Legacy’s Senior Girls Advance in Senior Girls Regional Playoffs; Boys fall short and now battle for a ticket into the state tournament

MAGNOLIA, ARK—Legacy Academy’s Senior girls have had a tough schedule in their second year with a senior girls’ program but their work is starting to pay off just in time. They advanced through the HCAA 1A regional tournament playoffs this week by defeating Columbia Christian’s Lady Conquerors. This secures the Lady Warriors a chance to play in the regional finals on Monday night and ensures they are seeded into the girls’s state tournament bracket. State tournament play begins next Tuesday, February 14, 2022 in Fort Smith.
The Lockesburg girls’ squad took on the Magnolia team in the semi-finals in what appeared it would be a close game. The first quarter ended with Legacy leading 10-9, but the Lady Warriors turned up the defense in the second quarter holding the Magnolia team to only two points, while scoring 12 themselves. Legacy led 22-11 at the half. The Lady Warriors outscored their opponent 17-12 and 25-9 in the third and fourth quarters! This gave the girls a 65-32 victory. Senior Grace Tucker led the girls with 27 points, followed by Junior Dori Bartek with 22 points. Oaklee Lofton contributed 10 points to the board. Trinity Cox led the team in crashing the board by grabbing 10 rebounds. Jessica Nogueria grabbed 9, while Tucker, Bartek, and Skylar Alexander each secured 6. Twelve of Tucker’s points were from behind the three point line. K. Story led the Magnolia team with 10 points. The Lady Warriors will play the winner of today’s game between Gospel Light of Hot Springs and Garrett Memorial of Hope in the regional finals on Monday night.

Legacy’s Senior boys handily defeated the Columbia Christian in regular season, but fell short in a nail biter in tournament play. The Warriors actually scored the exact same amount of points in the regular season and the tournament game against the Magnolia team, but stumbled on defense in keeping Columbia from scoring. The Magnolia team was able to score more, primarily with short range shots near the paint. Ethan Gallagher led the Warriors with 30 points and 18 rebounds. Layne Schroer grabbed 9 rebounds for the team. This knocks the Warriors out of contention for the regional title and forfeited the automatic bid to the state tournament a victory would have given them. Now the Warriors must play in the regional consolation bracket in order to battle for the one remaining ticket to the state playoffs. The Warriors play Valley Christian of Russellville in Hot Springs tonight and if they win they play again on Monday. The state tournament begins on Tuesday in Fort Smith.