Lady Cougars split conference outings

Friday night, Rector journeyed to Lepanto to face the talented Lady Warriors of East Poinsett County. The game proved to be a difficult challenge for the visitors, as Rector fell 62-50 on the night.

Trailing 31-24 at intermission, the Lady Cougars' manageable seven point deficit grew to 15 by the end of the frame, 48-33.

"EPC came out in the second half and got the momentum on their side and went on a run," Rector coach Mark Manchester said. "When you fall behind by that much against a team like that, especially on their home floor, it's hard to come back."

The hosts held a 16-13 advantage going into the second quarter, as both teams began the game with aggressive defensive play.

Chelsea Drope had a big scoring night for the Lady Cougars, netting 22 points. Allison Duncan notched a double-double, finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds. Also scoring for Rector were Rhoda Classen 8, Rebecca Dodd 3, Destinei Heathcott 3 and Jessie Scott 2.

Brittany Ball paced EPC with 27 points on the night.

Junior girls

The Junior Lady Cougars were downed in their meeting with EPC, 41-28. Rector trailed throughout: 15-6; 23-13 and 32-20.

Kaitlyn Essman and Vanessa Jones finished with eight points each to lead Rector. Also scoring were Kelly Fowler 4, Bailey Haney 3, Courtney Shepard 2, Lenae Haley 2 and Kristen Smart 1.

Teria Young led EPC with 10 points.

Marked Tree win

Rector rolled to a 63-39 win over host Marked Tree in their matchup last Tuesday night. The Lady Cougars got out a 22-9 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, leading 37-19 at intermission and 56-27 heading into the fourth.

"We came out ready to play and were able to build a good lead early," Manchester said. "We put ourselves in a position to win the game pretty early on and went from there."

Rector utilized the full-court press early, stalling out Marked Tree's offense and creating scoring opportunities in transition.

Drope led the way with 17 points in the one-sided affair. Classen added 12 on the night. Also scoring for Rector were Duncan 9, Amanda Bradford 8, Jessie Scott 6, Stephanie DeMent 4, Dodd 3 and Heathcott 2.

Young led the Lady Indians with 12 points in the loss.

Junior girls fall

In junior high girls action, Rector fell to Marked Tree, 46-35.

The hosts led throughout: 17-7; 23-14 and 35-25.

Fowler and Jones both reached double figures in scoring for the Junior Lady Cougars, netting 12 and 11, respectively. Also scoring for Rector were Essman 5, Haney 3, Anna Blackshare 2 and Kristen Smart 2.

Seventh grade

Rector played host to several area teams in a seventh grade girls tournament held Saturday.

The outing served as a good way for the next generation of players to get some time on the court.

Rector started the tourney matched up against Piggott. The young Lady Cougars fell just short in the meeting, 22-19.

Rector led 6-2 after the first quarter, but trailed 13-12 at the half and 19-15 going into the fourth.

Marla Crancer and Lacinda Carter led the seventh graders with five points each. Harmony Brown and Brittany Fair finished with four points apiece. Grayson Crancer added a point for Rector.

Piggott was downed in the second round by eventual winner Greene County Tech. Also taking part in the tournament were Gosnell, Brookland, BIC, Pocahontas, Trumann, Riverside, Nettleton, Walnut Ridge and Valley View.

The Lady Cougars were slated to visit Turrell Tuesday night. Both Rector girls and boys teams will play host to rival Marmaduke beginning at 3 p.m. Thursday. The girls will host Riverside beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday, in a night which will also feature boys games.