Lady Cougars top Bay, Earle in conference action

All-NEA Tournament selections Hillary Calhoun and Amber Haynes picked up the slack for the Lady Cougars in a 47-42 victory at home over Bay Monday night. Rector played without standout Hannah Parsley who went down with an ankle injury early in action last Thursday. Calhoun scored 20 points and pulled down seven boards to handle the scoring load, while Haynes notched 12 points and 8 assists in the win.

"Hillary and Amber are two of the best players in our conference," Lady Cougar skipper Matt Rabjohn said. "They're more than capable of having a big night at any time. They knew they were going to have to step up for us to win and that's exactly what they did."

It was a tight game all night, with Rector holding a slim lead after each frame: 10-9; 22-8 and 27-24.

Allison Smart came through for the Lady Cougars late, as Bay climbed to within a single possession down the stretch, 40-38. Smart canned two mid-range jumpers to push the Lady Cougars ahead by six, giving the squad some much-needed breathing room with the game on the line.

"Allison hit a couple of big shots for us when they were threatening," Rabjohn said. "Every one of these girls can step on the court at any time and produce. I've got 10 girls that I'm comfortable putting in the game at any time."

Smart notched eight in the win. Racheal Gipson and Sarah Fannin added five and two points, respectively for Rector.

Meghan Mink led Bay with a game-high 25 points.

The Lady Cougars improved to 21-5 overall with the win. They are 10-3 in conference play and retain their number three ranking in the state 2A division.

Rabjohn says he expects Parsley to play this Thursday, as the girls host the conference-leading BIC Lady Mustangs in what is a highly-anticipated match-up. BIC currently rests at number two in the state rankings, offering local fans a chance to watch a game of not only great importance, but also one that's a sports fan's dream meeting in the making.

"I'd like to invite all of our fans out for this game," Rabjohn said. "It's going to be a huge game for us. We'd love to see a big crowd out here cheering for us."

Junior girls nip Bay

The Junior Lady Cougars came away with a close 28-27 win over Bay Monday night. Rector led throughout: 9-3; 13-7 and 19-16.

Heather Scott and Kristie Hardin paced the young Lady Cougars, finishing with eight points each. Also scoring were Rachel Dowdy 5, Allison Duncan 3, Amanda Bradford 3 and Rhoda Classen 1.

With the win, the junior girls improved to 13-5 overall and 10-3 in conference play.

Win over Earle

The Lady Cougars rolled to an easy 57-36 win over Earle last Thursday night in Rector.

The girls in blue led throughout:15-2; 28-10 and 36-19.

Fans and teammates alike were given a scare early, as senior standout Parsley went down with a sprained ankle in the first quarter. Tests would reveal no serious damage was sustained, with Parsley expected to return to action this week.

The Cougars received a big lift from Gipson, as the 6-1 senior erupted for 17 points and 14 rebounds.

"It seems like I just said this exact same thing, but Racheal probably played her best game for us," Rabjohn said. "She has really given us a strong inside presence. She could very well be the most improved player I've ever coached. She's worked as hard as anybody to get better and it's paying off."

Haynes also came through on the night, taking over the ballhandling duties and netting 16 points in the win.

"Amber's one of those players who can do everything for us when she's on the court. She can handle the ball. She can play the post. She's a good shooter and probably our best defender. She's all over the place for us."

Also scoring were Stephanie DeMent 6, Calhoun 4, Destinei Heathcott 4, Smart 4, Fannin 3, Parsley 2 and Rebecca Dodd 1.

Junior girls fall

The Junior Lady Cougars were downed 35-25 in their meeting with Earle. Rector trailed throughout: 8-2; 17-8 and 29-18.

Duncan and Bradford finished with eight points each to lead Rector. Also scoring were Scott 4, Classen 3 and Casey Hollis 2.

The Lady Cougars will play host to BIC beginning at 6 p.m. Thursday. They will visit Paragould next week, as they are scheduled to face CRA beginning at 6 p.m. on Monday.