WOLFENBARGER HELPS KEEP NO. 1 RANKED LADY BEARS UNBEATEN

There were some big plays made by Northside sophomore point guard Jersey Wolfenbarger at last week’s Taco Bell Tournament of Champions. Wolfenbarger also was the team’s leading scorer in each of the Lady Bears’ two wins, defeating a pair of Oklahoma schools. But Wolfenbarger was the first to give the credit to her teammates for helping put her in position to make plays and score points. “I couldn’t have done that without my teammates, they did everything,” Wolfenbarger said. “I’m just really proud to be part of this program and part of this team.” On Thursday, Wolfenbarger had 15 points, nine of those coming during a 23-3 third-quarter edge by the Lady Bears in a 57-31 win against Tulsa East Central. Then on Friday, she scored a team-high 20 points to help the Lady Bears claw out of an early hole and fend off Moore, 57-53. Also in those two wins, Wolfenbarger hit three 3-pointers in both games and went a combined 9-of-10 at the free-throw line. In the game against Moore, Wolfenbarger hit a 3 for Northside’s first converted field goal following an early 10-2 deficit. That sparked an 8-0 run to get the Lady Bears back into the game. Then with more than two minutes left, Wolfenbarger launched another 3 to give the Lady Bears their biggest lead of the night at 11 points, 53-42, though they had to stave off a late Moore rally at the end. “It showed guts; it took guts to win, it took everybody playing their game, playing their roles,” Wolfenbarger said. “It was just a big team effort; we couldn’t have done it alone. “I thought we had a couple of hustle plays that really (gave us) that momentum, so that helped offensively, too.” Case in point: Wolfenbarger’s first 3 against Moore was set up by a steal from senior Deairah Mays. Then the possession that led to Wolfenbarger’s late 3 was started when senior Tiya Douglas made a steal in the lane on the other end of the court. “It’s hustle plays, just out of everybody,” Wolfenbarger said. “Tiya, Jazz (Coleman) with the rebounds, Deairah with the steals, Tracey (Bershers) and Sara (Bershers) with blocks, those are big-time plays and they don’t get noticed as the 3s or the layups, but those are the plays that set us up for those shots.” But Wolfenbarger has definitely done her part as well for a Northside squad that is currently 6-0 and ranked No. 1 in 6A. She leads the Lady Bears in scoring, averaging 16.2 points a game, and is second in assists with 2.7 per game. Wolfenbarger, who started at point guard as a freshman last season and has grown several inches in the off-season to her current 6-foot-1, also ranks first on the team in made 3-pointers with 17. The Lady Bears return to the court this Friday with a road game at Bentonville. Honorable Mentions • Alma’s Taelon Peter poured in 25 points in the Airedales’ 72-60 win against Northeastern Academy (Okla.) last week in Plainview, Okla. • Carson Ray ran for 165 yards and two touchdowns in Booneville’s 35-0 rout of Osceola in the 3A state championship game. • Central’s Dillon Cheater recorded a double-double of 20 points and 11 rebounds in the Tigers’ 43-30 road win at Vian on Friday. • Charleston’s Brayden Ross scored 19 points in the Tigers’ 71-52 win against Mansfield in last week’s conference opener. • In her final appearance at the Taco Bell Tournament of Champions, Howe senior Jalei Oglesby scored a combined 65 points in the Lady Lions’ two games, including 34 in a win against Southside. • Lavaca’s Andrew Wright scored 19 points in the Golden Arrows’ 63-52 win against Mountainburg in the 2A-4 conference opener for both teams. • Three days after scoring the game-winner in a 55-54 win against Perryville, Paris senior Kieli Robinson poured in 22 points in the Lady Eagles’ 51-43 win against Mena. • Poteau’s Lexi Wood scored 19 points and hit a pair of 3s to help the Lady Pirates outlast LeFlore County rival Heavener in overtime, 51-48. • Roland’s Kaitlyn Martinez had 23 points and connected on six 3s as the Lady Rangers improved to 4-0 with a 57-22 win at Sallisaw. • Waldron’s Payton Brown scored all of his game-high 24 points in the second half of a 53-49 come-from-behind win against Dardanelle.

WOLFENBARGER HELPS KEEP NO. 1 RANKED LADY BEARS UNBEATEN

BUCK RINGGOLD

Times Record | 12/11/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy Photo