Lady Cats fall 3-0 in state tourney
By Jeff Reed / Sports Editor / jreed@nlrtimes.com
Friday, October 30, 2009 10:23 AM CDT
Back in the state tournament after a one-year absence, the North Little Rock Lady Charging Wildcats found Bentonville to be a major task.
The Lady Tigers, last year’s state champions, topped the Lady Cats 3-0 in a second-round state tourney match Wednesday at Van Buren High School.
The Lady Cats fell 25-16, 25-19, 25-23.
“It thought the girls played well,’’ said coach Cheryl Bing. “I was surprised at how they responded. It was close. Every game was nip and tuck. They would just get the points at crucial times.
“It seem like when we got close, we would get a bad bounce, or they would make a shot. It just didn’t go our way, but I was proud of the girls.
“I told the girls that we could play with them and it set in the first game when we were tied with them for a while. It just took a little time for them to start believing.
Bing said North Little Rock had the lead in the third game at 21 points.
“I thought we had them,’’ she said. “We were playing well., They called a time-out and came out and made the big plays.
“I scouted them on Tuesday and everyone said they are not as good as the team that won back-to-back state championships, but they are a very, very good team.
“I think this tournament is a crap shoot. It is anybody’s game.’’
North Little Rock, which finished second in the Central conference, received a first-round bye because of its finish. The team did not make the state tournament last season.
