Lady Panthers put up fight, fall at FS Northside

The Siloam Springs girls basketball team lost 61-52 at Fort Smith Northside on Tuesday, Dec. 20, in Fort Smith.

The Lady Bears (6-2) led 17-6 after the first quarter, but Siloam Springs (4-7) won the second quarter 12-9 and closed the gap to 26-18 at halftime.

Siloam Springs came out strong in the third quarter and took the lead for a time in the third quarter. The Lady Panthers outscored Northside 20-14 in the quarter and trailed 40-38 going into the fourth quarter.

Northside, the 2021-22 Class 6A state runner-up, regained the upperhand in the fourth quarter, outscoring Siloam Springs 21-14 in the final period.

Mimo Jacklik led the Lady Panthers with 22 points, while Brooke Ross had 15, Emily Keehn six, Brooke Smith five, Sophie Stephenson three and Cailee Johnson one.

"Girls played extremely hard," said Siloam Springs coach Beau Tillery. "We did a lot of really good things offensively. Have to to be better defensively and stay out of foul trouble."

Ross and Smith got into foul trouble, which limited the Lady Panthers in the late stages of the game.

"Really affected us late when Smith and Ross got in foul trouble, both eventually fouling out," Tillery said. "Mimo kept us afloat offensively for a while. Overall a good showing, got down 13 early in the second, took the lead late in the 3rd until the fouling situation caught up with us.

Erianna Gooden led Northside with 22 points, while Karys Washington had 17 and Cherish Blackmon 13.

Both Siloam Springs basketball teams were back in action on Tuesday in the Gravette Christmas Tournament. Results were not available at presstime.

The Panthers and Lady Panthers will continue play in the Gravette Christmas Tournament on Wednesday and Thursday.