SEARCY — Harding University is the setting for the Region II Division II National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament.
Action started with North Arkansas College playing South Arkansas Community College. When the final buzzer sounded the Lady Pioneers of Northark advanced to the next round.
Northark won the contest, 75-50, in a game that wasn’t as close as the score showed.
The Lady Pioneer defense held Southark to three field goals in the first 20 minutes of action.
Two of those field goals came in the first quarter and they were 3-pointers.
Northark had four players score in the first period to jump out to a 20-6 lead.
Kailynn Garis and Sydney Standridge each scored six points in the frame and Cayley Patrick added five with one of those buckets being a 3-pointer.
Kessa Willis also had a 3-pointer in the frame.
The Lady Pioneers turned to their inside game in the second period. They scored 19 points with 17 of those coming inside the paint.
Karsen Edwards scored eight of those points and Standridge added six. Samantha George had three.
Patrick was the only guard to score in the second period.
Northark’s scoring slowed down in the third period as they hit for 14 points. They finished the game with 22 points in the fourth period as Garis had three 3-pointers in the frame to lead the team.
The Lady Pioneers led 53-26 with a quarter left to play.
Leading the Lady Pioneers in scoring was Standridge and Garis. They scored 17 points apiece. Patrick and Edwards had 11 each, Willis 10, George seven and Abby Hodges two.
