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Prep Notes

Last updated Thursday, January 8, 2009 9:20 PM CST in Prep Sports

The Lady Saints senior, who has signed with University of Central Arkansas, is averaging 26 points and 12.4 rebounds per game this season.

Herbert's performance, however, might not be the key for Shiloh as it tries this season to atone for difficult state tournament losses the past two seasons, both to Marshall.

Rather, the play of several of the Lady Saints guards, including senior Christine Smith and sophomore Jesse Parks, will likely determine how far Shiloh goes. So far, coach Vic Rimmer likes what he has seen.

"I trust them completely," Rimmer said. "At the first of the year, we were a little concerned about that, but we've played some really good basketball teams this year and they have handled that well."

The Lady Saints (13-1, 1-0 4A-1 Conference) lone loss this season came to Class 7A Little Rock Central. And while the outside game has come along, so has the inside game opposite Herbert -- in the form of 6-foot junior Kami Garrison (8.5 points per game), who replaced her graduated older sister, Chelsea.

"(Kami) has always been a role player for us because we've always had really good post players," Rimmer said. "This year, she's needed to step up and be a real go-to person, and she's done that over the past few weeks.

"I think that's going to make us a more complete basketball team."

Nonconference Slate Has Mounties Prepared

ROGERS -- Rogers High coach Marty Barnes said the Mounties have been well tested in 13 nonconference games as the team prepares for tonight's 7A-West Conference opener.

And that's a good thing as Bentonville (6-7) visits King Arena. Rogers (12-1) defeated Conway on the road and won the Arvest Hoop Classic in one of the Mounties' best nonconference efforts in decades.

Barnes said he expects tonight's game to be as intense as past Mounties-Tigers matchups.

"Bentonville is a rivalry game regardless of the split of the two high schools here in Rogers," Barnes said. "Rogers-Bentonville schools will always be rivals because they neighbor each other."

Regardless of the opponent, Barnes said the first two or three league games are the toughest.

"Regardless of the nonconference record, everybody is getting a new season with a new record," Barnes said.

-- PAUL NIELSEN

Lady Bulldogs Look To Overcome Injuries

SPRINGDALE -- The Springdale High Lady Bulldogs have already surpassed their win total of the past three seasons as they begin 7A-West Conference play tonight but that excitement has been tempered.

The Lady Bulldogs (9-4) lost starting all-conference guard Bailey Ott for the season in mid-December to injury. The 5-foot-4 junior broke a bone in her lower left leg.

Now they could be without sophomore Tiffany Wiseley tonight, after she suffered a foot injury in the third quarter of Springdale's loss to Springfield (Mo.) Glendale on Tuesday night.

"We're hoping she'll be able to play but I'm not counting on it," Springdale High coach Scotty Person said. "She just got in to see the doctor today (Thursday)."

Person said no one player would be able to replace Ott, but he was hopeful the team as a whole could pick up the slack.

"We're excited about the start but the kids know they still have work to do," said Person, whose team was a combined 6-70 over the past three seasons. "Now that we've gotten to conference season it seems more like basketball season."

--PAUL BOYD

West Fork Enjoys Offensive Balance

WEST FORK -- West Fork boys basketball coach David Ferrell hasn't experienced this before.

In the past, Ferrell said he's always had at least one player that was his team's go-to scorer in any kind of situation. This season, however, he has about four or five.

All season, the Tigers (12-2, 3-0 4A-4 Conference) have been successful by spreading the scoring around between five players that are all averaging about 10 points per game, something Ferrell said is refreshing as a coach.

"If I could have something like this every year, I'd take it," Ferrell said. "It's just different than anything I've ever coached. I'd like to think we're harder to play against or scout because we've got several guys that can score. We don't have just one guy that's lighting it up, we've got several that can have a big game on any given night."

Sophomore post Jared Johnson (6-foot-5) is averaging a team-high 11 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while sophomore guard Cody Cone, junior point guard Lee Gaesswitz, senior forward Taylor Genz and junior Issac Muggy are all scoring about nine points per game, Ferrell said.

Ferrell said he's still interested to see how the Tigers play on the road this season, something they haven't done much of.

"All three of our conference games have been at home, so (tonight's) game at Subiaco will be a tough test," Ferrell said. "I think it's going to really show us what we're made of."

-- NATHAN ALLEN

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