Alma girls snap Bulldog skid

By Kevin Taylor

Alma Schools

The streak is over.

Until Tuesday, Alma hadn’t beaten Greenwood in nine seasons. That all changed when Olivia Hughes and Brooklynn Holt combined for 42 points in the Lady Airedales’ 74-69 victory at Charles B. Dyer Arena.

Hughes finished with 26 points — the most points ever scored by an Alma player against Greenwood — while pulling down eight rebounds and dishing out five assists.

But it wasn’t easy. Despite building numerous double-digit leads, the Lady Bulldogs kept close thanks to Kylah Pearcy’s unbelievable night.

The Greenwood senior finished with 58 points, including 28 in the fourth quarter. In fact, she scored all 44 of Greenwood’s second-half points. She was 20-of-35 from the floor and had 13 rebounds.

Alma (11-14, 3-6) outrebounded Greenwood, 36-32, and had 12 more assists than the Bulldogs.

“It’s definitely a really big win; I think we deserved that,” Hughes said. “At the end of the game, I think we ended up coming together and playing as a team, as a basketball team should do. We were all having fun and each playing our role. That’s the most important thing in basketball. If you play your role, it’s easy.”

Coach Chanlee Bottoms, who was a North Little Rock assistant coach the last time Alma beat Greenwood (Jan. 3, 2017), previously held the record for most points against Greenwood, with 24 in 2005. She gladly passed the torch on Tuesday.

“I’m so proud of these kids,” she said.

Greenwood (7-13, 5-5) built an early 14-7 lead before Madie House buried a 3-pointer to close out the first quarter. Alma outscored Greenwood, 19-11, in the second quarter to take a 29-25 halftime lead.

Alma led 53-41 after three quarters.

Freshman Collins Driscoll iced the game with two late free throws. She finished with 11 points.

Breella Hughes and Jaeli Morris added eight points. House had a team-high nine rebounds.

Alma 68, Greenwood 59

BOYS — Sometimes it’s not how you win but if you win.

The Airedales kept pace with Van Buren and surging Siloam Springs Tuesday by holding on for a 68-59 win at Charles B. Dyer Arena — the team’s 11th home victory in 13 games.

With five games left, including two big home games next week against Siloam Springs and Mountain Home, the Airedales hold a two-game cushion over Mountain Home for second place in the 5A-West.

Greenwood (5-11, 2-8) kept it relatively close by outrebounding Alma, 41-30, and forcing 14 turnovers. The Bulldogs also attempted 25 free throws.

But Lawson Adams, Shep Newcomb, and Luke Stogsdill combined for 51 points to power the winners. Adams had 17 points, 10 boards, and three of Alma’s five blocks.

Newcomb finished with 20 points and six assists.