id='467464' first='Chloey-Rei' last='Brown'] was the first one to check on her and ask if she was alright. Fortunately she was, and Brown helped her up. It was a minor act, but an act of good character nonetheless, which should always be mentioned.   Key Performances from North Little Rock Players   The Lady Charging Wildcats did not get a large scoring impact from their usual suspects, which allowed some other players to step up in their place.    [player_tooltip player_id='1090334' first='Lauren' last='Brewster'] is one of the top players in the class of 2027, but she did not shoot the ball well last night. However, she did plenty of other things to help her team stay in the game.   Brewster ended the night with a stat line of 4 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, and 1 steal. Considering NLR only scored 33 points, 7 assists is kind of hard to believe. Brewster could not get anything going from inside or outside, so she made sure to facilitate the offense to the best of her ability, getting her teammates involved. She also grabbed 3 offensive rebounds, dishing out assists on a couple of those newfound scoring opportunities.   The sophomore guard played solid defense, holding Central's two guards in check throughout the game. She played with hounding on-ball pressure, but she even put her body on the line when playing on help-side defense, drawing a charge in the 2nd half.   [player_tooltip player_id='1090334' first='Lauren' last='Brewster'] is one of the better floor generals in the 6A classification, and she is only a sophomore! Last night's game showed that she can handle to pressure of being a primary facilitator, and NLR head coach Daryl Fimple has to love having that in a young guard.     [player_tooltip player_id='1060878' first='Elicia' last='Shepherd'] has had some great games this season where she played well on both sides of the basketball, and especially on the backboard. Last night, Shepherd had another game where she made her presence felt.   Shepherd scored 12 points in the game, with 8 points coming in the 1st half. She also scored the first 6 points of the game for North Little Rock. Shepherd scored all of her points from the interior, using her long wingspan to shoot over the defense. She is also great at rolling off screens and cutting to the basket, usually causing her to be wide open in the paint.   Shepherd did not have the rebounding performance NLR fans come to expect from her, but she did grab 2 offensive boards. She also shot efficiently from the field, going 6/9 on the evening.   [player_tooltip player_id='1060878' first='Elicia' last='Shepherd'] has proven to me that she should be higher up than #78 in the class of 2026.     [player_tooltip player_id='465535' first='Ameriya' last='Gaston'] and Rosabella Onyango were not the only ones participating in the shot-blocking festival. [player_tooltip player_id='1180760' first='Mia' last='Hopkins'] asserted herself as a great rim protector in the 6A Central.   Hopkins put up 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 7 blocks in the loss. She has a long wingspan and made sure that she used that to her advantage. Hopkins became a nightmare for Central's guards, sending every shot back to sender.   Blocking 7 shots was Hopkins' largest impact, but she did come away with 2 offensive rebounds. Her scoring was primarily from second-chance opportunities and from positioning herself so her teammates could hit her with a pass.   I consider Gaston as the best shot-blocker in the conference, and probably in the 6A classification. However, [player_tooltip player_id='1180760' first='Mia' last='Hopkins'] is challenging for that designation, and she has a compelling case.    <a href="https://prepgirlshoops.com/player/kinley-mears/">[player_tooltip player_id='465515' first='Kinley' last='Mears']</a>- Scoring was not Mears' largest impact. The Texas-Dallas commit did the little things to help her team stay within striking distance. She gave her team 2 second-chance opportunities from the backboard, and she played some great overall defense. She recorded 1 steal and hustled hard after loose balls.   Review   Little Rock Central used a mixture of great defense and opportunistic shot-making to beat their arch rivals. North Little Rock fought hard throughout the game, and they showed that they have solid youth.   The atmosphere was hard to beat last night, and I cannot tell who was louder, the Central home crowd or the visiting NLR fans. Both fanbases are lucky to have solid squads to cheer on, and both of these teams are set to make deep runs in the 6A state tournament.

Preview