North Arkansas 68, State Fair Lady Roadrunners 63
North Arkansas presented a clash in style with the Lady Roadrunners, and teams played to a stalemate through much of the contest.
Late rebounds tipped the scales against Sate Fair Community College in a 68-63 loss Tuesday at the Fred E. Davis Multipurpose Center in Sedalia. The Lady Pioneers collected 49 rebounds to SFCC’s 37.
Alexis Cowan led State Fair with 15 points, Danae Cole scored nine and Maya Brewer had eight points and 10 rebounds.
The Lady Pioneers spread the floor and milked the shot clock in the half court. Forwards Sydnee Garrett and Jolene Shipps fought for space inside with shooters Hannah Villines and Morgan Clemence holstered on the perimeter.
State Fair (4-4) manufactured possessions. The Lady Roadrunners reached for every steal, issued a full court press and drove and drove at North Arkansas’ defenders. They scored on the run and on the line.
Save for a Maya Brewer 3-pointer, the Lady Roadrunners scored nowhere else but the line in the game’s final 5 minutes. Alexis and Aaliyah Cowan had two free throws apiece during a 7-4 North Arkansas run in the fourth quarter.
Aside from an 8 a.m. Wednesday practice reminder, Aaliyah Cowan said rebounds were SFCC head coach Kevin Bucher’s emphasis in his postgame dismissal.
“He said we just need to rebound more,” Aaliyah Cowan said. “I thought we played well, we just got out-rebounded.”
Garrett led all scorers with 17 points. Shipps had 16 points, and both starters had eight rebounds apiece.
The Lady Roadrunners compete at the Moberly Classic Nov. 25-26, facing Highland Community College 1 p.m. Friday.
State Fair Roadrunners 99, North Arkansas 96
An undersized guard and Columbian freshman nearly cooked State Fair men’s basketball during a tilt Tuesday in Sedalia.
Judaunte Sutton, who played at Battle and Hickman High Schools, led North Arkansas with 26 points, while Preston Groesback scored 18 points on four threes.
The Roadrunners, a confident group, had no doubt in the game’s final result. Not after a North Arkansas 11-0 run the first half, not after two other Pioneers posted double-digit totals and not after Groesback’s 30-foot potential game-tying shot punched off the iron.
Onteral Woodson, Jr. led State Fair with 29 points, Russell Baker scored 19 and Vonny Irvin added 18 in a 99-96 victory over North Arkansas at the Fred E. Davis Multipurpose Center in Sedalia.
Woodson said SFCC head coach Kevin Thomas’ halftime lecture – with the Roadrunners down eight – refocused the team.
“We knew, when it’s time to put our hats on, we’re going to put them on,” Woodson said. “We knew what we had to do to get a win.”
The lead changed 16 times Tuesday, and State Fair never had a firm grasp on the lead until Baker drew a foul on a layup with 11 minutes to play. Baker high-stepped down the Roadrunner bench in celebration as SFCC led 88-87.
North Arkansas led by as much as 13 in the first half. The Pioneers hit 10 threes, and Groesbeck, Zach Chastain and Taylor Filbert combined for eight of them.
Irvin said keeping track of the Pioneer shooters was a frustrating task.
“They were great shooters, I can’t lie,” Irvin said. “I have never seen something like that … It was like a bunch of little ants running around.”
Irvin had a double-double with 13 rebounds and led the team with seven assists. Corey Mendez added 12 points for State Fair.
The Roadrunners travel to Moberly for the Moberly Classic 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 25 to face Highland Community College.
