By ISAAC BOURNE | The Arkadelphian

HOPE — A big third quarter allowed the Arkadelphia Lady Badgers (15-7) to pull away from the Hope Lady Bobcats (3-7) in their 58-30 win Tuesday night.

Senior Liyah Smith scored 20 in a bounce-back game for her, as she went on to lead her team in scoring for the first time this month. Sophomore TeTe Tate had 12 points in the outing, continuing her double-digit scoring stretch, while senior TK Crawford had nine, senior Amya Snowden had six, and sophomore Taylor Aultman had five.

After a second quarter where the Lady Badgers only scored eight points and allowed the Lady Bobcats back into the game, they exploded for 21 points in the third quarter as they pulled away from Hope.

“We actually talked about buckling down on defense and just being strong with the ball to ensure we get good looks at the basket,” head coach Jonathan Klein said about his team’s adjustment at halftime. “Hope is always a tough place to play and I thought our girls did a good job of refocusing and who we are and just played our game.”

This win solidifies the Lady Badgers’ place at third in the conference, placing them in good standing with the playoffs coming soon. They hope to continue this streak back at home Friday night as the Ashdown Lady Panthers (3-15) come to town for their second matchup of the season.