The Eureka Springs High School basketball teams played to a large crowd Friday night, and both teams came away with decisive victories against Flippin.
The boys won 55-34. “That was a huge win for our guys,” Coach Brian Rambo said. “Our only loss in conference had been at their place, so this ties us for the conference lead.”
Rambo said Garrett Cross had a “monster night” with 28 points, and Griffin Taylor had 15. Rambo was especially pleased with the team effort on defense. Flippin’s two top scorers ended up with eight points between them.
The girls posted a comfortable 39-26 win behind the leadership of Shelby Little and Megan Holloway. Little played big, with 19 points, seven rebounds, and four steals. Holloway added 10 points and nine boards.
In Coach Ryan Sanchez’s first year, the girls hold a share of the conference lead, and they’re playing well heading into the postseason. The Lady Highlanders record over the previous three seasons was 7-77, so this represents a remarkable turnaround for the program. “Changing the mindset was our biggest challenge,” Sanchez said. “All I’ve asked from the players is great attitude and great effort.”
Both teams had games scheduled Tuesday night at Yellville-Summit. Sanchez said the Lady Highlanders only won by three when the two teams played in Eureka Springs. “We had a slow start in that game,” said Sanchez. “We need to come out faster.” The teams will return to their home court Friday night, facing Cotter in a conference game. Rambo and Sanchez both credited the crowd support last Friday, and they hope to fill the house again on Friday.