By Shelley Ebbrecht
Conway’s Olivia Dill made a case for comeback player of the year with her performance in the Lady Bears’ 41-33 victory over the Marion C. Early Lady Panthers Monday night.
Dill had 21 points and 10 rebounds in the contest, which was her sixth game since suffering a knee injury in July. After tearing her ACL, Dill underwent surgery and was off the court for five and half months. Her return meant adding much-needed size to the Lady Bear game and is fueling the team’s momentum.
“It has taken a couple of games to get my momentum back, but now that I have it, it’s awesome,” said Dill, a junior. “Since I’ve been back I’ve had to learn to play with the rest of the team and for them to learn to play with me and I think we are all starting to mesh and play really well together.”
PHOTOS: CONWAY VS. MORRISVILLE
Conway coach Michael Lewis said he’s glad to have Dill back and see the progress she is making.
“You can tell she is still feeling it at times,” Lewis said. “Her knee feels good and she’s playing hard. She’s not playing scared or anything like that, she just runs out of gas. She’s not ready as far as being in shape yet, but she’s playing hard.”
Dill got the Lady Bears off to a good start, scoring the first 8 points of the game before a rebound/put-back by Bailee Jess put the Lady Panhters on the board at the five and a half minute mark of the first quarter. Dill and Cassie Vestal combined for all of Conway’s points in the first quarter as the Lady Bears jumped to a 14-2 lead.
“I didn’t foresee us jumping out to that big of a lead,” Lewis said. “Morrisville is a team that can shoot, they just couldn’t get anything to fall in that first half. Then it became a matter of now that we got off to a great start, how do we adjust to keep the intensity up. And you know a team that has that many girls that can shoot, eventually some of their shots are going to start falling and that’s what happened in the second half.”
Conway took a 25-10 point lead into the locker room at the half, but Marion C. Early was not going to go away quietly. They fought to hold their ground in the third quarter and felt things swinging their way with a steal turned into two points by Casey Cossins in the fourth.
Marion C. Early knocked the Bears’ lead into single digits and forced five Conway turnovers on straight possessions, but the Lady Panthers couldn’t capitalize and Conway picked up 41-33 win.
“In the first quarter, our baskets weren’t falling and in the second quarter they played back hard but it just didn’t go our way tonight,” said Marion C. Early coach Shelby Johnson. “For the second half though, they came out and they fought hard and that’s all I can ask of them, to keep trying and never give up.”
Conway’s Halee Tucker stepped up big and held Marion C. Early’s lead scorer Abby Painter to single digits in scoring while picking up 9 assists and 5 rebounds.
“I’m so tickled with Halee Tucker guarding their best player and holding her under 10 points and chipping in 9 assists,” Lewis said. “Her shots weren’t falling tonight—which they have been lately—but just being able to contribute like that is huge.”
Conway improved to 5-9 with the win. The Lady Bears are hoping to add a victory against Ava to their resume on Thursday to make an argument to move up in seeding approaching the district tournament.
Marion C. Early, 4-10, has the rest of the week off before playing three games next week—starting with Ash Grove.
Conway 41, Marion C. Early 33
Conway 14-11-12-4—41
Marion C. Early 2-8-11-12—33
Conway—Olivia Dill 21, Cassie Vestal 8, Halee Tucker 4, Maddie Archer 4, Greysen Patten 4
Marion C. Early—Michaela Presley 12, Abby Painter 8, Casey Cossins 5, Bailee Jess 4, Katie Collins 3, Keaton Painter 1
