Lady Rebels shoot down Rockets 51-42 in District Tournament

Fall to EPC in 2A-3 final

By TRENT FLETCHER and DAN BRAWNER

Riverside advanced to the Regional Tournament with a 51-42 victory over Turrell in the semi-finals of the 2A-3 District Tournament Thursday night at Caraway.

Senior Katey Campbell poured in a game high 19 points while Brianna Driver and Michelle Cobb added 10 points apiece as the Lady Rebels placed three players in double digits.

Riverside ran to an 11-2 first period lead but Turrell fought back in the second period, cutting the margin to 14-11 with a three pointer by freshman Tionna Jones with 4:16 remaining before intermission. The Lady Rebels stretched their lead back to seven when Driver closed the first half with back to back offensive stick-backs, giving Riverside a 23-16 advantage at the break.

The Lady Rebels continued to pound the offensive boards in the third period with Campbell and fellow senior Morgan Emery both getting offensive rebound buckets to stretch the Riverside lead to double digits, 31-20, at the 4:44 mark.

A bucket by Jones to begin the fourth quarter sliced the Rebel lead to single digits, 38-29, but Riverside quickly answered when Driver hit 1-2 foul shots and Campbell scored on back to back buckets for a 43-29 Lady Rebel lead with 6:40 left in the game. Turrell never got closer than nine points the rest of the way as Riverside advanced to Friday night's championship game against East Poinsett County.

Emery and Holly Dudley scored six points apiece to round out the Lady Rebel scoring attack. Riverside was 7-17 from the foul line and made two treys on the night.

Erica Chance led Turrell with 17 points while Jones added 14. The Lady Rockets connected on 10-13 foul shots and hit two three pointers.

Riverside vs. EPC

The Lady Rebels held EPC's, soon to be Baylor Bear, Jordan Madden to only 12 points in the final three quarters of the 2A-3 championship game Friday night at Caraway. Unfortunately, Madden had already pumped in 16 points as the Lady Warrior built a 17-5 first period lead then coasted to the 56-41 win.

In that opening period only Kailey Holt and Morgan Emery were able to drain buckets for the Lady Rebels, Holt hitting her only 3-pointer of the night. And other than a single point from center Becca Ross, Madden was the lone point maker for the Lady Warriors.

Michele Cobb came alive beginning the second period, hitting for the first of her four long range shots on the night as she led Riverside with 12.

Both teams ended in a 10-all dead heat in the second period for a 27-15 EPC lead at the half. Then other than two charity shots by Katey Campbell and Cobb's second two 3-pointers, the Lady Rebs once again hit a dry spell.

The result was a 42-23 Lady Warrior lead as the fourth period began.

The final stanza was a 18-14 winner for Riverside, but the damage had already been done and the Lady Rebels finished with the second place trophy for the tournament.

Following Cobb's 12 points were Emery with eight, Campbell seven, Brianna Driver and Holt both with five and Holly Dudley two.

Madden was the only Warrior who scored in double figures.

With the loss, Riverside moves on to the Class 2A North Region Tournament at Cedar Ridge. They are scheduled to play Walnut Ridge, the third place finishers from the 2A-2 conference, at 4p.m. Thursday afternoon.