The Greenwood Bulldogs and Lady Bulldogs each posted impressive home victories over Class 7A opponents last week before taking time off for the Christmas break. Both GHS squads will hit the road December 29th to compete in tournament play at Mountain Home before school resumes on January 5th. Their first conference game will be January 9th at home against Bryant.
Head Coach Brian Martin and his Bulldogs played before the home fans for the first time this season last Thursday, December 18th, hosting the Rebels of Fort Smith Southside, riding a strong second half effort to notch a 69-59 victory. Head Coach Clay Reeves and his Lady Bulldogs played at home for only the second time this season, controlling the game from the opening tip en route to a 69-45 win over the Lady Tigers of Bentonville on Friday the 19th.
Bulldogs
Ryan Padilla, Dustin Lunsford, and Matt Ludwig all scored in double figures and led the way last Thursday as the Bulldogs slipped past Southside by 10 points in non-conference play at H.B. Stewart Arena. The ‘Dogs forced the Rebels into several turnovers early in the second half that helped set the tone for the final two periods. The win improved Greenwood’s record to 2-4.
Turnovers also played a key role early in the game for the Bulldogs, who converted some early Southside miscues into points. Greenwood built an eight-point first quarter lead when Matt Ludwig hit a 3-pointer with 23 seconds remaining in the opening period.
But after closing the gap to five points (21-16) at the free throw line to end the quarter, Southside continued its 9-0 rally early in the second period, giving the Rebels a 22-21 lead with six minutes left in the first half. And although the Bulldogs had just two second quarter field goals, they somehow managed to take a 29-27 lead into the locker room at the break.
But the Rebels (4-5) turned the ball over on their first possession of the third quarter and paid for the mistake when Greenwood’s Matt Ludwig buried one of his four three-pointers on the night. The long distance shot helped the Bulldogs to grab the early momentum in the second half. The senior guard finished with 12 points for the game.
“I think Ludwig hit a [trey] to start the second half, and that definitely got us going in the third quarter,” said Coach Martin after the game. “I thought we settled down in the third quarter and played good basketball. But credit Southside – they kept fighting. We had to play all the way through and make free throws down the stretch.”
The Bulldogs outscored the visitors 16-6 in the pivotal third quarter. Greenwood took a 51-34 lead on Ryan Padilla’s driving lay-up early in the fourth period, but Southside kept battling, cutting the deficit to nine points at 65-56 with a three-pointer with 1:21 left. But it was too little too late for the Rebels, as the Bulldogs kept them at bay from the free throw line.
“I thought Grant Morgan, Ryan Padilla, and Drake Lee really put the pressure on [Southside’s] defense and found our shooters,” said Martin. “I thought Dustin Lunsford played real well for us. Guys are accepting their roles, and I thought our effort was pretty good defensively tonight.”
Junior Ryan Padilla led the scoring for Greenwood with 15 points, followed by junior Dustin Lunsford with 13 points, and Matt Ludwig’s 12. Senior Hunter Johnston and junior Grant Morgan added eight points each, while senior Drake Lee scored seven and junior Chase Sanders added six points.
Lady Bulldogs
The GHS girls, off to a great start in defense of their 6A state championship, continued that effort against the Lady Tigers of Bentonville, scoring 22 points in each of the first two quarters and rolled to an easy 24-point victory last Friday night at H.B. Stewart Arena. The Lady Bulldogs improved to 10-1 on the season, and used a barrage of three-pointers to jump-start their offense.
Greenwood hit five three-pointers in the first quarter alone, on the way to building a double-digit lead over the Lady Tigers, 22-13, after the first eight minutes. Maddie Goodner, Sarah Elkins, and Peyton Clements all sank threes in the first period before Megan Hartness hit two straight for a 20-11 lead. Hartness then earned an assist by feeding Goodner on a fast-break lay-up to finish the home team’s first quarter scoring.
“They know the [foundation] has to be defense and rebounding,” said Coach Reeves of his team. “We can control those two things. We fed off our defense and rebounding, and it helped our offense. If we rebound and play defense, good things are going to happen.
Greenwood continued its hot shooting, hitting 10 of 13 from the field in the second quarter to build a comfortable 44-26 halftime advantage, forcing a total of 12 turnovers in the first half. Bentonville (6-3) trimmed the margin to 28-22 midway through the second period, but the consecutive three-pointers by Hartness and a Brittany Branum bucket inside the paint for Greenwood re-ignited the GHS offense.
After a pair of Bentonville free throws, the Lady Bulldogs scored four straight baskets, finished off with a steal and lay-up by Maddie Goodner. Greenwood increased its lead to 20 points after three quarters, 56-36. For the game, the GHS girls took advantage of 22 Bentonville turnovers.
Senior Megan Hartness finished with a total of 32 points, including five three-pointers to go along with four steals. Junior Maddie Goodner and senior Sarah Elkins each contributed 11 points, with senior Brittany Branum adding 10 points. Elkins also led Greenwood with nine rebounds, while Branum grabs seven off the boards. Goodner also had four steals. “We’ve got some really good players,” said Reeves. “It’s balanced. Different nights, different players have stepped up.”