Conway High teams opened 7A/6A Central play Friday night with road victories, with contrasting degrees of difficulty, over Russellville.
The Lady Cats (11-2) powered to a 19-2 lead after a quarter on the way to a 70-32 victory.
The Wampus Cats (10-3) broke open a close game with a major run in the fourth quarter to win, 54-45.
Tim Boyd led the Conway boys with 23 points. Dominic Taylor added nine.
Conway led 31-29 after three quarters, then managed a 9-0 run in the final period to pull away.
The Lady Cats dominated from the outside. In addition to the first-quarter onslaught, they outscored the Lady Cyclones, 21-4, in the third quarter to put the mercy rule into effect.
The Lady Cats placed four players in double figures, led by Enjonae Chambers with 17. Jordan Danberry added 15, Kianna Speight 14 and Micaela Norment 10.
Conway teams play their home conference openers Tuesday against Little Rock Hall.
HENDRIX
Beginning a two-game road swing in Southern Athletic Association play, Hendrix teams sustained two losses against Oglethorpe at Atlanta.
The women (0-12, 0-2) lost a close one to the Lady Petrels (3-10, 1-1), 62-59.
The Hendrix College women’s basketball team lost to Oglethorpe University 62-59 in Southern Athletic Association action at Dorough Field House on Friday night. With the loss, the visiting Warriors fall to 0-12 on the year and 0-2 in league play, while the Lady Petrels improve to 3-10 and 1-1.
The men (5-8, 0-2), who dressed out only eight players because of the flu, lost, 86-55.
The Hendrix women took a 52-49 lead at the 6:45 mark after a putback by Jamie Tate. Oglethorpe answered by outscoring Hendrix 11-2 over the next 5:20, taking a 60-54 advantage with 1:25 to play. Tate missed a basket with 23 seconds left and the Lady Petrels got the rebound and made a pair of free throws to go up 62-57 with 17 seconds left. Tate scored the final bucket of the game with six seconds remaining.
Caitlin Kriesel-Bigler recorded a season-high 20 points, hitting six long-range shots, to go with three assists to lead Hendrix. Tate picked up her seventh double-double of the year with 18 points and 18 rebounds. Junior forward Katie Coughran added eight points and a career-best 12 rebounds and Katie Gallien ended up with seven points and three boards.
The Hendrix College men turned the ball over 25 times, leading to 27 points, in the loss to the Stormy Petrels (10-3, 2-0).
OU turned a 31-21 halftime lead into as much as a 35-point advantage late in the second half.
Junior forward Colton Primm lead the Warriors with 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting to go with eight rebounds, three assists and blocks. Sophomore forward Luke Vance scored 14 points and pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds. Senior guard Jaren Riley added 11 points, three assists and three steals and freshman guard Drew Nikolovski chipped in nine points.
Hendrix will continue its road swing at Berry College on Sunday afternoon.
VILONIA GIRLS
Vilonia’s Lady Eagles (13-1) opened 5A West play Friday with a 52-41 victory over Harrison.
McKenzie Morris led in scoring with 13 points, followed by Ashlyn Hightower with 11 and
Hannah Schnebelen 10 points. Audrey Moran had seven points and led in rebounding with nine.
Vilonia’s next game will be at Morrilton on Tuesday.
(Hendrix Sports Information contributed to this report)