SPRINGDALE -- Cheri Higgins remembers turning to her young daughter years ago while the two were watching a youth basketball game at the firmer All-Star Sports Arena in Springdale.
"One girl was really good and I asked Jacie if she wanted to be like her," Cheri said. "Jacie was probably seven or eight at the time and she said 'no, I want to be better.'"
Jacie Higgins
SCHOOL: Springdale Har-Ber
CLASS: Junior
POSITION: Guard
HEIGHT: 5-11
NOTABLE: Leading scorer for Har-Ber who averages 11.9 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assisits per game. … Scored eight of her 12 points in fourth quarter of Har-Ber’s win over Rogers last Friday. … First player to make varsity as a freshman for Har-Ber … Had 18 points and 8 rebounds in a win over Neosho, Mo. … Older sister, Hadlee, is a team manager for the Lady Wildcats.
ON THE WEB
For more on Jacie Higgins, see the full video at www.nwadg.com and at www.ARPreps.com.
MORE ON THE WEB
More sports can be found at ARPreps.com including blogs, conference standings, weekly notes and much more. Here is the complete schedule to view updated content at ARPreps.com:
Mondays
• Weekly team reports and conference standings
Tuesdays
• Video features on Class 6A/7A female athletes produced by area high school students
• 7A-West Conference girls and boys power rankings
• State prep basketball scores
Wednesdays
• Video features on Class 5A and below athletes produced by NWA Democrat-Gazette staff
• Weekly swimming/diving report with video
Thursdays
• State prep basketball report
• Weekly wrestling report with video
Fridays
• Video features on Class 6A/7A male athletes produced by area high school students
• State prep basketball scores
Saturdays
• Weekly recaps with video highlights
Jacie Higgins has been better than most throughout her young career on the basketball court. She was already developing into a star at Central Junior High when Har-Ber coach Sandy Wright took a closer look. Wright liked what she saw and decided to move Higgins up to varsity when Higgins was in the ninth grade at Central.
"I knew I had to prove myself and I got accepted pretty quickly," Jacie said about being the first freshman to play with the varsity at Har-Ber. "I was relieved because that was something I really wanted to do. The older girls on the team that year were really good to me."
Higgins played sparingly as a freshman, then her minutes increased as sophomore. As a junior, she is one of the top players in the 7A-West and the leading scorer for Har-Ber, which played rival Springdale Monday night at Wildcat Arena. The game was moved up to avoid conflict with a school board meeting at Springdale on Tuesday.
"Jacie has some speed and she pushes the ball real well," Wright said of Higgins. "She can penetrate and she's fearless. We've emphasized to her she needs to get better defensively, and she's really improved on the defensive end."
Higgins scored eight of her 12 points in the fourth quarter of Friday's win at Rogers High. It was the second consecutive road win for Har-Ber (14-8, 4-4), which can make a move in the conference standings this week with home games against Springdale and Bentonville. Jacie had an ankle injury and missed the first game with Springdale when Har-Ber lost, 64-56.
Jacie still has a summer of AAU ball and a senior season at Har-Ber to impress college scouts. But she considers this season special because she gets to share it with her older sister, Hadlee Higgins, a team manager for the Lady Wildcats. The girls are friends and have become even closer during many hours of practices and bus rides to places like Mansfield, Texas, where Har-Ber played after Christmas.
"She supports me in everything I do," Jacie said of Hadlee, a senior at Har-Ber. "It's a blessing, really. We fight sometimes, but if she ever needs somebody to talk to I'll be there for her and I know she'll be there for me."
Hadlee played basketball up until her freshman year, when she realized her ability on the court was limited. But there is no jealousy from Hadlee toward her younger sister, the star of the team.
"To me, Jacie is the best," Hadlee said. "I love her so much. I love watching her play and I want her to go so far, and I think she will."
Jacie, who was raised in Springdale, said she won't hesitate to move far away for college to find the right fit. She's already received interest from schools on opposite ends of the United States.
"San Francisco (University) and Dartmouth are both talking to me right now," said Jacie, who has a 3.8 grade point average. "Obviously, I'd love to play close to home. But if something around here doesn't interest me then I'll go far away if it's the best place for me."
Sports on 02/09/2016