By Rob Patrick
CONWAY — The Conway White Lady Wampus Kittens won the Central Arkansas Junior High Conference[more] championship last season and they did it on the strength of a talented core group of eighth grade players.
Now those eighth graders are freshmen and there’s every reason to believe they’re a better team.
The Lady Wampus Kittens, who won the Bryant Invitational Tournament last week, welcomed the struggling Bryant Lady Hornets to Buzz Bolding Arena Thursday night. Conway White built an 18-2 lead by the end of the first quarter, backed off its press but, with only nine players, there was little relief for the Lady Hornets. The lead grew to as much as 45-4 before it ended 53-12.
Conway’s lead was 10-0 when Bryant got its first basket, a short jumper by Taylor Lindberg on an inbounds play under the basket with 3:48 left in the first quarter.
Destiny Huffman hit a pair of free throws with 4:45 left in the half for the Lady Hornets, making it 21-4.
Conway White’s Megan Goodnight followed that with three rapid-fire 3-pointers. On her way to 18 points in the game, Goodnight went 6 for 7 from 3-point range. Kianna Spaight added 10 points and all nine Lady Kittens scored. Star guard Jordan Danberry had 8 in limited playing time.
Goodnight’s fifth 3 with 3:38 left in the third quarter produced the 45-4 lead. Bryant put together a surge at that point. Katie Davidson scored after grabbing an offensive rebound and, moments later, so did Lindberg. Two more free throws by Huffman made it 45-10.
Christin Rogers hit a free throw for Conway but a short jumper by Jayla Anderson with :14 left, made it 46-12.
Bryant head coach Nathan Castaldi worked in everyone off his bench in the fourth quarter.
The Lady Hornets will host Cabot South on Monday, Dec. 5.
CONWAY WHITE 53, BRYANT 12
Score by quarters
BRYANT 2 2 8 0 — 12
Conway White 18 22 6 7 — 53
LADY HORNETS 12
Clay 0-1 0-0 0, Anderson 1-4 0-0 2, Huffman 0-2 4-6 4, Davidson 1-2 0-0 2, Lindberg 2-2 0-0 4, Curry 0-0 0-0 0, Solinger 0-0 0-0 0, Gray 0-1 0-0 0, Blair 0-0 0-0 0, Powers 0-0 0-2 0, Barber 0-1 0-0 0, Earls 0-0 0-0 0, Jamison 0-0 0-0 0, West 0-0 0-0 0, Giffin 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 4-13 4-8 12.
LADY WAMPUS KITTENS 53
Danberry 4-5 0-2 8, Willard 2-4 0-0 4, Goodnight 6-10 0-0 18, McDowell 1-5 0-0 2, Spaight 3-6 3-3 10, Ingraham 2-5 0-0 4, Rogers 1-4 1-2 3, Henderson 1-5 0-0 2, Freyaldenhoven 1-4 0-0 2. Totals 21-48 4-7 53.
Three-point field goals: Bryant 0-2 (Anderson 0-2), Conway White 7-11 (Goodnight 6-7, Spaight 1-1, Ingraham 0-2, McDowell 0-1). Rebounds: Bryant 17 (Anderson 5), Conway White 17 (Ingraham 5). Turnovers: Bryant 29, Conway White 8. Team fouls: Bryant 7, Conway White 12. Fouled out: Conway White, Ingraham.
