By JASON KING
Leader sporswriter
The Beebe Lady Badgers claimed third place in their Beebe Holiday Classic with a 62-54 victory over Clarksville on Thursday at Badger Sports Arena.
Sophomore Jamie Jackson led the Lady Badgers (5-7) with 21 points, and had nine rebounds and four steals. Beebe got an early jump to lead the entire way, withstanding a Clarksville comeback late in the third quarter.
“We got in foul trouble, and we weren’t able to get up and down the floor like we normally like to,” Beebe coach Lora Jackson said.
“We kind of had to play the slow-down game, which is not our game at all. I felt like that we had to wait around until later in the game to try to pick it up a little bit.”
Most of Beebe’s points came from the free-throw line in the fourth quarter.
Jackson led the way in the last period, going 5 of 6 as the Lady Badgers made 16 of 18 free throws. Senior Shaylin Young was 4 for 4 as part of her 17 points.
Whitney Emison added 12points for the Lady Badgers.
Jackson and Young helped the Lady Badgers grab their first significant lead in the final 1:39 of the first quarter. Young made a free throw and got the rebound after missing her second shot and scored on a putback.
Young then stole the ball and passed to Jackson to give the Lady Badgers a 17-12 lead heading into the second quarter.
The Lady Panthers fought back in the third quarter after trailing 29-22 at the half. Emison got things going for Beebe with a three-pointer before Clarksville post player Madilyn Ashlock scored inside and guard Madison Talley hit a jumper to make it 32-28.
Talley then answered a basket by Jackson to push the score to 34-30 with 4:51 left in the third quarter.
Talley got the Lady Panthers to within 35-33 when she made a three-pointer with 3:14 left in the third quarter. Talley finished with nine points for the Lady Panthers, all of which came in the third quarter.
Katie Ostendorf got the bulk of her team-high 16 points for Clarksville in the first half. Ostendorf was responsible for all but four of the Lady Panthers’ second-quarter points, including a basket and free throw with 5:23 left in the half.
She also went 4 of 5 at the free-throw line during that time, but the Lady Badgers kept her in check in the second half.
Ostendorf’s only second-half points came on a three-pointer with 6:15 left to play that made it 42-40.
Hannah Banning then tied it with a pair of free throws before Jackson went on a spree of five free throws to reclaim the lead for Beebe and push the lead to 49-42 with 4:23 remaining.
Banning added 12 points and seven rebounds for the Lady Panthers.
