A blistering performance from beyond the three-point line helped ensure that Cabot's latest game at North Little Rock's Charging Wildcat Arena was much better than its last.
The Lady Panthers buried 10 three-pointers, with four coming during a three-minute span in the third quarter, as they motored past Rogers 56-39 on Wednesday in the first round of the Class 6A girls state tournament.
The last time Cabot (27-5) played inside its 6A-Central Conference rivals' home arena, it left with a 51-34 loss to North Little Rock on Feb. 22. The defeat dropped the Lady Panthers to a No. 3 seed for the state tournament.
But they played like one of the top tier teams in the field in their postseason opener.
Cabot was 18-of-36 shooting (50%) through three quarters until invoking the mercy rule in the fourth. Jaycie Cook hit four three-pointers and finished with 20 points, while Kaylin Bean had 13 points. Jenna Cook, who also hit four threes, added 12 points, and AbbiGrace Cunningham tallied 8 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals.
"After last week, we really needed a game like this one," Cabot Coach Jay Cook said, referring to his team's 17-point loss to the Lady Charging Wildcats. "We needed to feel better, especially about ourselves. We didn't have to wait too long to get back on the floor."
Rogers (12-18) shot the ball well early, too. The Lady Mounties hit a trio of three-pointers -- all from Taylor Chrisman -- and held a 9-8 lead until a pair of free throws from Cunningham helped start a run to turn the game entirely in Cabot's favor.
The Lady Panthers went on an 11-2 surge over the last 3:36 of the first quarter, then used a 17-3 run to start the second quarter to put Rogers in a 19-point deficit.
Cabot continued its blistering streak in the second half when it scored the first 13 points of the third quarter to transform a 36-18 halftime lead into a 31-point bulge.
"I thought we played well, but there's still some things defensively that I thought we got away from," Jay Cook said. "This time of the year, all you're doing is preparing for the other team, so your principles kind of get skewed sometimes. You lose sight of what you do, and I think that's kind of what's happened to us."
Chrisman had 14 points and Cate Jackson ended with 10 points for the Lady Mounties.
SPRINGDALE 52, BRYANT 35
Kaiya McCoy scored 17 points to help launch Springdale (23-7) into the second round.
Charleen Hudson and Aubriana Wilson each had 10 points, and Jakayla Bunch tallied 8 points, 8 rebounds and 6 steals for the Lady Bulldogs, who score the game's first 19 points and stayed out front despite hitting just eight of their final 40 shot attempts.
India Robinson scored eight points, and Mia Hopkins added 7 points, 11 rebounds and 3 blocks for Bryant (16-16).
