The first half just kept getting better and better for the Siloam Springs girls basketball team in its season-opener Friday night.
The Lady Panthers went on a 14-0 run to end the first quarter and a 16-0 run in the second and led by as many as 26 points in the first half of a 64-45 victory over Providence Academy at Panther Arena.
"We did some really good things in the first half," said Siloam Springs coach Tim Rippy. "We were aggressive and we had the right mindset. Our kids really stepped up and we shot the ball extremely well, which was fun. But more importantly, I thought we guarded really well, and that led to a lot of those easy shots we got. We improved a lot from our first time out (in the benefit game against Huntsville) to tonight. We looked like a different team -- more confident."
Junior guard Jael Harried hit a couple of early 3-pointers for Siloam Springs' first points, but Providence Academy answered for a 6-6 tie in the early going.
Harried connected on a third trey to give the Lady Panthers a 9-6 lead and start a 14-0 run for the Lady Panthers, which gave them a 20-6 lead after the first quarter.
Alexsis Fortner followed with back-to-back buckets for a 13-6 lead and Chloe Price drove the lane and scored to go up 15-6.
Brooklyn "Turtle" Shreve converted a three-point play and Fortner swishes a deep shot just inside the 3-point line for a 20-6 lead.
Providence got back within 20-10 in the second quarter, but the Lady Panthers went on a 16-0 run to take a 36-10 lead late in the first half.
Price scored inside and then followed with a 3-pointer, and Harried hit a baseline jumper for a 27-10 lead.
Price then hit another 3-pointer and Mia Hevener scored inside as Siloam Springs went up 32-10.
Harried had a three-point play and Hevener hit a free throw as the Lady Panthers went up 36-10 and later led 40-14 before Providence scored to pull within 40-16 at halftime.
The Lady Patriots turned up the defensive pressure in the third quarter and pulled within 13, but could get no closer.
Harried finished with 22 points, 14 of which came in the first half.
"She had a great start. It was just unbelievable," Rippy said. "We need to keep her out of foul trouble and keep the minutes that she needs. She had a terrific night. It really gave us a spark in the first quarter."
Harried said she wasn't planning on taking so many 3-pointers.
"Before the game even started, I was like I'm not going to shoot threes. I'm not even feeling it," Harried said. "But I got the ball and I was like, I have to shoot it. We've got to get it going. I just kept running with it. ... I tried to keep my energy up the entire game, even when the other team was scoring. We have to amp it up. Playing volleyball, I think that helped me, because we were just positive throughout the season."
Faith Curry led Providence with 15 points, while Margaret Gosla had 13 and Jonisha Rolle 12.
Price finished with 18 points, while Shreve chipped in nine for the Lady Panthers.
"I thought for the first game, we showed good balance and just a lot of confidence," Rippy said. "That's what we've been asking of them, just be confident in what we do. There's going to be nights where its definitely good enough, trust what we're doing and they really bought into that and defended and rebounded tonight."
Siloam Springs 64, Providence Academy 45
Providence Academy^6^10^17^12^--^45
Siloam Springs^20^20^11^13^--^64
Providence Academy (0-1): Curry 15, Gosla 13, Rolle 12, Thurlby 5.
Siloam Springs (1-0): Harried 22, Price 18, Shreve 9, Fortner 7, Moorman 4, Hevener 3, Winesburg 1.
Sports on 11/18/2018