Big second half sparks Alma to blowout victory
By Kevin Taylor
Alma Schools
The Alma Airedales couldn’t seem to catch up with Greenwood in the first half of Tuesday’s game.
But once the second half started, there was no stopping them.
Alma opened the second half with a 10-4 scoring run, quickly erasing a 30-25 halftime deficit, and, thanks to Easton Boggs’ big 3-pointer, began to pull away for a 74-56 victory.
Alma (19-9, 12-1) can clinch the No. 1 seed (and the overall conference title) with a win over Mountain Home Friday. Including last season’s late surge, the Airedales are 14-1 in their last 15 5A-West games.
Tuesday’s victory also clinched Alma’s first 7-0 conference home slate since 2011. Alma went 13-1 in conference play at home in 2011-12.
Greenwood (4-17, 3-10) jumped in front of the Airedales, 23-15, in the first half of Tuesday’s game.
But, as they had done in recent games with Mountain Home, Harrison, Russellville, Siloam Springs, and Greenbrier, the eight-point deficit proved to be no problem.
Israel Towns-Robinson led Alma with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Miles Kenrick and Boggs finished with 16 and 15, respectively.
“Coach (Dominic) Lincoln, he came into the locker room (at halftime) and told us something we needed to do to win that game,” Towns-Robinson said. “Whenever we all together and focus on something we need to do to win the game, we win.”
The Airedales have won 13 of 14 overall dating back to late December.
“We didn’t play our game in the first half and we just had to do what we had to do,” junior Miles Kendrick said. “We just had to play our game in the second half, and we did, and that was the outcome of it.”
“We’ve kind of made it that we’re a second-half team,” Lincoln said. “I hate that, but at the same time, I love the fact that they can listen to adjustments and reset and refocus and go out there and have that great third quarter. Our balance, with so many people that can score, makes us hard to guard. Yes, people focus on Izzy; he’s an unbelievable player and a great human being, but we have so many people that can make plays … and that’s why we can have those 20-point quarters.”
Alma outscored Greenwood 49-26 in the final 16 minutes, including 28-14 in the final quarter.
Alma travels to Mountain Home on Friday.
Greenwood 81, Alma 44
GIRLS — Two of the top players in the 5A-West moved closer to eclipsing scoring marks.
Junior Jordan Gramlich had 19 points in the Lady Airedales’ 81-44 loss to Greenwood Tuesday night in Alma’s home finale. Gramlich is just 21 points shy of reaching 1,000 points for her career.
Babette Dotson is the team’s all-time leading scorer, followed by Thurronda Blanton and Chanlee Bottoms.
Greenwood standout Anna Trusty led the winners (23-4, 12-1) with 19 points, moving her within five points of Kinley Fisher’s school-record 1,825 points.
Alma (8-21, 2-11) fell behind 42-7 before closing to within 24 early in the second half.
Airedales fall, 12-9
BASEBALL — The Alma Airedales’ baseball team dropped a 12-9 decision in a seven-inning benefit game Tuesday at Prairie Grove.
Alma pitchers combined for 12 strikeouts and allowed just six hits. But 18 walks, including 11 in the third and fourth innings, helped the Tigers build a 10-0 lead after four innings.
Cash Wilson and Michael Taylor each had three strikeouts in one scoreless inning of work. Alma coach Brian Fry used seven different pitchers. In addition to Wilson and Taylor, Branson Brogan worked a scoreless inning as well, striking out two and retiring all three batters he faced.
Offensively, Shepherd Osburn hit a three-run homer and Logan English added a two-run double. Taylor and Brogan had two hits apiece.