Life can be challenging for a team when they play on the road. And a week like this one in which the junior Eagles and Lady Eagles will play back-to-back road conference games at Fountain Lake and Two Rivers, there are many factors that come into play. Playing away from home on an opponent’s court is one thing, and the expectation that you will benefit from calls in your favor when playing away from home is another. Mix in fatigue, keeping up with classwork, etc., and you can easily see that athletes must remain disciplined and focus during stretches in the schedule that see them play away from home for extended dates.
The Paris Lady Eagles defeated the Fountain Lake Junior Lady Cobras 26-22. The Lady Eagles maintained the lead for most of the game, despite missing several shots in the first half from close range, and experiencing foul trouble on the court. In the end, the Lady Eagles survived a furious comeback attempt by Fountain Lake to hang on for the win. But a win is a win, and Paris coach Dustin Williams will gladly take the win. “An ugly win is always better than a pretty loss, but we were not ourselves last night. Too many easy baskets and free throws missed, but I am very proud of how our group handled the adversity and was able to pull out the win on the road. We will be looking to clean up our game tonight against Two Rivers.” Brailey Forst led the way for the win with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Annalise Stanford finished with 7 points.
The Paris junior boys team had a tough night at Fountain Lake as they dropped a game by the score of 48-40. On the night, Sam Muldrow had 16 points and 10 rebounds. Konnor Edwards added 11 points for the Eagles. The Eagles found themselves playing behind for much of the game but kept the game in reach with their effort and intensity. As with the girls game, the game was marked by foul calls that seemed to be inconsistent for both teams. To be successful on the road, the Eagles will have to be able to adjust to seemingly inconsistent officiating and focus on execution to win.
The junior Eagles will have another shot at getting a road victory this week when they travel to Two Rivers. For the junior Eagles and Lady Eagles, it was about getting home late last night, catching up on homework, getting a few hours sleep, and getting back on the bus this afternoon to travel to Two Rivers for another important road conference game.
Paris will play junior boys and girls as well as senior high boys and girls games tonight at Two Rivers. Although weather could be a factor, the Eagles need their fans to make the trip to Two Rivers tonight to support their teams in this very important conference date for both teams.
On another note, Resident Press was just named as one of the newest members of the Arkansas Press Association. Resident Press would like to thank all of our loyal readers and express our appreciation to all of you who have made this possible! Thank you for reading Resident Press, and continue to follow us as we provide complete coverage of high school basketball and the road to the 2020 Class 3A state championship!
