Arkansas girls basketball power rankings: A red-hot team from Class 3A makes its season debut
ByKyle Sutherland
Fort Smith Northside was the only team in the Top 10 to lose last week, but it was to No 2 North Little Rock and the Lady Bears were able to rebound against Cabot to hold on to the final spot. There were 14 total movements, with Southside Batesville dropping the lowest following a loss to Trumann and a red-hot team from Class 3A makes its season debut.
Here are the girls Top 25 rankings for February 21-28:
1. Conway (25-1)
The top-ranked Lady Wampus Cats look to complete an undefeated regular season against in-state competition with two road games against Fort Smith Northside and Bryant this week.
2. North Little Rock (20-3)
The Lady Charging Wildcats handled Fort Smith Northside on the road and then played a sharp game against Bryant shooting 43% from 3-point range and reeled in 40 rebounds. They held Bryant star guard Parris Atkins to 3-of-14 shooting.
3. Melbourne (28-0)
The unscathed season continues for Melbourne following a 2A-2 District Championship Tournament victory over Tuckerman. There is a possibility they could meet up with Tuckerman again in the regional final which could be an interesting matchup as the Bulldogs lost by 10 in the District Championship, but only by two points on January 21.
4. Greenwood (21-4)
Siloam Springs tried multiple times to get a step ahead of the Lady Bulldogs, but could not quite complete the task, falling 63-57. Greenwood followed with a 70-35 thrashing of Alma led by Mady Cartwright’s 30-piece and four steals.
5. Farmington (28-1)
The Lady Cardinals rolled through their conference season but were pushed in the district championship final against an improved Harrison team. They were forced to overcome a halftime deficit, but senior leader Carson Dillard refused to let her team go down, scoring 26 of her 32 points in the second half.
6. Lake Hamilton (23-2)
Lake Hamilton looks to close out a perfect regular season conference play after clinching the top seed out of the 5A South with road trips to Pine Bluff and White Hall.
7. Har-Ber (19-4)
The Lady Wildcats earned a big win over Rogers Heritage, a game that had major 6A West implications led by sophomore Destiny Roller’s 28 points (6 for 7 from 3-point range). Senior Caylan Koons filled out the stat sheet with 27 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and three steals, while junior Pacious McDaniel had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
8. Nashville (27-2)
The Lady Scrappers dominated 4A-7 opponents and are looking to keep up the momentum heading into regionals after continuing the dominance into the district tournament, defeating De Queen and Bauxite by a combined score of 140-69. They will host the 4A South Region this week tipping off with Hamburg.
9. Bentonville (17-7)
Junior Ella Campbell continues to go on a tear for the Lady Tigers, averaging 19 points in the last few games and shooting 55% from deep. They have won seven of their last eight and will finish the regular season on the road against Springdale and Fort Smith Southside.
10. Northside (20-4)
The Lady Bears hold on to the No 10 spot after falling to No 2 Northside to begin the week, then regrouping to beat a stout Cabot team 60-43. They have a lot on their plate this week beginning with a rematch against top-ranked Conway and Little Rock Southwest at home before hitting the road on Saturday for a rescheduled game with Little Rock Central.
11. Bergman (35-0)
The Lady Panthers have the best record in Class 3A and it is looking like they might just be a step above everyone else in a very loaded pool.
12. Vilonia (19-5)
Head coach Jeremy Simon notched his 400th win in a road victory over Greenbrier led by Madeleine Tipton’s 22 points. With games against Russellville and Siloam Springs this week, they are in strong position to clinch the 2-seed out of the 5A West.
13. Jacksonville (19-5)
The Lady Titans are in the driver’s seat of the 5A Central following a big victory over Little Rock Christian and are looking to take it outright in the final week before the state tournament.
14. Siloam Springs (17-7)
Siloam put up a great fight in a home match with No 4 Greenwood, but the Lady Bulldogs were just too strong. They still have slim hopes of a 2-seed but will more than likely be the 3-seed out of the West.
15. Jonesboro (17-6)
The 5A East’s first-place Lady Hurricane edged West Memphis at the beginning of the week before throttling Searcy. They can officially clinch the top seed with at least one win this week.
16. Little Rock Christian (20-4)
The Lady Warriors fell to Jacksonville by six points before taking their frustrations out on Beebe to cap the week, led by Ashley Hooper’s 29 points. Mia Smith also put up 19 against the Badgers.
17. Bryant (16-7)
The Lady Hornets’ six-game win streak humbly came to an end at the hands of No 2 North Little Rock. It does not get any easier with top-ranked Conway on the schedule this week.
18. Booneville (26-0)
Despite star guard Leigh Swint sitting out resting an injury, the Lady Bearcats have torn through their season, though they did have to overcome a 10-point deficit against Danville last Friday. They have already set records in achieving the best start in school history, and counting, won their first tournament title since 1993, and for the first time since 1988 won both the regular and tournament titles.
19. West Memphis (13-6)
The Lady Blue Devils did lose to No 15 Jonesboro, but they bounced back with a win over ranked Marion and Paragould to move them into the Top 25.
20. Cabot (13-11)
The Lady Panthers have played as tough as anyone this season. They have a proven coach in Jay Cook and a lot of the youth is talented, so the future is very bright.
21. Central (16-8)
Similar to Cabot, the Lady Tigers have young talent though they lack in the experience department, but they do have length in sophomores Jordan Marshall and Aven Sasser who are both over 6-foot. They took another tough shot on the chin from top-ranked Conway and are currently on a losing streak to all ranked teams but have two more chances in the regular season to pull off an upset with No 2 North Little Rock and No 10 Northside left on the schedule.
22. Marion (19-8)
The Lady Patriots took a loss to West Memphis before getting back in the win column by escaping Greene County Tech 51-49. They are currently clinging to the 2-seed in the 5A East by half a game.
23. Southside Batesville (25-2)
The Lady Southerners fall 12 spots following a loss to Trumann in the district tournament. They will play their opening game against Wynne in the 4A East Regional tournament.
24. Rogers Heritage (17-8)
The Lady War Eagles lost a crucial game to first-place Har-Ber but responded well to end the week by defeating Bentonville West to remain in the Top 25.
25. Centerpoint (25-2)
The defending Class 3A runner-up makes its debut in the Top 25 after tearing through the 3A-7 with losses only to No 8 Nashville and No 17 Bryant.
