Basketball: Whaley willing Har-Ber girls toward win column

SPRINGDALE -- A sense of devastation rushed over senior Karrington Whaley in the locker room Jan. 9 after Springdale Har-Ber's home loss to rival Springdale High.

The loss sent the Lady Wildcats to 0-2 in 7A-West Conference play. Then another tough home loss to Bentonville High hit Friday. After that loss, Whaley decided she had had enough.

"The goal I set after that game was that we don't lose anymore," she said. "We're focused; we're all in and committed to playing hard and winning. That's our goal right now. You especially don't want to lose at home."

Har-Ber travels to Bentonville West tonight looking for win No. 1 in 7A-West play. The Lady Wolverines are 0-3 in conference play as well, and a chance for first-year coach Jaime Green's club to get back in the win column is well within reach.

Whaley opened conference play strong against Rogers High, matching the Lady Mounties' Madison Sandor with a game-high 16 points. She grabbed a rebound and was a very efficient 7 of 9 from floor in a two-point loss.

She will be chasing a bounce-back performance at West after scoring seven points in her last two outings against Springdale and Bentonville. With her height advantage, she likely will be looked to for production on both ends, particularly with Maci Mains missing time with injury.

"If she could only see through our lenses," Green said of Whaley. "The body she has for post play and the soft touch she possesses when she faces the basket (is rare)."

Whaley says her senior year is flying by too fast. Her primary goal -- making a run to the state tournament -- remains a possibility, but once her Har-Ber playing days have come to a close she plans to join the Henderson State University women's program. Whaley committed to the Lady Reddies last August.

"I'm beyond excited about it. It's like a little small community, but I love it," said Whaley, who admits to being a bit of a homebody. "I had an offer from Central Missouri, and I had an offer from Drury, but when I went to Henderson I loved it. I like the coach, the girls are great and I like that it's close to things in a small town. It felt like home to me."

Henderson State has shown a commitment to reaching into Arkansas' 7A programs to build its roster. Once Whaley arrives on campus, she will be the third Lady Reddie from the 7A-West, joining Pink and Blu Jones of Fayetteville, and the fifth from the state's largest classification.

"I think they were looking for a big that could score inside and out," said Green, who spent six years coaching on the junior college and NCAA levels. "She's one of our hardest working kids."

Whaley began playing basketball in second grade with Upward, but she's also expressed an interest in her medical classes, a field she would like to dive into in college to become either a physician assistant or physical therapist.

Playing under Green, Whaley said she feels she'll be well-prepared for college basketball when the time comes. Whaley said her future coaches at Henderson State are a lot like Green.

"Our practices now are a lot like college practices because they're so intense," Whaley said. "When I met her last year I loved her and that spark of energy she always has. I like coaches like that.

"She pushes us to be the best we can be and puts us in a place to reach our max potential."

Sports on 01/17/2017