Third quarter woes knock Lady Mustangs from state tournament

Buffalo Island Central's Cinderella push through the Class 2A State Tournament derailed at the hands of England Wednesday afternoon in the semifinals at Pangburn. The Lady Lions outscored BIC 30-8 in the third quarter to unlock a 32-32 halftime tie, pulling away to a 78-56 victory.

The Lady Mustangs held a slim 14-13 edge after the opening quarter, behind the offensive outburst of senior guard Hannah Poe, who drilled three treys in scoring 12 first period points.

After falling behind 18-14 in the second stanza, BIC rallied on consecutive buckets by Karoline Thomas and a three pointer from Bailey Owens to grab a 28-24 lead at the 2:51 mark. England answered when Amber Martin canned back to back triples to put the Lady Lions back on top, 30-28. The two teams traded buckets before Poe sank a pair of free throws to send the two combatants into the dressing room tied at the half.

BIC's Blaire Wildy shoots over Conway Christian's Mary Ellis in Class 2A State Tournament action Monday afternoon at Pangburn.

The third quarter belonged solely to the Lady Lions, who went on a 25-3 run to take a commanding 57-35 advantage at the 1:46 mark. Six different England players put points on the board during the Lady Lion scoring surge. Before the quarter ended, England held a 62-40 lead.

BIC never got closer than 20 points in the fourth quarter as England advanced to the finals of the 2A State Tournament.

England placed six players in double figures, led by Martin, who drilled five three pointers while scoring 15 points. Cecela Phillips and Shavonte Blanks netted 14 points apiece, Samantha Gooden had 12 while Julia Bryant and Alesha Pennister chipped in 11 points each. England connected on 16-23 foul shots and drained seven three pointers.

Lady Mustang Karoline Thomas looks for a steal in Class 2A State Tournament basketball action Monday at Pangburn.

Poe finished her Lady Mustang career with a game high 24 points to top BIC. Thomas scored nine, Blaire Wildy tallied eight, Owens contributed six, Madison Greathouse pitched in five while Megan Webster added three points. BIC hit 15-17 free throws and dropped in six three pointers.

"We just didn't shoot very well," said BIC Coach Justin Yates. "We couldn't seem to get the ball to go down in the third quarter and England shot the ball very well. Obviously the third quarter was the difference in the game. I am very proud of these girls. We've had a great season."

BIC advanced to the semifinals, slipping past Conway Christian 54-51 in Monday's first round action before edging Mineral Springs 43-39 in Tuesday's quarterfinals.

BIC senior Madison Greathouse and an unidentified Lady Hornet battle for possession of the basketball Tuesday afternoon in Class 2A State Tournament action at Pangburn while the Mustang student body looks on. (Town Crier photos/Trent Fletcher)

The Lady Mustangs jumped out in front of Conway Christian 20-6 after the opening quarter and held a 36-26 halftime advantage. BIC took a 41-34 lead into the fourth period before watching the Lady Eagles rally, cutting the deficit to just a single point on two different occasions, the last coming with 17 ticks showing on the clock. Conway Christian had one last opportunity with one second left, but couldn't get off a shot, allowing the Lady Mustangs to hang on for the win.

Hannah Poe pumped in 18 points while Bailey Owens buried five treys to finish with 15 to lead the Lady Mustangs. Madison Greathouse scored eight, Karoline Thomas tallied five, Blaire Wildy netted four, Megan Webster pitched in three while Heather Sipes added one point BIC. The Lady Lions canned 15-23 foul shots and knocked down nine three pointers on the day.

Mary Morgan Ellis led the Lady Lions with 12 points.

Lady Mustang Hannah Poe concentrates as she prepares to shoot a free throw Tuesday in state tournament action against Mineral Springs. Poe scored a game high 23 points to lead BIC, propelling the Lady Mustangs into the Class 2 A State semifinals.

BIC led 11-10 over Mineral Springs after the opening quarter, and took a 24-20 advantage into the dressing room at the half. The Lady Mustangs clung to a 34-33 edge after three quarters.

BIC failed to make a field goal in the final period, but hit 9-13 free throw attempts and hung on to advance to the semifinals.

Poe led BIC with 23 points while Owens finished with nine. Greathouse scored six, Wildy netted four while Sipes chipped in one point. BIC was strong from the foul line, making 19-26 attempts, and drained six three pointers.

Precious Johnson led Mineral Springs with 11 points while Olivia Coulter chipped in 10.