Hollenback enjoying strong finish

Hadlee Hollenback is playing her best offensive basketball at the end for the Siloam Springs girls basketball team.

After averaging around 6.3 points per game for the first 22 games this season, Hollenback has nearly doubled that output over the last eight games for the Lady Panthers.

The 5-foot-9 senior post recently scored in double digits for six straight games, averaging 12 points in that span, all while continuing to provide the Lady Panthers with tough rebounding and defense.

Hollenback's strong finish is a welcome sight for the Lady Panthers (9-21), who open Class 6A State Tournament play today at 4 p.m. against Jonesboro in West Memphis.

On the season she's third on the team in scoring at 7.3 points per game and leads the Lady Panthers in rebounding with 158 total boards -- an average of 5.3 per contest.

"She's had to work for it," said Siloam Springs head coach Tim Rippy. "She's not the most skilled kid, but she's very determined. She plays hard. As a coach, you know that you're going to get what she has. Whatever she's got in the tank, that's what you're going to get.

"She runs the floor hard. She gets some points that way. She defends well. She blocks out really well. She has cleaned up the glass really, really well and gotten some big rebounds."

Hollenback credits her strong finish with a mindset change midway through the year. Up to that point, she has struggled finishing underneath the basket. A conversation with Rippy helped her think differently.

"I think I was worried about what people thought if I missed it or what they would think if I turned it over or something like that," Hollenback said. "He just said, 'don't try to play for anybody in the stands. Just go in and know you're going to make your layups.' Because I did have trouble finishing there at the beginning."

Rippy said Hollenback -- a three-year starter -- was putting unnecessary pressure on herself to perform.

"Obviously we need her to perform," Rippy said. "But at the same time, I think the pressure she was putting on herself was causing her to not perform. We were just trying to think of a way to let her let go of the result. I said you can't control the result of the ballgame. You can't control the result of the shot. All you can control is the what you're focused on."

Rippy said the Lady Panthers are coached to finish shots with their eyes.

"Are you locked in on the target where the ball's supposed to go?" he said. "At that point, you follow through and you let go of the result. And if it misses you go get the rebound. You don't worry about the outcome.

"I think (Hollenback has) done a better job of not letting misses get to her as quickly and just continue to offensive rebound. A lot of times a lot of her points come off of her own misses where she sticks them back in. That's how she's played. She's gotten a lot of second chance points for our club."

Hollenback played a major role in the Lady Panthers clinching a berth in the state tournament.

Trailing 45-44 in the final minute in a 6A-West Conference Tournament game at El Dorado on Feb.20, Hollenback took a pass from junior guard Chloe Price, made a move and launched a mid-range jump shot. The ball bounced off the rim and through the net for a 46-45 Lady Panthers lead. Siloam Springs then held on for the final half minute for the victory, clinching their spot in the state tournament.

"It felt pretty awesome," Hollenback said. "I just remember before the game, Coach Rippy gave us a speech and asked the seniors if we had anything to add. I just remember saying this wasn't our last game. It just felt like it wasn't our last game."

The trip to the state tournament will be the second of Hollenback's career, having gone to state as a sophomore and advancing to the 6A quarterfinals before losing to El Dorado in Russellville.

"Going into the tournament, I think that everybody plays well," Hollenback said. "That's my experience. That was the year I went, I think that was way everybody feels about it. State has the feel about it. I'm excited to see how we'll play in that tournament."

Hollenback plans on going into nursing school at Central Arkansas after graduation. She's recently been interning at the Siloam Springs Medical Clinic the first two hours of each school day.

"I've really enjoyed doing that and it's helped me learn," Hollenback said. "I didn't know if I really wanted to go into nursing, but after having this experience I know that's probably what I want to do."

Hollenback's not necessarily done with team sports once basketball ends. She recently attended a goalkeeper tryout for the girls soccer team and made the team.

"I wasn't ready to give up the team sport aspect," Hollenback said, "and so once basketball's over I'll go and work hard and try to be a benefit to the team."

Sports on 02/28/2018